Religion and government is dangerous. We have spent over 200 years breaking away from this custom. Political speeches to people who practice blind faith only brings retardation of progress and induces oppression on the populace. It took a long time for people to apologize for the inquisition. Who knows how long it will take organizations like the Taliban to grow a brain and apologize. I don’t know why churches are non-profit anyway. They should pay taxes like other corporations. Until then, keep a lid on the “I wanna talk politics, but I don’t wanna pay taxes… waaaaah” sob-story. Hum, I didn’t realize until know how offering tax breaks to religious organizations sure helps to keep them in line and play by the rules. Who ever created that tax code, sure was a master of psychology/sociology.

This is horrendous. I can’t stand the Orwellian use of language. Protecting their free speech? They are free to speak just as I am, and if they do so, then they should pay taxes just like I do.
Free speech does not equate to freedom to suck off the teat of the American tax payer.
If you want to get handouts from the government then you have to obey certain reasonable restrictions on how you use those handouts.
This is further offensive because the requirements they put on churches to qualify would exclude atheist organizations, Unitarian churches, Wiccans, and even though it says “meditation” groups, none would qualify because of the other requirements.
This is nothing but pandering to the established churches at the expense of anyone who doesn’t conform to that mold.

Churches that are non profit organizations, allowed tax exemptions just like any non profit orginization. Whatever candidate they endorse alone does not change whether or not they are a non profitable organization.

In response to why are Churches considered non profit, because if they arent working for profit, then they are non profit. The 200 years of breaking away you are referring to, was to keep the state out of the Church, to avoid prohibition of how the Church may practice. If anything, punishing a Church for the opinions they voice, falls more into what we were breaking away from for 200 years.

The inquisition was not the only event in history, that people had a long time to apolgozie for, and i think the subject is a bit irrelevant. Anything you can say about the inquisitions, you can say about secular government practices anyway, you dont seriously think they were the only people killing people back then do you? People killed over land, politics, ideas, money, and pleanty of secular issues.

Churches are non profit like any other non profit orginzation, do you think The Red Cross, St. Judes Childrens Research Hospital, and other charitable orginzations should pay taxes too? If not, then you are treating the Churches differently, and therefor violating the Church and State ideas you say you support. When my Church goes to the Adolescent Treatment Center to talk to kids, when they go and clean up the city, they are not doing for profit, they are positively influencing society, and you have not given a good argument on why they should not enjoy the less financial burdens as other no profit orginzations.

“i wanna talk politics, but i don’t wanna pay taxes… waaah” sob-story"

You still have failed to give a reason why having, and expressing political opinions change the fact of an orginzation being non profit or not.

Sorry if this came off a bit angry sounding, i have nothing but respect for the both of you, but this is a subject i am passionate about, and I may have come off as upset, for this I aplogize.

Here for Prayer, or someone to talk to – kennyvaughan7@yahoo.com,

God Bless You And Always Be With You All

kenny