The rationale for tax-free religion is a real problem

[muriel_volestrangler]

61. You're moving the goalposts

You have been maintaining that the first amendment forbids taxation of churches; and then, when the wording of it is pointed out, you say that existing SC decisions have interpreted it that way. I'm saying that's not true. So far, you haven't been able to show evidence it's true.

Now you're asking me to find a case which has already decided that taxation is allowed. Since the federal government, and the states, have not recently tried to reimpose taxes on churches, we can't find such a judgement, so it's pointless in you asking me to find such a case (though I would say that, since the Walz judgement does not mention that churches must be exempt, it would have a chance of being found constitutional, as long as it didn't discriminate relative to non-religious groups).

American parties may not agree with me or the several other people on the thread who think a religious exemption is unjust. But that doesn't mean my position is 'not good'. I believe that the death penalty should be abolished in the USA, but the Democratic or Republican party won't touch that with a bargepole. It should be recognised that the exemption is there because most Americans are religious, and they want a tax break for their religion. It's not 'part of the Constitution'. It's pork.