God, Religion, Taxes
December 4th, 2005 -
All religious organizations that accept 501-c-3 tax exempt status agree not to use the pulpit to propound political points of view, although only some are held to this standard by the Media and, more notably, by the IRS. That is, they sell their prerogative to speak for “501-c-30 pieces of silver”.
What preacher is haughty enough to assert that his calling is of more value to humanity than other avocations? Today in America, just about all of them are: their religious businesses are immune from taxes because, it is presumed, they do good for society, but is that not also true of truck drivers? Educators? Artists, athletes? Physicians? Lawyers, despite the bad name earned by some of them for all of them?
Priests, Rabbis, Imams, all who preside over religions that have the “blessing” of the IRS will ignore this, some may have the temerity to dispute it. Not one will relinquish tax-exempt status, nor will most parishioners query them on this subject. Never mind that the First Amendment prohibits the federal government’s favoring any religion or religions over others.
The God I worship is beyond our comprehension. We exist only through God’s Grace, and it should be our endeavor to do only those things that are pleasing in His Sight, and we should be grateful. Call that simplistic, or simply simple, that is my religion.
My religion, of course, is not recognized by the IRS. Is yours? If so, does that bolster your faith, or undermine it?
sonjay Writes:
->>My religion, of course, is not recognized by the IRS. Is yours? If so, does that bolster your faith, or undermine it?
I would tend to think that having the IRS recognize my religion would undermine it. My faith neither solicits nor requires a seal of approval from any secular government.
Well, I’m not saying I’d holler about it, if they were to recognize mine, ha ha. They’ll just continue to ignore transgressions of their moratiorum on politics in”religious” institutions, so long as those transgressions bolster their power. What they really want all of us to forget is that ALL money, all wealth, always has been, immutably is, and always will be God’s; we are only Stewards.
December 7th, 2005 at 9:51 pm