The money churchgoers donate to churches should ethically and logically go towards feeding the poor, offering healthcare and housing to low income people, but recently churches have been having other ideas of what to do with their income.

Churches make up for $78 billion of untaxed property, plus they earn all the donations from their attendants. Most churches are no more than a business with the fear of God to scare people into giving their last few dollars. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for religion and God, but many modern day churches are being fueled by what little money the poor have, while the 1% is giving just as much as the them.

I believe that churches shouldn’t be tax exempt because all the revenue they don’t contribute could be put towards health care and charities, whereas the money is currently going towards promoting political parties and directly disobeying separation of church and state.

Churches and the government alike argue for separation of church and state, but if we’re treating them better than the average business, that introduces huge bias towards the churches. Giving them a tax break just because it is a church is a direct violation of separation of church and state.

“Churches and other nonprofits are strictly prohibited from engaging in political campaigning.” This prohibition stems from the requirements of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.  Even though churches know this rule, they still choose to go directly against it. The modern day church will spend hundreds of thousands or even million on promoting political parties. Time and time again churches will use their money to promote a certain person in politics or push a specific issue, such as same-sex marriage, but the second churches start messing with politics, they deserve to pay the fee.

When it comes down to it, churches are just like any other business. We don’t need a church to show our religious beliefs. For all the religious people out there, you will know that your relationship with your God is personal and it doesn’t have to be shared with the entire world, rendering churches more obsolete than we make them out to be.  After saying this, going to church is not at all a bad thing, as it can be the push needed to hold your religion, but all I’m saying is that you shouldn’t need the fear of God to be religious.

For anyone that isn’t particularly religious or chooses not to attend church, the tax break churches have forces everyone to support some type of religion.  To add to the outrage, the tax code doesn’t make any difference between authentic religions and made-up ones which take advantage of the taxpayers, which opens the door to anyone creating any religion and benefitting at everyone’s expense.

All in all, I believe churches should not be tax exempt. Religion is great for people, and church is good in moderation, but always be aware that we could be helping more homegrown and foreign plebeians once we realize churches are taking advantage of the rules given to them.