Greece has made a step in the right direction.
The Greek government has announced it will start taxing churches as part of its efforts to get out of its financial crisis. A new draft bill to be tabled in parliament next week imposes a 20 per cent tax on the Orthodox church’s real estate income, reportedly worth over 10 million Euros (US $14.8 million) a year, the Wall Street Journal reports.
In Euros, Greek debt is 216 billion, so it’s no secret that this new tax is going to generate very little. But it’s still good because there’s no reason churches should be tax exempt in the first place. There is nothing special about religion which warrants it special economic considerations or status.
Now if only we can do the same for religious institutions in America – especially when they violated the conditions set out for them under current law.
Filed under: News, Religions | Tagged: Catholic, Greece, Greek Orthodox Church, Taxing churches |
For the Sake of Science 
Well, nothing special in the US except the whole notion of not restricting religious freedom.
Describe the principle you’re trying to apply. Clearly you aren’t saying religious organizations can do whatever the please; they must be restrained by laws in some manner. So in what manner must they not be restrained?
About time!
Well, at least you seem to understand that taxation is a form of governmental restraint.
I am saying that is much as it is, churches should not be subject to such restraint per the the 1st amendment injunction against, “prohibiting the free exercise thereof”.
B-but…we have a free market! A FREE MARKET.
What does that have to do with the price of tea in China?
taxation is not a form of government restraint, it’s a form of revenue generation. and why, really why, should a church be tax-free, unless it conforms to the laws of the state?
and tax exemption of churches is solely at the whim of the government — there is no constitutional requirement for this, anywhere. 501(c)3 tax status requires that the recipient engage in NO political activity – a pledge which many american churches are NOT conforming to.
the sad thing is that they aren’t being taken to task for it, either.
I doubt the Founding Fathers, who rebelled because of the oppressive nature of taxes, would agree that they are merely a ‘form of revenue geneartion’. It is bynature cohersive and intrusive, albeit a somewhat neccesary act of government. It should be kept away from the practice of religion.
Regular ongoing tax collection via income tax collection form distributed by the IRS didn’t begin until around 1913 – we have had tax exemption clauses almost as long. It’s not ‘arbitrary’.
And the it is not churches that are becoming ‘more political’, it is that certain issues, like the nature of the marriage, the family, and charity, have increasingly been intruded upon by government policies- previously they weren’t considered political issues at all, but well within the purview of the church.