Now’s the Time To End Tax Exemptions for Religious Institutions - Mark Openheimer

[One Bad Pig]

OK, thought so. Yet, I think about Jesus sitting down and watching people put money in the collection box.

Mark 12:41-44English Standard Version (ESV)
The Widow's Offering
41 And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. 42 And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny.[a] 43 And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. 44 For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”

I think the intent of the "secrecy" is not so much that the Church can't know, but that you don't go around bragging about how much you give.

My priest doesn't want to know who gives what, just in case it might bias him in favor of those who give more.

[One Bad Pig]

Yeah, leftists like James Madison, the main architect of the Constitution, who, to paraphrase, said no citizen should be compelled by the state to contribute even one cent to support a church. Yet that is what we are compelled to do by subsidizing them with our tax dollars.

James Madison also said, "I cannot undertake to lay my finger on that article of the Constitution which granted a right to Congress of expending, on objects of benevolence, the money of their constituents."

I'll agree to make no institutions tax exempt if liberals will agree to stop welfare, SNAP, Medicaid, Pell Grants, the EIC, the graduated income tax, supporting the UN, aid to foreign countries, etc. . . . Then we'll all be in accord with what James Madison wanted.

[Cow Poke]

My priest doesn't want to know who gives what, just in case it might bias him in favor of those who give more.

I'm the same way.

I always ask our finance people not to name names or amounts, unless there's a compelling reason for me to know. (Like the guy who gave me $10,000 to help Jim get into the hospital to get a liver transplant -- I had a feeling the guy was a generous giver, but he doesn't appear to be wanting to exert any influence or policy - he just wanted to help with an immediate need)

[Joel]

Then they're obviously giving for the wrong reason.

Maybe. It could also make it so some people are unable to give as much.

It also makes it durn near impossible for a church to save money for larger projects.

Right. My understanding is that the organization would pay income tax only on the amount that it saves. Which makes saving up for something take longer. (Just like it does for for-profit businesses. Incentivizing consumption over saving, and incentivizing debt now instead of saving up first. (Because I think you can deduct debt payments as business expenses, but savings are taxed.) And then 'liberals" complain about how we have a society focused too much on consumption and debt.)

[seer]

Yeah, leftists like James Madison, the main architect of the Constitution, who, to paraphrase, said no citizen should be compelled by the state to contribute even one cent to support a church. Yet that is what we are compelled to do by subsidizing them with our tax dollars.

Where did Madison say that?

[Jedidiah]

Where did Madison say that?

When he supported imposing the income tax on everyone else.

[Cow Poke]

Where did Madison say that?

Ummmm... you're expecting Mr. L to produce an actual cite?

[RumTumTugger]

Ummmm... you're expecting Mr. L to produce an actual cite?

or to even truely understand what he is citing if he does?