Thread: Italy may start taxing the Vatican. Why shouldn't churches pay tax?

Originally Posted by Pavelov

... I was insulted and ridiculed when I prosposed a different perspective. Yet, I am the one who has posts edited?!? I can see what is happening here. It's gang up style with mod in cahoots. I will leave laughing.

Called names, insulted? Could be pls show where it was? I will fix it.

Originally Posted by Deborski

1. Hmmm well I read news from such un-American sites as the BBC, Al Jazeera and Russia Today
2. I support labor unions, and we all know they're communists lol
3. I have attacked (verbally anyway!) US foreign policy as of late and do not support our wars...


OMG...... Comrade Hanna! I must find my copy of the Communist Manifesto in Russian and struggle through to the end! Let us salute Dedushka Lenin!! Long live the Motherland!

*Goose-stepping off into the sunset*

Haha!! Communists are not as evil as most Americans believe - the ones I know are extreme idealists or extremely intellectual or both. Some of the nicest members of this forum say they vote for the modern version of the communists.
In the 90s everyone said that Communism was dead, but looking at the world today it's clear that Communism is still a very helpful & relevant way of understanding a lot of what is going on in the world today. The fact that communist economies were not able to produce enough flats, loo paper or cool gadgets to match capitalism does not change that...

I agree, Hanna. The Cold War was full of propaganda from BOTH sides. Americans are not the "good guys" and Russians are not the "bad guys." If we had been able to listen to each other and talk to each other more freely back then, as we are now, we all would have learned from each other and the walls may have come down even sooner. Who knows?

You know, I think that`s not about communists and religious people, not about Russians and Americans and not about separation of Church and State too. That`s about should church pay taxes or not. Let`s get more details on this issue. State - a structure which is over all other entities in a particular territory. So, why should not Church pay taxes? Is church the part of the State? No, as it stated in the Constitution (in Constitution of US, Russia and any other civilized country). As I think, there is the only one reason why Church should not pay taxes - because church is the voluntary organization. I mean they really can help many many people. They can help sick, homeless, orphans and many other people in need. BUT! I don`t exactly know how it looks in US or in UK for example, but in Russia Church is not only voluntary, social organization. It`s commercial organization too. I said it was even more commercial than social organization now. Any human coming to any church must pay for any ritual. So, who can answer me why Church should not pay taxes?

Originally Posted by vanburen07

As I think, there is the only one reason why Church should not pay taxes - because church is the voluntary organization. I mean they really can help many many people. They can help sick, homeless, orphans and many other people in need. BUT! I don`t exactly know how it looks in US or in UK for example, but in Russia Church is not only voluntary, social organization. It`s commercial organization too. I said it was even more commercial than social organization now. Any human coming to any church must pay for any ritual. So, who can answer me why Church should not pay taxes?

That's exactly what bothers me in Russian church. On the one hand it looks like a sect collecting money on the other hand I doubt they can survive these days if they stop feeing incomers there is no so many philanthropists to support Russian church in amount similar to Catholic and Vatican.

In America, churches are not just volunteer organizations anymore. In fact, it's questionable to me what their motives actually are anymore. So many churches are involved in politics now, and as for their money... they spend it on lavish "megachurches" like the "Chrystal Cathedral" and fat paychecks for evangelist ministers like Pat Robertson, who get on a political pulpit and drive their followers into a fanatical frenzy here. That is the primary reason I believe they should pay taxes.

As for christian outreach missions... I would rather they spent less time trying to bring everyone to Jesus, and spend more time just helping people! Or even better, they could LEARN from the people they are trying to "help" - instead of trying to change everyone else's life or force them to convert to some religion. Just my opinion.