November 27, 2011   97 notes
preachers-wife: divineirony: hatefulatheist: So…does “charity” come in under “missions” or “other”? Looks like a pretty basic business model to me, minus the taxation of course. So why aren’t we taxing these places again? I was going to say because they’d want official representation in the government. But they pretty much have that now, I suppose. Half of churches have attendance of fewer than 100 people (average is about 185). Say your budget is under $100K (typical). Is it crazy that a pastor + secretary + organist/musician together make up a little under half of that in salary?  Also, this chart is a church budget. It’s what’s budgeted for missions, programs, etc. It doesn’t take into account special gifts and offerings for specific missions you might take one Sunday.  Where should we cut? I’d say facilities. Having a church building anymore is pretty useless. We should be the church in our communities, not the church with the tallest, prettiest steeple. But anyway, churches aren’t taxed to keep our state/religion separate. It doesn’t always work that way, but it is the goal.  Isn’t the budget of any non-profit with employees going to look a lot like this? (Except that most of them aren’t going to have line items for money leaving the organization to go to other organizations they support.) The church isn’t taxed because it doesn’t have profits. The church property isn’t taxed for a variety of reasons. First and foremost, we consider being a church is, in itself, an important public end. (I also don’t agree entirely with The Preacher’s Wife that facilities should be cut. Church building serve a very important community function. If the building sits empty most of the week then, yes, let’s find a better use. But I suspect most churches have all sorts of community groups using it during the week.)

preachers-wife:

divineirony:

hatefulatheist:

So…does “charity” come in under “missions” or “other”? Looks like a pretty basic business model to me, minus the taxation of course. So why aren’t we taxing these places again?

I was going to say because they’d want official representation in the government. But they pretty much have that now, I suppose.

Half of churches have attendance of fewer than 100 people (average is about 185). Say your budget is under $100K (typical). Is it crazy that a pastor + secretary + organist/musician together make up a little under half of that in salary? 

Also, this chart is a church budget. It’s what’s budgeted for missions, programs, etc. It doesn’t take into account special gifts and offerings for specific missions you might take one Sunday. 

Where should we cut? I’d say facilities. Having a church building anymore is pretty useless. We should be the church in our communities, not the church with the tallest, prettiest steeple.

But anyway, churches aren’t taxed to keep our state/religion separate. It doesn’t always work that way, but it is the goal. 

Isn’t the budget of any non-profit with employees going to look a lot like this? (Except that most of them aren’t going to have line items for money leaving the organization to go to other organizations they support.) The church isn’t taxed because it doesn’t have profits. The church property isn’t taxed for a variety of reasons. First and foremost, we consider being a church is, in itself, an important public end.

(I also don’t agree entirely with The Preacher’s Wife that facilities should be cut. Church building serve a very important community function. If the building sits empty most of the week then, yes, let’s find a better use. But I suspect most churches have all sorts of community groups using it during the week.)

  1. churchfu reblogged this from divineirony
  2. stopdropandbeauty reblogged this from hatefulatheist
  3. mykael reblogged this from hatefulatheist
  4. tessarose8 reblogged this from ablogorsomething
  5. stainedsteel reblogged this from worldsleastconfirmedbachelor and added:
    charity falls under ‘missions’ because, while aiming to get members, they are doing charitable things :U also falls...
  6. doggiekisser reblogged this from ablogorsomething
  7. cloudytranslucence reblogged this from preachers-wife and added:
    i’ll agree with the preacher’s wife on this one. and the proposal of a non-physical or even mobile church could prove to...
  8. squashedcomments reblogged this from preachers-wife and added:
    Isn’t the budget of any non-profit with employees going to look a lot like this? (Except that most of them aren’t going...
  9. justinmtartick reblogged this from divineirony
  10. preachers-wife reblogged this from divineirony and added:
    Half of churches have attendance of fewer than 100 people (average is about 185). Say your budget is under $100K...
  11. divineirony reblogged this from hatefulatheist and added:
    say because they’d want official representation in...government. But they pretty much have...
  12. twistingthoughts reblogged this from hatefulatheist
  13. alcarohtareseere reblogged this from religiousfails
  14. religiousfails reblogged this from hatefulatheist
  15. bylligoat reblogged this from babydali
  16. mytoothhurtsimdying reblogged this from simplyopinions
  17. greghyatt reblogged this from hatefulatheist
  18. shin8shin reblogged this from simplyopinions
  19. qualapec reblogged this from connorivor and added:
    It’s not that I don’t think some churches serve a valid, positive purpose in some people’s lives, but I do think they...
  20. johnnieanonymous reblogged this from babydali
  21. not-sama reblogged this from hatefulatheist
  22. connorivor reblogged this from simplyopinions
  23. electricsimplicity reblogged this from hatefulatheist
  24. tarantulatom reblogged this from applespirate
  25. echotangowhisky reblogged this from hatefulatheist
  26. bowiechick reblogged this from hatefulatheist
  27. hyperdashsc2 reblogged this from metropolis09
  28. you-me-rainbows reblogged this from montypla
  29. montypla reblogged this from tenousei
  30. trulybadtiming said: Because if we tax them they have to be represented in government. Sure, they already lobby and have a huge influence and blah blah blah. But if we tax them then we LEGITIMIZE the influence they have on our government. Which is not what we want.
  31. xbelievernow reblogged this from hatefulatheist
  32. dangermann reblogged this from hatefulatheist
  33. simplyopinions reblogged this from randomaphobia and added:
    fuck churches. I’m sorry but they’re creepy, abusive, brainwashing places. tax their shit.
  34. applespirate reblogged this from hatefulatheist
  35. yourkillingfloor reblogged this from babydali and added:
    yourkillingfloor: Because its the law? Churches no matter if they’re Christian or what do not get taxed, and I don’t...