Pastor Chik Chikeles stood in front of the altar last month wearing a black T-shirt with the words "Democratic Platform 1. Murder Unborn Children 2. Molest the Survivors. Proverbs 24:11."
"Democrat platform is??" Chikeles asked the faithful in the pews of Calvary Chapel of St. Paul. Then he proclaimed the message on his shirt, citing the Proverbs verse that obligates believers to rescue those being led away to death or destruction.
So began a Bible lesson accompanied by rhetoric reflecting growing stridency among a segment of Christians convinced that the nation's Christian heritage is under siege and must be restored, that the government has overreached its authority, even that the presidential election was stolen.
Needless to say this flies in the face of church-state separation, the supposed rationale for religious tax exemptions. Is it time to end them?
The toothless threat of litigation to remove tax exemption on a case-by-case basis only for those religious organizations violating separation has been undone by special legislation and court decisions, but it might yet be revived. To my mind that's not enough. Given the political environment there's no guarantee selective removal wouldn't be used merely to harass whatever group is on the outs for the moment.
It could be objected that removing tax exemptions would interfere with religious charity work. That's not what's being advocated. Legitimate charity work, religious or not, would still qualify for exemption. Buildings, grounds, campsites, pipe organs, revival meetings and other activity -- including partisan political advocacy -- unconnected with charity would not.
The only solution imo is to pull tax exemption from all religious organizations and activities insofar as those are unconnected with bona fide charitable activity. Freedom of speech or religion shouldn't be perverted to defend partisan advocacy that wouldn't qualify for tax exemption if it were carried on outside the walls of some church.
Over to you NSG.
