Recently, while surfing an online forum that I frequent, someone posed the question of whether churches should be tax free. This question inspired this particular blog post as it brings up several interesting issues. Ultimately, I do believe that churches should remain tax exempt, but this is not based on any theological argument, but rather I believe that taxation should be sparse. However, I’ve come to the conclusion that whether churches are to remain tax exempt they should be prepared to lose that status. They should be willing to sacrifice that status in the name of preaching the Word of God.
Presently, for a church to remain tax exempt it must shy away from entering into politics. Effectively, the tax laws of this nation prevent churches from preaching messages on the policies of politicians regardless of whether church doctrine is opposed. This hamstrings the church in its roll of shepherding God’s sheep. Christianity is a religion which is designed to permeate every aspect of the believer’s life. It is not simply limited to those moments on a Sunday morning when the believer is in church, or at home in prayer. The Christian religion is a worldview, and as such it has something to say on the political issues of the day.
Unfortunately, churches have often chosen to remain silent on political issues despite their moral consequences. Fear of losing tax-exempt status prevents churches from commenting on the stances taken by the politicians that members of the church vote to represent them in the government. It is important for believers to know not only where their representatives stand on the issues, but also where the church that they claim to belong to stands on those same issues. However, the tax structure in this nation, as it stands prevents churches from making such commentary available.
The church must take a stand on the moral issues of the day. It cannot remain silent on the issues of homosexuality, abortion, obscenity, promiscuity, etc. Unfortunately, the church has had to speak on the issues with extreme caution. One never knows when the ACLU will file suit against a church for entering into the political realm in a sermon after all. Yet, the church still has a duty to address these issues; in many ways, I feel that it has fallen down on the job. In essence, the church in its desire to not render unto Caesar it has also neglected to render unto God.
The church should not be so concerned with the issue of taxation that it tames its message so that parishioners can continue to claim deductions for putting money in the offering plate. The church must take a stand on these issues. It must be a strong stand. We know what is right and what is wrong according to God’s word and we must not be afraid to speak out about it. If that requires the church to lose its tax-exempt status, so be it. Money should not be standing in the way of preaching God’s Word.
