Tax exemptions for preachers ruled unconstitutional by federal court by Niki2

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Tax exemptions for preachers ruled unconstitutional by federal court

POSTED BY: NIKI2
UPDATED: Wednesday, November 27, 2013 02:22
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Sunday, November 24, 2013 1:34 PM

Gettin' old, but still a hippie at heart...

A federal court has declared a tax exemption for preachers unconstitutional: http://politix.topix.com/item/u4701-tax-exemptions-for-preachers-ruled
-unconstitutional-by-federal-court

In the court’s opinion, Judge Barbara Crabb of the Western District of Wisconsin wrote that 26 U.S. C. § 107(2) “violates the establishment clause… because the exemption provides a benefit to religious persons and no one else, even though doing so is not necessary to alleviate a special burden on religious exercise.”

Within the 43 page decision, the court cited that the tax exemption costs taxpayers billions. At least $2.3 billion has been stashed away by supposed “men of god” over a five year period between 2002 and 2007 alone.

Quote:
Ministers may, for instance, use the untaxed income to purchase a home, and, in a practice known as “double dipping,” may then deduct interest paid on the mortgage and property taxes. Clergy are permitted to use the housing allowance not just for rent or mortgage, but for home improvements including swimming pools, maintenance and repairs. They may exempt from taxable income up to the fair market rental value of their home, particularly benefiting well-heeled pastors. The benefit extends to churches, which can pay clergy less, as tax-free salaries go further. http://ffrf.org/news/news-releases/item/19361-ffrf-gaylor-barker-overt
urn-%E2%80%98parsonage-exemption%E2%80%99-clergy-privilege]

In short, unlike most Americans who struggle to even keep their homes, pastors get a free ride from churches, which is then exempted from taxation so that they can use the money to make their own more extravagant. Basically, pastors are robbing taxpayers to improve their own lifestyles.

In the decades since 1954, this particular exemption has kept billions upon billions of dollars in revenues from the federal government. Such money could have paid for education, social programs that help the poor, health care, housing and other programs that improve the lives of Americans as a whole. Sadly, pastors have simply been allowed to pocket the extra cash for themselves all these years, even as many church leaders decry things such as the national debt today. That’s another thing the money could have been applied to all this time.

The exemption was sponsored by Congressman Peter Mack, who urged pastors be compensated by the US government for “carrying on such a courageous fight against this [godless and anti-religious world movement].” The law he supported is totally unconstitutional. As Crabb states in the ruling, “Some might view a rule against preferential treatment as exhibiting hostility toward religion, but equality should never be mistaken for hostility. It is important to remember that the establishment clause protects the religious and nonreligious alike.”

Such an exemption is completely unfair in our society. It bestows a governmental gift to Christian pastors for waging a crusade against atheists and non-believers. According to the Washington Post, religious tax exemptions cost Americans over $82 billion every year. Religious groups also own property exceeding the amount of $600 billion ( http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/08/22/you-give-re
ligions-more-than-82-5-billion-a-year/). Imagine if no religion received such tax exemptions. $82 billion would be saved every year and could go toward things like health care, education, infrastructure, and paying off the debt. Or the money could simply be returned to the pockets of the citizens of this county. At a time when Americans are struggling to get by, I’m sure they’d welcome the relief such money would provide.

No religion in this nation should get a tax-free ride. As Benjamin Franklin once said, “When a religion is good, I conceive it will support itself; and when it does not support itself, and God does not take care to support it so that its professors are obligated to call for help of the civil power, it’s a sign, I apprehend, of its being a bad one.” (Benjamin Franklin, letter to Richard Price, October 9, 1780)

Of course, no such thing will happen. State-sponsored "Christian" religion is The American Way.

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Sunday, November 24, 2013 7:16 PM

WHOZIT

This'll really piss off Sharpton and Jackson.

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Sunday, November 24, 2013 11:47 PM

WISHIMAY

YESSSSSSSSSS!

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Monday, November 25, 2013 10:25 AM

SIGNYM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.

Wow, all of those mega-churches with their gazillion faithful contributors.

Most preachers, as far as I can tell, are hucksters. I hope the ruling stands.

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Monday, November 25, 2013 8:40 PM

FREMDFIRMA

Good!

I am sick to death of the US Gov't abusing tax laws to promote inhumane "puritan" values better left to the dustbin of history.
When was the last time you ever saw a pagan belief given a tax break ?
NEVER.

-F

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Monday, November 25, 2013 8:52 PM

1KIKI

Goodbye, kind world (George Monbiot) - In common with all those generations which have contemplated catastrophe, we appear to be incapable of understanding what confronts us.

I hope it stands too, and becomes a national standard.

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Wednesday, November 27, 2013 2:22 AM

SHINYGOODGUY

As Morpheus said to Neo:

"Welcome to the real world"

I hope it does stick, I'm thinking about those greedy TelEvangelists out
there counting their stacks of money while their flock starve.

SGG

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