Monday, September 25, 2006

Churches taxing credulity

I note with interest that the IRS is keeping a close eye on churches and charity groups in regard to election funding. Apparently this comes off the back of some disturbing behaviour in the 2004 poll.

The IRS finished investigations into 40 churches after the 2004 election and found that 37 had violated the law, according to one report. The offenders were 'penalized' but none lost their tax-exempt status.

It is that tax exempt status which is at issue; by claiming that benefit these organizations elect to put themselves outside the system. I effect they are using publicly granted funds to influence the outcome of elections, despite opting out in order to gain those benefits.

Personally I have never seen the justification for churches to claim tax immunity. Let's face it, some of these organizations have become major businesses with large investment portfolio's.

I guess it was an accident of history in the first place, but in our plural societies the whole idea seems a farce. Bona fide charities might have a point, but neither should be permitted to promote sectional or partisan interests, that is not their purpose.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Last ep. of Real Time with Bill Maher had a bit on this one (guest Bradley Whitford is a goer at one of them). Bill shows some funny stuff. If you can't get your hands on the episode, I'd be more than happy to take screen shots of the boards.

Cartledge said...

Bearing in mind my bare bones linux box lol
The system has the software, but the box doesn't have the hardware for a/v, which is fine for most of what I do.
Screen shots would be good! Thanks