Stephen Kaufman, M.D., Christian Vegetarian Association (CVA)
Should Churches be Tax-Exempt? part 1
It is very difficult to find a church that does not serve the flesh,
eggs, or the milk of nonhumans. It is almost as difficult to find a church
that will permit members to give formal presentations on the ethics and
benefits of plant-based diets. Most churches, when asked, refuse permission
to distribute CVA literature on their premises. As private institutions,
churches are free to silence dissent on diet, theology, and other issues.
I think private institutions should be allowed to restrict membership and
the views that are expressed on institutional property. That’s a reflection
of the Constitutional right to freedom of association. However, should such
institutions have tax-exempt status?
Institutions benefit from tax-exempt status mainly because 1) donations to
the organization are tax-deductible, encouraging donations; 2) the federal
tax rate for income from stocks, bonds, and other investments is much lower
for tax-exempt organizations (2%) than for private citizens and for-profit
corporations; 3) the institution does not need to pay property taxes.
The general public sponsors tax-exempt institutions, since reducing one
entity’s tax invariably results in raising taxes for everyone else.
Consequently, I think any entity that enjoys tax-exempt status should
benefit the general public. Though I respect the right of private
organizations to restrict free speech, I don’t regard such restriction as
desirable for the general public, and therefore I think there are good
reasons to deny tax-exempt status for such institutions.
Should organizations with open membership and respect for free speech still
have tax-exempt status? I would be very concerned that governments, with
political agendas of their own, would be biased in deciding whether or not a
given institution merited tax-exempt status. Who, then, should be
tax-exempt? I’ll explore that question next essay.
Go on to: Should Churches be Tax-Exempt?
part 2
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Reflection on the Lectionary, Table of Contents