Churches That Play Politics Should Pay Taxes

Cahir O'Doherty has a timely op-ed piece in Irish Central that looks at the political activities of the Roman Catholic Church and makes the case for revoking the Church's tax exempt status. After power and control, nothing is dearer to the Catholic hierarchy than money. The same holds true for many other anti-gay churches - e.g., the Mormons, Southern Baptists, etc. - and thus making them pay for their bald faced involvement in politics and support for targeted pieces of legislation and candidates clearly violates the provisions of the Internal Revenue Code. Not to mention that efforts to restrict or take away the rights of other citizens should not be indirectly underwritten tax exempt status. Here are some column highlights:
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I have written in recent weeks about the anti-gay marriage amendment that Minnesota's state GOP placed on their 2012 ballot. . . . the truth is there's just no way to talk about this unnecessary amendment other than to call it what it is: a political ploy wrapped inside an anti-gay attack. But the state's most prominent conservatives get very upset when you call it that.
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Minnesota Archbishop John Nienstedt wrote a column this week defending the Catholic Church's decision to lobby for the amendment insisting that it's not 'anti-gay, mean-spirited and prejudicial.'
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Really, Archbishop? You want to deny gay people the right to protect their relationships and their families under the law and you want the public to believe that's not anti-gay? No one's buying it. If you try to limit someone's behavior without actually protecting them or anybody else from anything, it's an attack.
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To justify his position Nienstedt echoed the sentiments of New York's Archbishop Timothy Dolan, who claims if same-sex marriage is legalized, it could lead to polygamy and incest.
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Untruths told in the name of religion are still untruths. If you plan to influence public policy shouldn't you at least make a special effort to be honest?
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Is anyone else becoming increasingly uncomfortable about the Catholic Church's deep involvement in this state issue in Minnesota, New York and elsewhere? It's become clear church officials are using their influence to encourage citizens to vote a certain way, whilst retaining their tax exemptions. As it becomes obvious to all how deeply they're involved isn't it time we taxed them like any other PAC?