The PuritanBoard - View Single Post - Tax exempt status--is it a good or bad thing?

JBaldwin · #1 (**permalink**) 03-03-2008, 01:00 PM

For years, I have been pondering a comment made by a dear Christian friend of mine. I still have come to no solid conclusion as to whether I agree or disagree with the statement. Perhaps some of you could shed some light on it.

My friend said, "The biggest mistake that the American [organized] church ever made was to accept tax exempt status from the federal government."

This comment was made in the context of a discussion we were having about the government regulations forbidding the backing of political candidates from the pulpit. As you may or may not know, in the early days of our country, politics and candidates were a commonly discussed from the pulpit. (I have in my personal library a 1,596 page book of political sermons from the founding era.)

Also in the same context of my friend's comment was idea that reporting amounts given for tithes and offerings in order to get a tax break is in violation of the spirit in which we are to give, since Jesus said that when we give to the needy, our right hand is not to know what our left is doing. Getting the government involved in our giving is not in line with His teaching.