Not many Americans are aware that under current tax law, churches and other religious organizations (temples, mosques, synagogues, etc.) are not required to pay an income tax. This is because of the separation of church and state that America takes tremendous pride in. But contrary to the beliefs of the founding fathers, tax-exempt churches may just be infringing this vital tenet of our Constitution. In fact, having this policy is quietly causing even more problems than it’s preventing. Having tax-exempt churches costs the government billions of dollars, it is unfair to secular nonprofits and to the common taxpayer, and it hurts the owners of the churches who cannot speak their minds for fear of getting this privilege taken away.

To begin, when churches and religious organizations do not pay taxes, the government loses money. If the government taxes them, they will be able to gain money that is much needed especially in an economic crisis. The United States is currently in debt. It owes around $19,005,359,240,744 (Reports). If we make religious organizations pay taxes and it all went to paying off this debt, a good portion of the debt would be gone. Assistant professor Ryan Cragun and two students at the University of Tampa estimated that the government loses $26.2 billion every year by exempting churches from the property tax (Project Censored). To make up for that lost revenue, everyone else is taxed more.

Using this estimate, one can predict that if we taxed churches for 5 years and paid our creditors with the money earned, we would get rid of $131,000,000,000 of debt. That may not seem like a lot compared to the money we owe, but it would be better to pay that off than to be where we are now. These organizations do not benefit the government, and there is no reason to give them a break at all.

On the other hand, many argue that religious institutions earn their tax break by “contributing to the public good” (ProCon). But even so, they are not taxed the same way as other non-profits. Reverend Carl Gregg, a minister from Maryland, has shown that “There are secular humanist organizations that do tremendous service to the common good, but the atheist leaders of these organizations do not benefit from the clergy tax break.” This means that the government is essentially giving money to churches that it doesn’t give to secular (not religious) nonprofits, which is unconstitutional, as it is an “endorsement of religion” (Gregg 2).The primary reason churches and the like are tax-exempt is because of the first amendment, which promises the separation of church and state. But then, when churches do not pay, they gain money. The government is giving financial aid to religious organizations, violating the first amendment.

In addition, since they are receiving aid from the government, pastors may feel pressure not to speak out against the government to avoid having the tax break taken away. "When Christians speak, we shouldn't have to worry about whether we are biting the hand that feeds us,” argues Rev. Gregg. “We shouldn't be fed from Caesar/Uncle Sam in the first place" (Gregg 1). Being tax-exempt is a privilege, not a right, meaning it can be taken away already if the church does not meet certain standards. The IRS states that in order to be considered for tax-exempt status, “no substantial part of its [an organization’s] activity may be attempting to influence legislation” and “the organization may not intervene in political campaigns” (IRS). This means that the people who run the church cannot advocate for or against any political figure or policy, otherwise this privilege will be revoked. They shouldn’t be getting this incentive to keep their mouths shut. They must be liberated.

To conclude, tax exemptions for churches and religious organizations make no sense. They don’t benefit the government, the taxpayers, or even the church owners if they want to speak their minds. To solve this issue, one would propose that the government take the taxation rules that they apply to secular nonprofits and apply them to churches and the like. This way, secular non-profits will not be unjustly targeted and lose money simply because they are not affiliated with a religion, and taxpayers will not be charged extra to make up for the money that churches don’t pay.

Works Cited
"Churches and Taxes." ProConorg Headlines. N.p., 19 Feb. 2013. Web. 18 Feb. 2016.
Gregg, Carl. "Against "Pulpit Freedom Sunday" (Unless Churches Pay Their Taxes First!)." Carl Gregg. N.p., 2 Oct. 2011. Web. 18 Feb. 2016.
Gregg, Carl. "Atheists May Have a Point on Clergy Tax Breaks." Carl Gregg. N.p., 22 Sept. 2011. Web. 18 Feb. 2016.
"If Churches Paid Taxes, Would It Be Enough to Pay for All the Food Stamps for Every Person on Welfare?" Project Censored. Project Censored, 29 Apr. 2014. Web. 18 Feb. 2016.
"REPORTS." Debt to the Penny (Daily History Search Application). N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Feb. 2016.
"Tax Guide for Churches & Religious Organizations." (n.d.): n. pag. IRS. Web. 18 Feb. 2015.