Tag: benefit
Churches Meeting in Public Schools: A Wise (and Legal) Decision
Posted on May 9, 2014 in Public Policy, Religious Freedom by Nathan Cherry
Did you know that churches and schools used to meet in the same buildings?
Today some will claim such use of “government property” as unconstitutional, citing the non-existent “separation of church and state” clause that does NOT appear anywhere in the Constitution or Bill of Rights. Despite their efforts the fact remains that churches and schools have historically sought to work together to share space in a mutually beneficial way.
Erik Stanley, writing at the Speak Up Movement blog makes this point clear:
“In the pioneer era, it was commonplace for church worship services to be held in public school buildings and for public schools to be held in church buildings. Indeed, it makes a great deal of sense for churches and schools to occupy the same physical space given that churches generally operate at times when schools are not in session and vice versa.”
Yes, it does make sense for churches and schools to meet in the same location, especially when the mutual benefits are considered.
So You Want to Tax Churches? Have You Considered…
Posted on April 22, 2014 in Public Policy, Religious Freedom by Nathan Cherry
See if you can answer this question: why are churches tax exempt?
That is a hot button topic in the news, around lawmakers, and on the blogosphere these days. Many don’t know why churches are tax exempt and others simply don’t think they should be. They say that churches are corporations earning money like everyone else and should pay taxes. But is paying taxes really the primary goal of those advocating for the taxing of churches? First, let’s talk about why churches are tax exempt.
Alliance Defending Freedom senior legal counsel Erik Stanley explains that churches have always been tax-exempt since the IRS tax code was first established. And in every version of the code ever since, churches are tax exempt. But, as Stanley explains, many simply don’t know why.