Question for atheists, agnostics, other non-believers.

[Dr.Drock]

Do you think our rights are being violated by giving tax breaks to religious organizations?

We're taxed more in order to give churches/synagogues/mosques/etc tax breaks.

I want to give full disclosure on my opinion for those who don't already know it. I believe those organizations should get tax breaks on the individual charitable causes they do (feeding the homeless etc), but I don't like that I'm taxed more so that they can more easily afford new books, new building ammenities, decorations, etc. They also don't have to pay property taxes and we do, despite not following any of their beliefs.

 

[Sallow]

So long as they do not become involved in politics..I don't have a problem with the tax breaks.

 

[Dr.Drock]

So long as they do not become involved in politics..I don't have a problem with the tax breaks.

To me it seems like government is establishing a religion by giving tax breaks to groups solely because they believe in a god, when those who don't believe in a god aren't given the same opportunity for a tax break.

 

[Anachronism]

My feeling is that the charitable work these organizations do more than offsets the amount of tax breaks they receive. I say that as someone whose grandfather was a Lutheran Minister.

 

[Marie888]

What, just religious ones? What about other Nonprofit Organizations also?

Nonprofit organization - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Examples:

In the United States, two of the wealthiest nonprofit organizations are the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which has an endowment of $38 billion,[23] and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, which has an endowment of approximately $14.8 billion. Outside the United States, another large NPO is the British Wellcome Trust, which is a "charity" in British usage. See: List of wealthiest foundations. Note that this assessment excludes universities, at least a few of which have assets in the tens of billions of dollars. For example; List of U.S. colleges and universities by endowment

Measuring an NPO by its monetary size has obvious limitations, as the power and significance of NPOs are defined by more qualitative measurements such as effectiveness at carrying out charitable mission and goals.

Some NPOs which are particularly well known, often for the charitable or social nature of their activities conducted over a long period of time, include Amnesty International, Oxfam, Rotary International, Carnegie Corporation of New York, DEMIRA Deutsche Minenräumer (German Mine Clearers), FIDH International Federation for Human Rights, Goodwill Industries, United Way, The National Rifle Association, ACORN (now defunct), Habitat for Humanity, Family Promise, Teach For America, the Red Cross and Red Crescent organizations, UNESCO, IEEE, World Wide Fund for Nature, Heifer International, and SOS Children's Villages.

However, there are also millions of smaller NPOs that provide social services and relief efforts on a more focused level to people throughout the world. There are more than 1.6 million NPOs in the United States alone.

There are also examples, for instance in Ireland of NGO umbrella organisations bringing about a degree of self-regulation in the NGO sector.

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[Anachronism]

To me it seems like government is establishing a religion by giving tax breaks to groups solely because they believe in a god, when those who don't believe in a god aren't given the same opportunity for a tax break.

It's not about "believing in God". It's about the charitable work that these organizations do on a regular basis. The other option would be to allow these organizations to write off all their charitable contributions and activities instead, which in most cases would mean they would still pay nothing.

 

[Youwerecreated]

So long as they do not become involved in politics..I don't have a problem with the tax breaks.

To me it seems like government is establishing a religion by giving tax breaks to groups solely because they believe in a god, when those who don't believe in a god aren't given the same opportunity for a tax break.

Is paranoia a problem in your family ?

Our government sometimes reward organizations they think do good things in our society.

Or they reward organizations that contribute a lot of money to politicians,take your pick.

 

[Dr.Drock]

To me it seems like government is establishing a religion by giving tax breaks to groups solely because they believe in a god, when those who don't believe in a god aren't given the same opportunity for a tax break.

It's not about "believing in God". It's about the charitable work that these organizations do on a regular basis. The other option would be to allow these organizations to write off all their charitable contributions and activities instead, which in most cases would mean they would still pay nothing.

I'd need to see a link or something that shows most of the money they take it goes back to charitable causes and not just the standard weekly church routine and the church itself.

Not saying you're wrong, I'd just need proof of it. Because I'm certain that wasn't the case with the church my parents made me go to.

 

[PLYMCO_PILGRIM]

Do you think our rights are being violated by giving tax breaks to religious organizations?

We're taxed more in order to give churches/synagogues/mosques/etc tax breaks.

I want to give full disclosure on my opinion for those who don't already know it. I believe those organizations should get tax breaks on the individual charitable causes they do (feeding the homeless etc), but I don't like that I'm taxed more so that they can more easily afford new books, new building ammenities, decorations, etc. They also don't have to pay property taxes and we do, despite not following any of their beliefs.

I have a problem with people getting tax breaks for stuff like churches and media matters.

I say that if the church does charity work then they can deduct that expense off of any tax burden they may have in absence of their current tax breaks but they should not get tax breaks just for being a church, mosque, cynagoge, or outlets like mediamatters (the athiest church, lol).

 

[Dr.Drock]

So long as they do not become involved in politics..I don't have a problem with the tax breaks.

To me it seems like government is establishing a religion by giving tax breaks to groups solely because they believe in a god, when those who don't believe in a god aren't given the same opportunity for a tax break.

Is paranoia a problem in your family ?

Our government sometimes reward organizations they think do good things in our society.

Or they reward organizations that contribute a lot of money to politicians,take your pick.

I'm not the one who gloats about living in fear or takes personal glee in the idea of others misfortunes, that'd be you.

 

[manifold]

Exhibit 2,787,349,456Q demonstrating that Americans by and large have it waaay too good and take what we have here for granted.

 

[pinqy]

I said no, because the tax breaks are not just for religious organizations. If it were solely for religious organizations and not non-religious charities, or if it were extended to profit making religious organizations (Kent Hovind is currently in jail for not paying taxes from his religious organization), then my answer would be different.

I'm fine giving some minor differences ("churches" don't require the same level of justification for tax exempt status as non religious charities) based on historical precedent and assumptions about what a church should be doing.

 

[Youwerecreated]

To me it seems like government is establishing a religion by giving tax breaks to groups solely because they believe in a god, when those who don't believe in a god aren't given the same opportunity for a tax break.

Is paranoia a problem in your family ?

Our government sometimes reward organizations they think do good things in our society.

Or they reward organizations that contribute a lot of money to politicians,take your pick.

I'm not the one who gloats about living in fear or takes personal glee in the idea of others misfortunes, that'd be you.

Don't you get tired of being wrong ?

 

[Dr.Drock]

Is paranoia a problem in your family ?

Our government sometimes reward organizations they think do good things in our society.

Or they reward organizations that contribute a lot of money to politicians,take your pick.

I'm not the one who gloats about living in fear or takes personal glee in the idea of others misfortunes, that'd be you.

Don't you get tired of being wrong ?

I posted that before your response that talked about how hell isn't really that bad, so you smiling about people being in hell isn't that big of a deal.

 

[manifold]

Anyone in the United States of America that believes he/she is being oppressed because charitable organizations get tax breaks is a certified, grade-A fuckchop.

Fact, not opinion.

 

[catzmeow]

Anyone in the United States of America that believes he/she is being oppressed because charitable organizations get tax breaks is a certified, grade-A fuckchop.

Fact, not opinion.

I don't feel oppressed, but I do think that there should be conditions on these tax credits for religious organizations, just like there are for non-profits. Most churches don't do much actual charity work these days, unless you consider the pastor and music director's salaries to be charitable in nature.

 

[Newby]

Anyone in the United States of America that believes he/she is being oppressed because charitable organizations get tax breaks is a certified, grade-A fuckchop.

Fact, not opinion.

I don't feel oppressed, but I do think that there should be conditions on these tax credits for religious organizations, just like there are for non-profits. Most churches don't do much actual charity work these days, unless you consider the pastor and music director's salaries to be charitable in nature.

I don't know where you're getting your information from, but every church that I'm familiar with in my area does charity work on a continual basis, that's where most of the money they take in goes.

 

[Si modo]

Anyone in the United States of America that believes he/she is being oppressed because charitable organizations get tax breaks is a certified, grade-A fuckchop.

Fact, not opinion.

I don't feel oppressed, but I do think that there should be conditions on these tax credits for religious organizations, just like there are for non-profits. Most churches don't do much actual charity work these days, unless you consider the pastor and music director's salaries to be charitable in nature.

I'm wondering if you live under a rock.

 

[Dr.Drock]

Anyone in the United States of America that believes he/she is being oppressed because charitable organizations get tax breaks is a certified, grade-A fuckchop.

Fact, not opinion.

Why thank you.


But the question entails how much of their money goes to charitable causes and how much just goes to the religious rituals.

 

[Newby]

Anyone in the United States of America that believes he/she is being oppressed because charitable organizations get tax breaks is a certified, grade-A fuckchop.

Fact, not opinion.

Why thank you.


But the question entails how much of their money goes to charitable causes and how much just goes to the religious rituals.

Why don't you tell us since you obviously know so much about it?