ashe

I can see your point about the teachings of the church. I also think those teachings were more meaningful and stronger in years gone by. Todays young dont necessarily believe in god or heaven. Just guessing the percentage of young attending church may be very low.

Churches dont fall under the 501c and other non profits as to them being exempt from property taxes. They have their own special little law in the general statutes that cover them and their buildings from being taxed. I know of several bible banging churches that have provided the preacher with a car. Its a common practice. I wonder if chrissy knows of several?

The greed and the desire to have the biggest bus with the most axles under it and the nicest building to park it under also gripes my butt. They may pull this bus out half a dozen times a year. But you have a bigger more shinny bus then the other churches. While all the time there are people in their own church that could have used a helping hand or for that matter the food bank or out reach ministries. Its all turned in to who can out do the church up the street.

Based on my observations, it seems that churches between 300 and 1000 members do the best at optimizing their money usage to accomplish the most outreach that they can. Churches under 300 members usually struggle just to keep the lights on. Over 1000, operating costs start to get high and also members get lost in anonymity. In the 300 to 1000 range, the group is small enough that most of them know who each other is, many duties are still performed by volunteers, and they can organize projects like roofing someone's house who can't afford it, and get enough people to volunteer to help. Also in this size, I think there is probably more transparency because the budget is still controllable enough that it can be understood and presented to the membership for annual reviews.

As I have said I believe that churches should be more transparent, but I am not for taxing them. It is very tempting to say that they should be taxed because I feel they have become nothing more than a political party, yet there are churches that make a contribution to the community even though I disagree with their tactics and teachings. I wish people would open their eyes and realize that churches do take advantage of them but we can't tax the stupid out of people.

Churches expanding their services for their members has not voided their contribution to the community benefits that I previously listed. The pure fact that the church teaches that stealing is morally wrong and not just illegal means they contribute to making communities safer. And to be honest, I'm not aware of any churches around here where the church provides vehicles to the pastor. All that I am aware of, the pastors buy their own vehicles out of their income.

Also, note that I said all nonprofits, not just churches. Because the catch is, you can't eliminate tax exempt status for just one type of nonprofits and not the others. As a whole, we are better off giving them a pass so that they survive than we are with bankrupting them.

Many moons ago churches did just what you are talking about and more. The church has changed. They now operate schools, day cares, senior living, etc... out of the church or the buildings that they attach to the church. They charge dearly for these services and are sought after by parents because its the "church". The churches you mention of keeping the thugs off the street are present but far and few between. There is one word to describe this and its greed. It disgusts me to see a preacher riding around in a new shinny vehicle the church bought for him and the poor people of the church are almost walking because their vehicle is in such bad shape. With social media today nothing flies under the radar. Churches work hard to keep their wealth under the radar of even the people of the church. If a couple thousand bucks of property tax breaks a church theres a problem to start with. Our politicians have run out of options of where they are going to tax next to keep up the life styles of the government. We have to keep up that landing strip, family central, Ashe park, employees of each.

I'm disappointed in how short sighted some of you are. Taxing churches and nonprofits is a bad idea. I get the argument of they are using services that they don't kick in for. But really, that's kind of like giving a man a fish instead of teaching him to fish. Churches and nonprofits do a lot in maintaining civil obedience. Especially in the lower educated demographics. Also, many pay back the local government with programs like feeding the homeless and letting little brats play ball in their gymns instead of being out vandalizing park benches. In a way, it's like people that don't have kids still pay for schools, and those schools keep the little thugs from robbing those childless homeowners blind. You may not agree with the things the church teaches, but they do teach a lot of simple people not to steal your stuff or rape your daughters

Heels is right on the money. I once heard a local preacher say he wished the county would do something to regulate mobile homes near his house because they were devaluing his property. That comment in itself told me all I needed to know about the man.

Pastors need to make a living like everyone else but when their life style becomes noticeable in the amount of luxuries they have that's a good clue as to where the church coffers are being used. And don't get me started on televangelists - they are the real crooks.

The IRS uses the tax code and threat of removal of non profit status to stifle what churches teach, I"m all for removing their non profit status and letting them preach what they like. But if we remove it from churches then PACs, Unions etc all need to also lose their tax free statuses

They need to see the mission work they think they support.

They cant do that then all of us will be able to see the atrocious salary and car the poor idiots are providing the preachers.

Churches are not required to report anything to the IRS, and the information given to non-profits is vague. I could care less about what the IRS wants to know. I want Churches to be transparent...voluntarily, not because the IRS makes them.

Heels its sad to say but very true where the money is flowing in these churches. Small and large alike they are all doing the same.

I think it would be nice if churches(All non-profits for that matter) released their statistics on Contributions vs Salary vs Charitable work. I think people would be shocked to see where their money is actually going.

I would love to stay and chat, but time to pack and head out again....

If we could only get truck drivers to pay taxes....

Shoe shine the members pay taxes on their own property for county and city services. Not one of them pays a penny on the church building or church property which we have already shown you to be costing all of us.

Churches should not have to pay taxes on their own property, because their members already do!

Church members support not only their church but also their community. They truly do give.

OCM, go drive around Boone one day and actually count all of the prime properties that have been taken off the tax rolls because they were bought by the town, asu, or the county. ASU is the worst, and have properties all over the town.