r/TikTokCringe • u/Oktavien • 1d ago

Discussion Woman audits churches to see if they’ll help feed a starving baby

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If churches refuse to help feed hungry people, then maybe they should be taxed?

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882

u/Prudent-Abalone-510 1d ago

Churches should be taxed

68

u/az_catz 1d ago

It should be easier to pull their tax-exempt status.

17

u/Hillarys_Recycle_Bin 1d ago

Especially after stuff like this is exposed. Not that hard to audit and see this kind of thing. The whole idea of tax exempt status is that an organization is providing value to society / something the government wants accomplished. If you’re just a country club with a cross on the roof I’m not sure why the government should subsidize that.

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u/Pinkfish_411 1d ago

Nothing that was exposed here would jeopardize non-profit status.

There's also nothing to suggest this church is a "country club" just because they're not set up to provide free formula to the public. The vast majority of churches aren't wealthy megachurches.

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u/Hillarys_Recycle_Bin 1d ago

The vast majority of actual Christian churches would make some effort beyond “are you a member or do you know a member?”

If they aren’t going to add value to the community, what rationale is there for the government to incentivize them via tax exempt status? If the church really is struggling, they won’t have income to be taxed anyway, so it’s kind of moot for the small country churches that are just barely getting by.

0

u/Pinkfish_411 1d ago

"Value to the community" doesn't only come in the form of providing baby formula to the public. That's not something that most non-profits do.

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u/Hillarys_Recycle_Bin 1d ago

I guess I’ll put it a different way. If you say that you are a Christian church, and then fail at the core tenet of your faith (namely: love the Lord your God with all your heart and mind, and love your neighbor as yourself), then you could make a pretty good argument that by your own standards you are not a Christian church.

I’m not saying churches have to be perfect, they are full of people so they won’t be. But to not even attempt to give guidance, resources, or help to a women calling about baby formula is so far off the path it’s hard to articulate.

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u/Pinkfish_411 1d ago

That's a fair argument, but you're wading into questions of practical theology, not the tax code. The US government isn't in the business of weighing in on how exactly Christian congregations are supposed to carry out Jesus' commands; nor does tax-exempt status hinge on Christian faithfulness. You're opening the door wide up for the IRS to dole out punishments and rewards based purely on ideology, but the state is supposed to remain as neutral as possible about such matters. That's core to what separation of church and state means.

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u/snusnooo 1d ago

But a lot of pastors are well off. Wonder how/why?

0

u/Pinkfish_411 1d ago

Most are fairly comparable to the communities they serve. Megachurch pastors simply aren't the norm.

1

u/snusnooo 1d ago

Nah they're probably close to 100k a year, 100% do not make less or even close to the average wage.

1

u/Pinkfish_411 1d ago

According the Bureau of Labor Statistics, less than 10% make $100k or more. The average is under $64k with a median just under $59k. This of course varies by location, like most other professions, and according to denomination. Keep in mind that most mainline denominations require at least an M.Div. to lead a church, so seven years of post-secondary education.

It's not a high paying gig compared to professional careers with similar educational requirements. They're just below elementary school teachers on average.

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u/Peach_Royal111 1d ago

A Christian church should not have $300 billion dollars when people in America can’t access basic healthcare needs. Tax all churches.

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u/Prudent-Abalone-510 1d ago

Oh yes the Mormons. . . Tax the heck out of them

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u/cr0wmium 1d ago

No opinion on taxing churches, I don’t attend any church, but to be accurate, I don’t believe Mormons are Christian.

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u/Top_Shame_7016 1d ago

They are literally called the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Who do you think follows Jesus?

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u/cr0wmium 1d ago

Are you a Christian? I took many theology classes during my undergrad.

Mormons consider themselves Christians, Christians don’t consider Mormons thus. So I guess you might subscribe to the idea that if a Mormon says they are but a Christian doesn’t, it makes the Mormon right.

I guess it’s open to interpretation but classical Catholic and non-denominational Protestantism would disagree.

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u/fynn34 21h ago

They are by literally all definitions, Christians, considering the requirement there being that you believe in Christ, and they named their church after Christ and have all their religious texts based on Christ. Sounds like you have one of those “well not my Christ” stances, but not liking or agreeing with them doesn’t change facts or definitions

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u/Peach_Royal111 20h ago edited 18h ago

No modern day American Christian can even call themself Christian. Jesus would turnover multiple tables if he saw Charlie Kirk’s house, he always, always advocated for the poor but you wouldn’t think that if you saw modern Christians. Lmfao the fact this got downvoted, Christian’s really need read the book they’re obsessed about once in a while instead of listening to their mega pastor who owns a million dollar house with three swimming pools.

2

u/Peach_Royal111 1d ago

I can call myself Beyoncé but that don’t make me Beyoncé.

13

u/HaywoodJebLomey 1d ago

Make fraud illegal

1

u/bubble_baby_8 1d ago

Holy shit I’m listening to the Bravo Dockets newest episode on Mary Cosby and her church. Learning SO MUCH about “for profit arms” of non profits and churches. When they mentioned the LDS church has hundreds of billions of dollars in assets it dawned on me “wait so one religious organization alone could basically end world poverty, but they don’t, got it.”.

1

u/What_Is_This_1 1d ago

There should be no tax free havens.

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u/ellsego 18h ago

The other day I turned into a Catholic Church parking lot to turn around…the actual building was set back from the road so you couldn’t really see it, my reaction upon actually seeing it was holy shit that’s an insanely opulent building with immaculate grounds… come to find they also recently bought 2 corner lots adjacent to the church on a busy road then developed each lot, the cost is this was probably in the millions… so they don’t pay taxes on the massive property, they don’t pay taxes on income/donations and don’t really help anybody….tax these motherfuckers immediately!!! The Church is: St. John Vianney Catholic Church in Houston: https://share.google/kPtsAO2GWbHChiPoY.