There have been so much debates and issues concerning whether the Church should pay tax these days, considering how profitable church business has been. Since Church now acquire private Jets, Schools, fleet of other businesses among others.
Also some Individuals, organizations of individuals and politicians have been clamouring that Church should be taxed. Some even sighted the fact that Jesus paid tax.
Now, they may be right to say this since the church make so much money this days right?
Let’s just get right into it then.
Firstly, let’s consider some cogent points raised as a reference to why the Church should pay tax
JESUS PAID TEMPLE TAX
According to Matthew 17:24 – 27, what Jesus Paid in the Bible was The temple tax paid yearly (by every Jew over the Age of 20), they pay about a month before Passover, in order to support those who worked with the religious services of the temple. We can term it a personal Levy and it’s is flat rate and he paid for both him and Peter).
From the above you can say actually say Jesus paid Tax to the Temple (to the Church if you want to say)
JESUS ENCOURAGED US TO PAY TAX TO THE GOVERNMENT
Also in Matthew 22:15-22, the pharisees wanted to trap him.
His reply was,
“You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? Show me the coin used for paying the tax.” They brought him a denarius, and he asked them, “Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?”
“Caesar’s,” they replied.
Then he said to them, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”
Income Tax…A Type of tax
NOW THE QUESTION IS
1. should Pastors pay tax,
Yes, they should, why? because Jesus paid tax.
2. Do they really pay tax?
Yes, they do… They pay VAT, and they also pay Personal income tax on their individual businesses, all thanks to TIN and every other taxes like bank charges.
THE CHURCH AND TAX
The Temple or synagogue or the religious body at that time of Jesus, operates solely as an entity, not entirely affiliated with the government, they are supposed to be the government if not for the Romans empire’s dominance of the land of israel, judea etc. at that time and their system of government.
But nowadays, churches are registered with the government as Non-profit entities which solely depends on grants and donations which are non taxable items, based on this they are not meant to pay tax.
Fixture display® Box for Donations
If the Church should pay tax then,
The organizations below for example should also pay tax.
Club
Cooperative organizations
Association
Private foundation
Fraternal societies
Community social welfare organizations
Insurance
Nonprofit organization
Mosque, Occult houses
Agricultural organizations
Professional association
Charitable organizations
Because they are registered under the same nonprofit entities, but until that changes, the Church should not pay tax.
I am not saying the church does not benefit from government infrastructures, but the individuals who may be running the church do benefit from government infrastructures, that’s why the individuals pay must pay tax in whatever capacity, and some of them still compel the church as an organization to carry out Coperate Social Responsibility (CSR) or Christian Social Responsibility in their community as a form of giving back to the society aside from helping the society stay calm and maintain sanity and submit to the g.o.d (Government Of the Day) even when they are failing in their responsibilities.
The truth is that the government and Religious Organizations (The Church in this Case) are two sides of the same coin, the government rules with an iron fist while the church tames and ensure submission to the g.o.d (government of the day).
A coin has two sides
Unfortunately, The church has been doing wonderfully well in many society especially in this part of the world, they have been ensuring sanity in the society and taming those who should have taking to the street to revolt or cause anarchy. After all the church are Sheep, sheep are gentle and they don’t cause trouble.
And that is why unfortunately, things seems to work better in some society where religion failed.
Personally, I think with or without the Church tax, things should work fine with the country, Church Tax is not the reason things are the way they are, paying Church Tax will have little or no effect on the economy of any society where there’s corruption.
Thanks for reading.
#BeOpenMinded
#arojoadesina
#myunusualDiary
You must be logged in to post a comment.