From: gorney@picard.med.ge.com (Felix Gorney Mfg 4-6983)
Subject: Re: Humphrey/Mondale
Organization: GE Medical Systems, Magnetic Resonance
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL6]
Date: Mon, 14 Dec 92 07:57:02 GMT

: |> : One persons controversial issue is anothers natural right.  I think we
: |> : should remove the tax exempt status of all churches.  Not being a member,
: |> : I resent paying for their guady edifices to greed and waste.
: |> :
: |> 
: |> 
: |> What about seperation of church, and state? Do you remember the constitution?
: |> If one cannot say a prayer in a public building, then how does the govt. have
: |> a right to intrude into the affairs of these churches. I would also like to 
: |> know, in what way one ends up paying to support churches, when one isn't a 
: |> member. I didn't know they were subsidized by govt..
: |> 
: A church uses and is supported by the local infrastructure (roads, police, fire,
: etc.) which everyone pays for through property taxes and income taxes.  The
: church takes in money and uses those services and does not pay its share.  So
: I am carrying a share of their support, and I am not a member.
: 
: I would have thought this was obvious.
:

You're right. It was so obvious, that I knew you were going to use this example.
The answer to this is also obvious, however. Sinse the members of these churches
work for a living outside of the church, they already pay taxes. There is also
a limit to what one can claim as a charitable deduction on income taxes. 
Furthermore, this is only one of many forms of taxation. I pay for the infra-
structure, every time I buy Gasoline. Last time I looked, this was close to   
$0.40 per gallon. The members of these churches also pay property, and other
taxes. Furthermore, all are paying for public education, even though many send
their children to private schools. 

Churches also benefit society, by providing humanitarian aid. The church I belongto sponsors a kitchen year round. This provides food for needy people, and
families. This is a very efficient operation. The people are all volunteers. 
The food is donated, also. Utilities however, are paid by the church. These are
public utilities provided by the govt.. However, churches are charged for these
utilities, just like everyone else. Nevertheless, if the church is taxed, they
may not be able to afford the utilities. The city will loose a utilities
customer. These people will have to rely on a much more expensive, and uncaring
system for their sustinence, which the govt. will have to pay for with even 
higher taxes. 

To tax churches, is just another example of how liberals do not consider the 
consequences of their plans. So long as their plans espouse "fairness", and 
their intentions are good, the consequences be damned. Not to mention the
constitution, most of which has been destroyed, or swept under the rug, at the
hands of the liberals/socialists. 

The power to tax is the power to destroy. This is the real reason liberals want 
to tax churche. 

Lastly, I suppose when liberals think of churches, they think of televangelists,
like Jim and Tammy Baker. The fact is, however, most churches are in debt up to
their steeple.


Felix Gorney














 -- 
: These opinions are usually my own, sometimes my dog's,
: occasionaly my (grown) children's, never my employer's.
Newsgroups: alt.fan.rush-limbaugh,talk.politics.misc,alt.conspiracy