All non-profit organizations are tax exempt, not just churches. The theory is, of course, that they are somehow promoting the public good. We may disagree about the benevolence of many non-profits, such as the Chamber of Commerce. Nevertheless they are limited. They can't engage in partisan politics and keep their tax exemption. The Bush administration has cracked down very hard on what it perceives as political advocacy by non-profits. But apparently churches now have a special status.

We may need to all formally join the Church of Reality.
Cervantes | Homepage | 05.07.05 - 9:20 am | #

i am in favor of non-profit institutions which don't play politics to be exempt from some taxes. i don't like the left or the right to use churches for political gain. i applaud the church leaders who criticize such use. i don't want to publicly subsidize anyone's political action group.

maybe an activist judge will enforce the rules.
dread pirate roberts | Homepage | 05.07.05 - 5:30 pm | #

Yeah, when I first heard about churches using their pulpit to tell people how to vote I too thought that they deserved loosing their tax exampt status.

I don't really get it why churches don't pay taxes, since it is thought that much of the local taxes should be devoted to the public good.
Speechless | Homepage | 05.08.05 - 7:54 pm | #