76 replies to this topic

[twylyght]

true social mobility; equal pay and opportunity for all. it doesn't exist here in america.



oh, please tell me more about your dumb sales tax that was dreamed up and advocated by the rich, those who stand to gain an absolute poo-ton through its implementation at the expense of the poor and middle class.

Educate yourself for once in your life:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FairTax

It involves actual reading, but we all have to start somewhere. If you choose to remain ignorant, it is of your own doing. Good luck with that whole critical thinking thing

[Darth Biscuit]

how much were the pastors making?

i'm ok with pastors getting salaries, as running a church is a shitload of work, but i've known guys who never really worked jobs and just went straight into a ministry, worked part-time at it and wouldn't take an outside job, and got paid a pretty decent salary for it.

The head pastor at the time was at around $120K and the others probably totalled around $200K between the four of them.. This was about 12 years ago...

I wouldn't consider these guys moochers or lazy, but to the point of this thread, the church did very little in the way of what I would consider charity work. Not sure how I feel about the tax exemption, never really put jch thought into it... I will.

[Building Leaper]

So the money that was given was taxed prior to being given to the church, and then you are saying its mostly given as salary, which if im not mistaken is taxed again. Then if the pastor spends the money its taxed again. How about we cut the unnecessary spending instead of giving the entirity of our hard earned money to a government that will just waste it?

[stirs]

Since at least half the posters in the huddle are atheists, it is not hard to guess where they would land. No church in their opinion could spend money as wisely as the US government. There in lies the difference that drives the thread.

Rev Wright or whomever and their church can set up their deal however they want as long as they obey the rules set forth by the gov. Separation of church and state kinda goes away when money is needed by Uncle Sam.

If, the gov starts taking money, does that mean the prayer in school debate comes back? 10 commandments and nativity scenes okay. After all, the church would be a taxpayer at that point.

[Growl]

Those of you for this aren't looking at how this affects employees of the church. Contrary to popular belief, most churches in this economy barely have enough money to pay all their employees, much less add a tax along with it.


"but but but Bill Maher said all the pastors should have their Vipers repo'd!!"

[rodeo]

Why do you guys think people are proposing to tax all churches at some astronomical rate to shut them down? Do we do that to people? Do the poor pay the same tax rate as the rich? No, so why would poor churches pay the same rate as megachurches?

[stankowalski]

Taxing churches is a dumb idea. A church is not a business. It does not produce and sell a product. They actually help communities with the money they take in through tithes.

[PhillyB]

The head pastor at the time was at around $120K and the others probably totalled around $200K between the four of them.. This was about 12 years ago...

I wouldn't consider these guys moochers or lazy, but to the point of this thread, the church did very little in the way of what I would consider charity work. Not sure how I feel about the tax exemption, never really put jch thought into it... I will.

120k?

inexcusable.

[Tensor]

Churches should have to report their income just like other non-profits do. If they are found to not be truly operating as a non-profit, they should lose their non-profit status. Many churches do a lot of community outreach programs and that's great, but plenty others do nothing. The church I went to growing up NEVER did any charity work. They did take up two suspicious 'undisclosed' love offerings after the pastor's son wrecked his car on two separate occasions. A few weeks later, his son would have a new car again. It was a sham of an organization that was about 50% one family.

[Inimicus]

Churches shouldn't be taxed on any monies that they turn around and put back into the community they "serve". Any money they send out of state should be taxed at the same rate that corporations pay.

[pstall]

I wrote up a proposal once for church salaries at my church. My idea was the main minister not make more than 20% of the average member. You index pay for inflation and cost of living every 2 years. They took it and are still doing it.

[Tensor]

I wrote up a proposal once for church salaries at my church. My idea was the main minister not make more than 20% of the average member. You index pay for inflation and cost of living every 2 years. They took it and are still doing it.

The church I went to growing up had a preacher that paid himself $50,000/yr, free house, car. His brother also got $50,000/yr for being the Administrator (appointed by his brother of course). The church only had about 100-120 members. My uncle is the preacher at a church with around the same number of members, maybe a bit more, and he does not pull a real salary. He gets some money, but he still has to work a full time job. Most of the people at the church I went to growing up were not wealthy, so if they were paying $100,000/yr in salary alone, there couldn't be much left on the side to do charity work, which makes sense, because they didn't do any.

[boostownsme]

true social mobility; equal pay and opportunity for all. it doesn't exist here in america.



oh, please tell me more about your dumb sales tax that was dreamed up and advocated by the rich, those who stand to gain an absolute poo-ton through its implementation at the expense of the poor and middle class.

Typical Lib problem. Equal opportunity does exist. Equal results do not.

[Mr. Scot]

if you do this, try to make it where if a church is to not get taxed that much, make sure its due to putting money or time or talent into groups or for those that need it.

In other words, giving the government authority to use taxation to tell churches how they ought to spend the money given by their members.

You think you can defend that constitutionally?

[gospodin shuttlesworth]

Educate yourself for once in your life:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FairTax

It involves actual reading, but we all have to start somewhere. If you choose to remain ignorant, it is of your own doing. Good luck with that whole critical thinking thing

The FairTax is a tax reform proposal for the federal government of the United States that would replace all federal income taxes (including the alternative minimum tax, corporate income taxes, and capital gains taxes), payroll taxes (including Social Security and Medicare taxes), gift taxes, and estate taxes with a single broad national consumption tax on retail sales.

oh wow the "fair"tax is actually just a sales tax? i definitely didn't know that, and i totally didn't already post that in this very thread

for real though if anyone has some reading to do, it's you