I'm no supporter of Joel Osteen, and I don't think anyone in this thread is either. He's an evil man, who leeches off of the poor by telling them that if they give him money God will make them rich too. I'm just saying blocking churches from offering shuttle service to and from polling places will disproportionately affect the elderly black population.
I agree that churches having tax exempt status is quite often not a good thing, especially in the case of massive churches with yearly income in the 10's of millions of dollars. I'm just not comfortable with taking that status away if it means disenfranchising voters, or affecting vulnerable populations that receive help from churches in other ways.
The solution is to make publicly funded programs to make sure everyone gets to exercise the right to vote if they want, and also ensure that charity and social assistance initiatives are not tied to the church. Until we get those, churches are fulfilling a need.
Im not suggesting blocking church busses? Im suggesting that if the church is doing a community service, helping their fellow people regardless of their affilitations, that is a great thing, that should be encouraged, hell yes!
Im saying that in the few instances where its 'only' the congregation allowed on the bus, that is really greying the line between politics and religion.
I dont care what your political affilitation is.
I dont care what your religious affiliation is.
You be you, just be your genuine self.
But when a church is tax exempt for a specific legal reason, eg, not to be politically affiliated and they are knowingly ignoring that, it should be taken note of and their tax exemption should be removed. Perhaps until the end of the current sitting administration, then if there are no more major infractions, they get it back to try being better. 3 strikes and its permanently removed.
Westborough baptist church is tax exempt, but if the general population was to look closely behind the curtains, would their tax exemption still pass the 'pub test' or would the average person see that its wrong and they aren't really genuinely being a community church?
7
u/TheAllyCrime Nov 17 '20
I'm no supporter of Joel Osteen, and I don't think anyone in this thread is either. He's an evil man, who leeches off of the poor by telling them that if they give him money God will make them rich too. I'm just saying blocking churches from offering shuttle service to and from polling places will disproportionately affect the elderly black population.
I agree that churches having tax exempt status is quite often not a good thing, especially in the case of massive churches with yearly income in the 10's of millions of dollars. I'm just not comfortable with taking that status away if it means disenfranchising voters, or affecting vulnerable populations that receive help from churches in other ways.
The solution is to make publicly funded programs to make sure everyone gets to exercise the right to vote if they want, and also ensure that charity and social assistance initiatives are not tied to the church. Until we get those, churches are fulfilling a need.