I just have no patience for the "surely we all agree that all these widdle churches serve an important community function uwu", nope, don't agree or care about your church, it's not special just because you like it
Replies
You do realize that John Brown was an intensely religious man, don't you?
jul 29, 2025, 9:45 pm • 37 0 • view
Came here to say this. Get John Brown's name out of your mouth if you cannot recognize the role of progressive faith voices in movement work!
jul 29, 2025, 10:54 pm • 7 0 • view
Yes, those widdle churches serve an important community function, which is to brainwash more people into the God delusion which destroys critical thinking and the understanding of physical reality.
jul 30, 2025, 2:02 pm • 0 0 • view
Give them the same consideration and energy that they give elderly care and hospitals. Those served the community more so than a church, and zero fucks were given.
jul 29, 2025, 7:45 pm • 1 0 • view
Actually, they perform the incredibly important function of allowing governments to defer their responsibility to promote the general welfare of their citizens and instead place the onus on charities. Socialize the losses, privatize the gains.
jul 29, 2025, 10:10 pm • 8 0 • view
And they allow the promise of well-being to recede eternally into the future, all while economic inequality balloons to distort politics and erode democratic freedoms.
jul 29, 2025, 10:13 pm • 4 0 • view
I'm not demanding anyone be an atheist, I'm demanding private religious belief be, you know, private, not government subsidized. Is it really that hard to fathom that someone might not give a shit about your church stuff? That someone might not think it deserves special deference?
jul 29, 2025, 6:18 pm • 104 3 • view
One thing is, to the extent it's true that churches do stuff that ought be considered charitable, they could maybe qualify for tax exemption on that basis! Just not *qua* churches
jul 29, 2025, 11:57 pm • 17 0 • view
Exactly right.
jul 30, 2025, 12:02 am • 7 0 • view
Churches should only get tax breaks by showing yearly receipts for charitable works or donations, just like the rest of us.
jul 30, 2025, 12:36 pm • 0 0 • view
Both religious AND secular non-profits are tax exempt. Do you also believe secular non-profit should lose their tax exemption?
jul 29, 2025, 8:23 pm • 3 0 • view
bsky.app/profile/john...
jul 29, 2025, 10:39 pm • 3 0 • view
And WHERE is this list ?
jul 30, 2025, 1:36 am • 0 0 • view
Right on.
jul 29, 2025, 6:33 pm • 1 0 • view
How do you do this without just ending non-profits entirely?
jul 29, 2025, 8:13 pm • 19 1 • view
Non-profits only get tax exempt status if they exist to do specific things. It's a list that includes "religion" alongside a large number of perfectly unobjectionable things. Just take religion off the list.
jul 29, 2025, 10:38 pm • 12 0 • view
The NRA is tax exempt. What do they do?
jul 29, 2025, 10:36 pm • 0 0 • view
If I could pull their specific tax exemption I would (mostly because of the fraud), but lobbying activities are one of those things that are typically considered good in aggregate even if we know we will not agree with every organization.
jul 29, 2025, 11:45 pm • 3 0 • view
Lobbying your government is foundational to participatory democracy, so, you know, it's fine. That's the theory, and I basically agree with it.
jul 29, 2025, 11:47 pm • 6 0 • view
The situation with churches is different because it's built partially on a lie, which is that church activities are primarily charitable. The part that isn't built on a lie is the idea that "being religious" is good, and I also disagree with that.
jul 29, 2025, 11:47 pm • 5 0 • view
This is a map of every place in NYC that provides food. Most are churches. When was the last time you volunteered at a soup kitchen? www.cityharvest.org/food-map/
jul 29, 2025, 10:53 pm • 0 0 • view
As I've said elsewhere, churches should feel free to set up separate non-profits, separate from their proselytizing activities, in which they can do all of their charitable works tax free.
jul 29, 2025, 11:56 pm • 2 0 • view
And then a lot of churches just reincorporate. I'm not sure this solves your "problem."
jul 30, 2025, 12:14 am • 0 0 • view
Also the "religion" case for nonprofits gives them special privileges. You'd get a lot of good from making religious entities subject to the same requirements as other nonprofits.
jul 29, 2025, 10:44 pm • 7 0 • view
This, I agree with.
jul 29, 2025, 10:37 pm • 0 0 • view
This would be a step in the right direction for sure.
jul 29, 2025, 11:42 pm • 4 0 • view
I’m not ready to completely pull on this thread and its implications but an issue I have with non-profits is how easy it’s made for the government to just offload state capacity because non-profits are tackling these things.
jul 29, 2025, 11:58 pm • 1 0 • view
It’s hard to fathom giving this much of a shit about it. The foregone tax revenue is utterly negligible. And communal religious practice is a tremendous comfort for many people. Of all the things that get tax exemptions, it’s far from the worst.
jul 30, 2025, 5:10 am • 0 0 • view
*you* not thinking an element of society deserves special deference is grand. The problem is, fundamentally, when people *mostly disagree with you about this.* Imagine society listening to someone who doesn't like sports for their recommendations about whether public money should fund a stadium.
jul 29, 2025, 6:35 pm • 2 0 • view
I don't even think you're wrong, I just think *we don't live in a world* where you ever get to have your way on this question. :D
jul 29, 2025, 6:35 pm • 1 0 • view
Oh wow, people disagree? Better shut up about it. This is not an argument
jul 29, 2025, 6:37 pm • 8 0 • view
I think it's worth changing the public's mind about stuff that's bad. But also, I'm generally not in favor of iceskating uphill. I said some other stuff about it which might have gestured at an argument (unlikely) but it seems to be behind a block now and will therefore be annoying to parse.
jul 29, 2025, 7:05 pm • 0 0 • view
In a world where the govt subsidizes things that people like, even if they are harmful, the problem (which is so hard to avoid that many thoughtful people have assumed it's baked into humanity as a species) is that people tend to like religion.
jul 29, 2025, 7:15 pm • 1 0 • view
This is a non sequitor. Private third spaces can (and often do) serve as an important community function. Most people don't think churches should be tax exempt because they are churches. But I can speak to plenty of homeless people I know that local churches do feed the poor in middle america
jul 30, 2025, 1:42 am • 0 0 • view
What's really funny is when people pretend the fundamental purpose of churches is something other than people thinking they can be immortal.
jul 29, 2025, 10:16 pm • 3 0 • view
“I refuse to entertain any information which contradicts me because I find that annoying.”
jul 30, 2025, 5:13 am • 1 0 • view
Agreed
jul 29, 2025, 7:04 pm • 2 0 • view
As an atheist, can I admit that churches fulfill some essential roles in communities and serve as a valuable third space for people to gather? Yes. Should they be exempt from paying taxes? Absolutely fucking not.
jul 29, 2025, 7:45 pm • 21 0 • view
they’re not exempt because they’re religious, they’re exempt because they are non-profit. for-profit religious enterprises are taxed like any other business. arbitrarily punishing one style of voluntary association non-profit over others is very bad for a free civil society?? this seems obvious
jul 29, 2025, 10:55 pm • 8 0 • view
no they are exempt because theyre religious, they get automatic exemption that other non profits dont and have a very small number of rules to follow to not lose the status vs a greater number requirements others have to follow just to be granted the status
jul 29, 2025, 11:03 pm • 13 0 • view
they have to file status, all money has to go back into the org not into shareholders or owners, they have finances, boards, malfeasance is subject to prosecution. what do you think religious non-profits aren’t doing that the Association of Mazda Enthusiasts or local Norwegian-Americans Club is?
jul 29, 2025, 11:07 pm • 2 0 • view
they do not have to file for status, its the first sentence here www.irs.gov/charities-no... and the biggest thing is proselytizing
jul 29, 2025, 11:11 pm • 11 0 • view
“that meet the requirements of a 501c3” - a filing you make with your state at incorporation!
jul 29, 2025, 11:13 pm • 1 0 • view
Religious organizations meet the requirements by default
jul 29, 2025, 11:26 pm • 1 0 • view
Yes, in addition to getting tax exemption they do not deserve, and being considered legitimate recipients of tax-exempt donations no matter their activities, religious organizations do not even have to open their books to the IRS.
jul 29, 2025, 11:13 pm • 13 0 • view
In that regard they are actually in an extra privileged class when it comes to non-profit tax rules.
jul 29, 2025, 11:13 pm • 13 0 • view
I have worked at multiple non profits and have gone through annual audits at each of them in order to keep non-exempt status. Churches are not held to those same standards, not even close.
jul 29, 2025, 11:09 pm • 2 0 • view
not all religious non-profits are churches, many religious non-profits do annual audits, and many less institutional non-religious non-profits don’t! if you want to require filed yearly audits for every non-profit go ahead and advocate for it, that’s not the same as “fees for some identities”
jul 29, 2025, 11:12 pm • 0 0 • view
if your church wants to set up a separate 501(c)(3) for the food pantry they run i think thats fine and the pantry should be exempt as long as its not proselytizing and runs the same as a secular food bank would
jul 29, 2025, 11:13 pm • 1 0 • view
My church covers my 180k a month meds no questions asked.
jul 29, 2025, 6:42 pm • 3 0 • view
Really?
jul 29, 2025, 8:55 pm • 2 0 • view
I'm skeptical that number is correct
jul 29, 2025, 6:49 pm • 16 0 • view
I'm skeptical anyone who names themself after John Brown would be against religion but then here we are
jul 29, 2025, 6:53 pm • 25 0 • view
You're right, the only way to be a true John Brown stan is to adopt second great awakening Calvinism. Gotta start beating my kids too
jul 29, 2025, 7:00 pm • 27 0 • view
Anyway, either you belong to an unbelievably rich church or they're not paying $180k for your meds
jul 29, 2025, 7:01 pm • 25 0 • view
Hell, I couldn't find one to provide a wheelchair ramp much less 180k/month for ANYTHING. lol
jul 29, 2025, 11:52 pm • 1 0 • view
Whatever they're paying, good for them and good for you, but for every story like yours there are five stories of pastors buying private planes or church hierarchies protecting pedophiles
jul 29, 2025, 7:02 pm • 33 0 • view
And ultimately I don't think you should have to join a church to get your meds paid for. In a similar situation I would be fucked, which is why the government should do that sort of work. Taxing churches would help pay for it
jul 29, 2025, 7:04 pm • 32 0 • view
Taxing *anything* would help pay for it, to be fair. :D
jul 29, 2025, 7:07 pm • 1 0 • view
And churches are particularly undeserving of their tax exemption
jul 29, 2025, 7:28 pm • 16 0 • view
Hm. This would be *extremely* low on my priority list for changes to the tax code, but I suppose different strokes
jul 29, 2025, 7:35 pm • 2 1 • view
You can just admit I struck a nerve
jul 29, 2025, 8:34 pm • 1 0 • view
Do you even kill bro?
jul 29, 2025, 9:05 pm • 1 0 • view
If this was true then it would mean your church just has 180k/month to throw around at will and that's only more suspicious
jul 29, 2025, 9:59 pm • 2 0 • view
MY EYES HAVE SEEN THE GLORY OF THE COMING OF THE LORD HE IS TRAMPLING OUT THE VINTAGE WHERE THE GRAPES OF WRATH ARE STORED HE HAS LOOSED THE FATEFUL LIGHTNING OF HIS TERRIBLE SWIFT SWORD MY GOD IS MARCHING ON
jul 30, 2025, 2:27 am • 6 0 • view
HE HAS SOUNDED FORTH THE TRUMPET THAT SHALL NEVER CALL RETREAT HE IS SIFTING OUT THE HEARTS OF MEN BEFORE HIS JUDGMENT SEAT O BE SWIFT, MY SOUL, TO ANSWER HIM! BE JUBILANT, MY FEET! OUR GOD IS MARCHING ON!
jul 30, 2025, 2:27 am • 4 0 • view
WE HAVE SEEN HIM IN THE WATCHFIRES OF A HUNDRED CIRCLING CAMPS WE HAVE BUILDED HIM AN ALTAR IN THE EVENING DEWS AND DAMPS WE HAVE HEARD HIS RIGHTEOUS JUDGMENTS BY THE DIM AND FLARING LAMPS: OUR GOD IS MARCHING ON!
jul 30, 2025, 2:27 am • 4 0 • view
IN THE BEAUTY OF THE LILIES CHRIST WAS BORNE ACROSS THE SEA WITH A GLORY IN HIS BOSOM THAT TRANSFIGURES YOU AND ME: AS HE DIED TO MAKE MEN HOLY, LET US DIE TO MAKE THEM FREE!! AS GOD IS MARCHING ON!!
jul 30, 2025, 2:27 am • 5 0 • view
It’s rude to shout, dear.
jul 30, 2025, 8:10 am • 1 0 • view
I'm not shouting, I'm singing.
jul 30, 2025, 12:04 pm • 2 0 • view
Dumbest take in the history of dumb takes. Tell me you’ve never lived in a rural community as a poor person without telling me.
jul 30, 2025, 12:45 am • 1 0 • view