This seems like a very reasonable suggestion.
From an aquaintence of mine in the States:
"Since one of the rallying cries of neo-conservatism is the much beloved TANSTAAFL Principle ("There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch") I propose that we make society's freeloaders ante up. And one source of much needed revenue might be to tax any and all churches and other religious institutions that even remotely engage in politics. You know: the ones that pound the tub over abortion, stem cell research, prayer in schools, and other issues, while sponsoring votor registration in their lobbies. All the while piously proclaiming that "we're not political because we promote involvement over issues, not candidates". Outfits like "Focus on the Family", "The American Center for Law & Justice", "The Family Research Council", etc., rake in millions annually while telling others how to vote and lobbying elected officials for their pet agendas. Unlike some poor schlub who crosses the Rio Grande illegally to feed his family back in Mexico, these outfits pay NO taxes-- and their funders get a write off.
End the shell game, end the charade. Tax the freeloading occupational religionists- same as we tax any other business enterprise. Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, liberal or conservative, I would not discriminate.
In fact, why not tax ALL churches? After all, Jesus said to "render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's"- that more or less precludes hiding behind tax exempt status. If the church burns down, fireman and policeman- all of whom are supported by taxes- will respond, same as for any home or business. People will still be able to contribute to their church- but if there is no tax advantage behind it, it will really become a test of Christian charity, will it not?"
My suggestion: funnel the tax dollars gathered from churches into caring for all those people who suffer from the illnesses, conditions, and diseases that stem cell research could have helped by now. Sort of a "put your money where your stupidity is" kind of plan.
