Bamboozled by the bishop..

[ironglow]

   Then truth comes out ... and she/he/it is just another scammer..and left wing money grabber..

   https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/02/unveiled-hypocrisy-bishop-who-chastised-trumps-immigration-policies/

[ironglow]

  More on th ebogus bishop..and other seemingly "kickback schemes"..   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIyWuxcuNbQ

[GTS225]

This is why I believe the tax-exempt status  for churches, of our tax law needs to be reviewed.

If they want tax exempt status, based on our first amendment, then they should also stay out of politics and government.

Roger

[gene_225]

This is why I believe the tax-exempt status  for churches, of our tax law needs to be reviewed.

If they want tax exempt status, based on our first amendment, then they should also stay out of politics and government.

Roger

I have always believed that all churches should pay taxes just like any other person or business. Mostly because it removes them from the heavy finger of the government. The government then won't have anything to threaten them with as they go about the Lord's business, whatever it is.

[ironglow]

   Our founding father..from Adams to Washington, who would I believe, not agree with either of our two 225s..nor could I.

  Having just won a war costing many lives, in order to extricate themselves from a tyrannical government, led by an aristocracy,which had an
   "official state church".
 
  They were not about to place that same yoke about their collective necks, all over again!  The clarified their convictions in the Bill of rights,
   even placing it as #1 !

    Amendment I
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free
exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people
peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

  They were emphatic that the government keep "hands off" the churches..plus the churches shall have no special powers in the government.
   To tax the church, would give a tyrannical leadership a way to coerse or censor the churches..just as was so with King George III  at that time.

  Complete seperation is the only way to obey the 1st article.

   LBJ back in the 1960s, with the approbation of a pliable congress, passed a law that any church speaking politics from the pulpit, should lose his
   tax exempt status. 

  We know how well that worked out..Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton etc.. went right on politicking from pulpits all over the country..
   The only way to avoid such a dishonest practice is ...as anywhere else..FREE SPEECH is also allowed by article 1 !

  To tax anything..business, enterprise, club, association or church, only gives an opening for the current administration to censor or
   coerse the church's voice.

  Today, we have a great divide in our nation, some worship God, others worship Gov..Those who worship Gov have free, untaxed speech,
  God's people should have the same rights !

  Our 2nd amendment says our RTKBA should not be infringed...suppose government suddenly decided that each of our guns should be
  taxed yearly at 20% of value.  Would we like that kind of inmfringement?

  Same goes for the churches... Considering "or prohibiting the free exercise thereof", why should churches accept that
  the government be allowed to meddle with the churches in any way ?

   If any fault were to be found...beyond LBJ and a super-compliant congress, the clergy who accepted this encroachment, should be cited.

[gypsyman]

 Been going on for a couple thousand years or more. Jesus didn't like the idea of the Temple's turning into money markets! Loan sharks and peddlers. John 2  14-15 and Mathew 21 12-17. Wonder how he would react to her, Joel Olsteen, and a few other ''evangelists'' that fly around on their personal jet and telling them to send money.

[gene_225]

By accepting this free gift of no taxes, we make ourselves subject to the government's rules and regulations for example not having politicians speaking in our services and not supporting any candidates. If we paid taxes just like any person or business did, we could do any of those things. It is clear that as we take positions opposed to the government, we begin to find our actions and statements curtailed so that we don't lose our 501C3 status.

Home File Charities and nonprofits Exempt organization types Charitable organizations Political and lobbying activities
Political and lobbying activities:
 
Political activities and legislative activities (commonly referred to as lobbying) are two different things and are subject to two different sets of rules and have different consequences of exceeding the limitations. The rules applied in a given situation depend on several issues:

The type of tax-exempt organization (different rules apply to private foundations than to other section 501(c)(3) organizations),
The type of activity (political or lobbying) at issue, and
The scope or amount of the activity conducted.

[Mule 11]

A proper understanding of the Constitution is the problem. Govt is to stay out of churches, not the other way around…

[gene_225]

And yet, we have to follow their political rules about who can speak and what they can say if we want a 501C3 so we don't have to pay taxes like normal people and business' do.

[ironglow]

Been going on for a couple thousand years or more. Jesus didn't like the idea of the Temple's turning into money markets! Loan sharks and peddlers. John 2  14-15 and Mathew 21 12-17. Wonder how he would react to her, Joel Olsteen, and a few other ''evangelists'' that fly around on their personal jet and telling them to send money.

  Nor does any real Christian appreciate those who are among the sacrifice sellers or money changers.  The verses you cited, of course, come
   from the very "rule book" that we should read and heed.  ..But there are shysters in all walks of life...shucks, some folks even bought pet rocks !

  We already know how John would reeact to these mega shysters!  He was a genuine apostle..didn't sell anything... but the gospel, and spent his
   last days  in solitude in  a cave on a then, nearly deserted island..

    https://greekreporter.com/2024/06/19/patmos-greek-island-john-revelation/

[ironglow]

From Gene 225;

   "quote author=gene_225 link=topic=307537.msg1099850135#msg1099850135 date=1739507669]
By accepting this free gift of no taxes, we make ourselves subject to the government's rules and regulations for example not having politicians speaking in our services and not supporting any candidates. If we paid taxes just like any person or business did, we could do any of those things. It is clear that as we take positions opposed to the government, we begin to find our actions and statements curtailed so that we don't lose our 501C3 status."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  According to our Constitution.. Tax exemption for churches is NOT a "free gift".... any more than living and breathing is a free gift !
 
    ..And the US government according to the Constitution, has no more right to tax a church, then it has a right to tax an old soldiers club in
   Portugal !
 
    Read the first amendment again...clearly it says "congress shall make no laws... nor prohibit the free exercise thereof"..

  Thomas Jefferson made it clear in his letter to the Danbury Baptist church.. when he declared the "wall of separation".

  BTW: Keeping in mind the federal budget was not derived from taxes upon the people or their organizations. As late as 1913, the biggest share of
  government revenues came from Tariffs.. (between 50% and 90%)

  Fact is, the government did not even have the right to impose taxes upon the citizen until 1909..

  So, what about the "snake oil" sellers ?  Any adult should be able to read the book of instructions (Bible), and compare to what they are
  participating in..
     if they are deficient of understanding, friends of family should be ready and willing to guide them.. If they still won't listen, then they are
    comparable to a drug addict.  Let's hope time and testing will heal their problem.

[gene_225]

From Gene 225;

   "quote author=gene_225 link=topic=307537.msg1099850135#msg1099850135 date=1739507669]
By accepting this free gift of no taxes, we make ourselves subject to the government's rules and regulations for example not having politicians speaking in our services and not supporting any candidates. If we paid taxes just like any person or business did, we could do any of those things. It is clear that as we take positions opposed to the government, we begin to find our actions and statements curtailed so that we don't lose our 501C3 status."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  According to opuir Constitution.. Tax examption for churches is NOT a "free gift".... any more than living and breathing is a free gift !
 
    ..And the US government according to the Constitution, has no more right to tax a church, then it has a right to tax an old soldiers club in
   Portugal !
 
    Read the first amendment again...clearly it says "congress shall make no laws nor prohibit the free exercise thereof"..

  Thomas Jeffderson made it clear in his letter to the Danbury Baptist church.. when he declared the "wall of separation".

  BTW: Keeping in mind the federal budget was not derived from taxes upon the people or their organizations. As late as 1913, the biggest share of
  government revenues came fro Tariffs.. (between 50% and 90%)

  Fact is, the government did not even have the right to impose taxes upon the citizen until 1909..

  So, what about the "snake oil" sellers ?  Any adult should be able to read the book of instructions (Bible), and compare to what they are
  participating in..
     if they are deficient of understanding, friends of family should be ready and willing to guide them.. If they still won't listen, then they are
    comparable to a drug addict.  Let's hope time and testing will heal their problem.

Your opinion not mine. We will just have to disagree.

[ironglow]

  Tax free position of the church in the USA, is not an opinion..it is a constitutionally established fact.  Only those who wish to ignore our Constitution
    would try suggest otherwise. (last sentence IS my opinion).