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Churches close their doors as fewer Americans attend
(abcnews.go.com)
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this post was submitted on 29 Dec 2024
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Mega churches are still going strong though. There definitely needs to be a way (other than taxes because separation of church and state is impt) to get churches to spend that money back in the community, but instead it just ends up enriching the owners and investors. If there was anything which needed an anti-corruption intervention.
Churches should be tax exempt only so far as they are demonstrably charitable. All other income should be taxed. The taxes should go to fund abortion and gender affirmation surgeries.
The "charities" can have a hateful agenda, as well. So even there, we're left dubious. "Render to Caesar (pay taxes), feed the hungry, heal the sick, clothe the naked, minister (take care of) prisoners." It doesn't take a religion to fund necessities (like food, health, clothing) through taxes; and it also satisfies most religions' basic tenets.
The worst people still go to church and still run them. I guarantee you 99% of every mega church's attendance is MAGAts and 100% of their pastors are.
The small country church by my house is filled with cars bearing "Trum*” tags.
There isn't a true seperation of church and state at this point. There are plenty of fundamentalist politicians, and churches and religious organizations donate (bribe) politicians as much as business orgs do. If they are going to donate to politicians they should be taxed.
There have been plenty of laws passed attempting to force xtians bullshit, it usually gets challenged and removed but it constantly happens.