Churches and religious organizations have been tax exempt since the nation’s founding, as society recognized the material, spiritual and social good churches contributed and the need to free churches from governmental control through taxation. But now, that time-honored status is under attack by secular forces demanding that religious organizations pay “their fair share.”
As part of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod’s “Free to be Faithful” (FTBF) initiative, Worldwide KFUO’s Kip Allen discusses the topic at 2:30 p.m. Central time April 20 with Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel Erik Stanley and the Heritage Foundation’s Roger Severino, who oversees the foundation’s DeVos Center for Religion and Civil Society, focusing on religious liberty, marriage and life issues.
Listeners may ask questions by email at publicsquare@kfuo.org or telephone at 314-821-0850 or 800-730-2727. Questions may be submitted in advance or during the program.
Program host and moderator Kip Allen leads FTBF discussions on major issues affecting religious liberty on KFUO.org at 2:30 p.m. Central time on the third Wednesday of each month.
Previous interviews are available at kfuoam.org/category/free-to-be-faithful.
Posted April 14, 2016
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It was not just that the nation’s founders saw that churches contributed to society. It was also that in Europe many governments financially supported and controlled churches. The idea was that the government would not financially contribute to or control churches, and churches would not financially contribute to or control the government. It is not just churches, but other non-profits/.orgs that do not pay certain taxes. They still pay taxes on gasoline and tolls, just to name a few.
Nice discussion point Lynne. Thanks.