The Yearly Cost of Religious Tax Exemptions: $71,000,000,000

[D23MIURG23]

30. Not really.

Its a coherent position that churches who don't necessarily need to help the poor in order to be tax exempt do less good than the government, which has programs specifically enacted to help the poor. Its a reasonable to use that position to argue that the tax money from religious organizations would be put to better use operating medicade.

By contrast it doesn't follow that because some churches view themselves as part time charities, all of their activities should be tax exempt. The teaching and spread of religion are not necessarily a helpful practice, and profit made in the practice of religion is not different from profit made in other capacities. Religions in the US are given a special privilege which they haven't earned or justified, and IMO it should be revoked.