Originally posted by ImaginaryReality1984
Why? So they can use their funds for upkeep of their buildings and the excess for charity? Well forgive me but i think they do not need exempt status for the upkeep on their organisation. Corporations don't have this status so why should religion? If they can't make enough for upkeep then obviously people don't believe enough. More importantly i again state why do they need buildings in the first place, religiion is supposed to be in the individual, not the building of worship.
Food Co-Ops aren't Religious Organizations, yet they are Non-Profit/Not-For-Profit Organizations that enjoy Tax Exempt Status. They are allowed to use their Revenue for Cost of Operations and give the excess away to charitable organizations without paying a Federal (and in many cases, State and Municipal) Taxes. Same goes for Boy and Girl Scouts. The same is the case for Fraternal Organizations, such as the Benevolent and Protective Order of the Elks or the Old Fellows. Same goes Charities, like the Cancer Relief Fund, or M.A.D.D. Why should Religious Organizations be treated any less fairly than these?
The difference that you are failing to see comes down to Non-Profit/Not-For-Profit and Commercial Business. Companies, whether Private or Public, are self-serving for one purpose and one purpose only...to generate a profit, whether it is in the public's interest or not. Non-Profit/Not-For-Profit groups serve a Mission in the interests of the public (either a specific segment or at large). Rather than wrongfully subsidize these organizations with Tax Payer dollars, we allow them the benefit of operating Tax-Free so long as they remain Non-Profit/Not-For-Profit and serve the public interest. Basically, it is a Charter that allows them to operate with independence fulfilling public roles that in other countries would be a burden unto the government or Tax Payer.
Originally posted by ImaginaryReality1984They monitor the revenue of corporations and individuals so why not?
Where were you last century?
Do you want to be rounded up because you are a Christian and a perceived threat to a Jewish controlled government? Would you want to be rounded up by a Christian controlled government because you are Atheist?
Don't think it could happen? Then how did it happen to the Jews during the Nazi regime in WW2 with the blessing of the Catholic Church?
Our Forefathers came to the Americas to flee Religious Persecution, at the hands of the Catholics and their 1300 years of one Inquisition after another, or the Church of England, or many other groups throughout history. They understood firsthand the importance of Religious Freedom (and even the right to not follow a Religion at all, if that is your choice).
When a government starts compiling lists of gun owners, gun owners rightfully panic for what will come next to threaten their 2nd Amendment rights. When a government starts compiling lists of a specific political party affiliation, people rightfully panic knowing that a repeat of the McCarthy Era is about to happen (ever wonder why "Independent" became the 3rd largest political party?). When a government starts compiling a list of protesters, then people rightfully panic knowing that 1st Amendment rights are being threatened. When a government starts compiling a list of who belongs to each Church, then it's pretty much the same deal. The government does not need to know this information. When they want to know that information, it is ultimately for a reason that is contrary to Religious Freedom, which is a Constitutional Right.
Thankfully, up to this point, the government has stayed out of the matter of running a roll-call of Religious Affiliation. They know it would be wrong to do so. (Too bad, they aren't as steadfast in upholding that for gun owners or protesters or bloggers, or so forth, who should be as equally protected.)
Originally posted by ImaginaryReality1984But they do decide it. If they do not then i can start a religion right now, that includes only myself and be tax exempt now can't i. I'm not a US citizen but the same applies to every country in this case.
No, they don't.
Seriously, if you can find two other people who believe as you do and will meet with you on a regular basis, then you can found your own religion that is recognized by the Federal Government! Even if you say that Beer is your Eucharist, Football is your worship, the N.F.L. is your deity, and the T.V. is your sermon, it can be a recognized religion if you file the proper paperwork. The government doesn't tell you that you can't find spirituality in enjoying Monday Night Football. As such, they do not prevent anyone from founding the Church of the Sacred Pigskin, and enjoying Tax Exempt Status if you jump through the proper hoops and red-tape.
However, does having Tax Exempt Status for your Church of the Sacred Pigskin mean that you don't have to pay for taxes on the wages your employer pays you? Not at all. You still have to pay those. Does it mean that you can open a business and not pay Taxes. Nope! You still have to pay those. However, when your friends pitch in for the Holy Beer Fund, that is Tax Exempt. When you throw a fund-raiser to get a 55" Big-Screen HDTV to better watch the game on (I mean "have better sermons"), then that money from the fund-raiser is Tax Exempt.
Yes, a religion has to be recognized by the Federal Government to gain Tax Exempt 501(c)(3) status. However, all it takes to be recognized is filling the proper paperwork. The government doesn't dictate what constitutes a religion other than 3 or more people meeting together on a regular basis with a common set of beliefs (whatever those may be) and a statement of what those beliefs are.
