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FAITHHACKER
| Jesus Complicates Everything — Including Death and Taxes | |
 by Tamar Fox, November 27, 2007
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Last week the NY Times ran an article about how Megachurches are
getting so big that they're doing things like buying shopping centers,
which is fine, except when a church owns a store that makes money
there's a question about whether they have to pay taxes on that
property. Here's an excerpt from the article:
Death, Taxes: and Megachurches?
I was reading this trying to think about whether I would feel comfortable working out at a gym that was owned by a church, and I don't think I would. In fact, I know I wouldn't. Later on in the article there's a point where a business manager at one of the big churches owns up to the church's motives:Among the nation's so-called megachurches - those usually Protestant congregations with average weekly attendance of 2,000 or more - ChangePoint's appetite for expansion into many kinds of businesses is hardly unique. An analysis by The New York Times of the online public records of just over 1,300 of these giant churches shows that their business interests are as varied as basketball schools, aviation subsidiaries, investment partnerships and a limousine service.
At least 10 own and operate shopping centers, and some financially formidable congregations are adding residential developments to their holdings. In one such elaborate project, LifeBridge Christian Church, near Longmont, Colo., plans a 313-acre development of upscale homes, retail and office space, a sports arena, housing for the elderly and church buildings.
Indeed, some huge churches, already politically influential, are becoming catalysts for local economic development, challenging a conventional view that churches drain a town financially by generating lower-paid jobs, taking land off the property-tax rolls and increasing traffic.
But the entrepreneurial activities of churches pose questions for their communities that do not arise with secular development.
These enterprises, whose sponsoring churches benefit from a variety of tax breaks and regulatory exemptions given to religious organizations in this country, sometimes provoke complaints from for-profit businesses with which they compete - as ChangePoint's new sports center has in Anchorage.
Mixed-use projects, like shopping centers that also include church buildings, can make it difficult to determine what constitutes tax-exempt ministry work, which is granted exemptions from property and unemployment taxes, and what is taxable commerce.
And when these ventures succeed - when local amenities like shops, sports centers, theaters and clinics are all provided in church-run settings and employ mostly church members - people of other faiths may feel shut out of a significant part of a town's life, some religion scholars said.
Mr. Rieder, the church business manager, paused when asked whether people of other faiths would have felt comfortable at the event.
"We try not to discriminate in doing community service," he said. "There are Muslims and other non-Christians here, of course. And we do want to convert them, no doubt about it - that's our mission. We don't discriminate, but we do evangelize."
The same quandary confronts Pastor Clauson in Anchorage. "There is nothing inherently alienating about what we're doing economically," he said. "An Orthodox Jewish youngster or a conservative Muslim child encountering our programs would find zero intimidation."
Nor does he want his community to become divided along religious lines, he said. But at the same time, "we definitely want to use these efforts as an open door to the entity that we feel is the author and creator of abundant life - Jesus."
He added, "It's a tough balancing act."
Emphasis mine. Full Story
I can tell you right now I would never set foot in a mall or a sports complex that let me know I was going to get the Jesus spiel along with my purchases or basketball game.
This is a complicated issue on the tax front, and also on the ethical front. What happens when a church dominates the fitness scene in one town? Or owns the mall, or the movie theater? Would you shop there? And does the Starbucks that the church brought in need to pay taxes?
I know that Megachurches have been a good thing in a lot of ways, but this scares the shit out of me.
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Tamar Fox has an MFA from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, but she still doesn't like sweet tea. Born and raised in Chicago, she's also lived in Iowa City, Dublin, Oxford, and Jerusalem. When she's not rocking out at honky tonks she teaches More... |
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AmberPasternak
i don't think i would
i don't think i would knowingly patronize a fitness center, mall, or other such thing owned by a megachurch. (and i certainly wouldn't let my hypothetical children.) the place where my husband works empolys college students seasonally, and about two years ago they were mostly evangelicals. and yes, they were nice people. Nice people who thought my husband should join them in bible study when he casually mentioned he was jewish. it all boils down to the quote from Mr. Rieder. They'll welcome anyone with open arms. But their ultimate goal is conversion.
Also, I do think they should pay taxes on these side businesses. We're not talking about a little coffee shop on the corner.
Anonymous
What about "Jews for Jesus"
In the DC area, there is a social hall that is identified as nondenominational (all religions). However, it is owned by a group in which Js for J* owns 25% (or something like that). Some local Rabbis will refuse to particpate in Bar/Bat Mitzvahs held there because presumably 25% of the profits go to Js for J. What do you think about that? I don't know whether the owner is exempt from taxes.
* Ok, I know Jews for Jesus is an oxymoron, but that's what they call themselves.
Soccer
Why not!?!
Why not shop at a mall owned by evangelicals? You shop at stores that employ sweat shop workers who are forced into a practical slavery to support our Gap's etc. We shop at businesses that support filty rich people who give nothing to charity, so why not shop at a store just because evangelicals own it? I say kol hakavod to them for figuring out a way to support their churches - look at our ultra-religious community - it is full of beggars and poverty, they should learn from the christians!
(But as for Jews for Jesus, I admit, I also wouldnt patronize any store that was even 25% owned by them, we have a gut reaction to them that makes them much worse)
Uriah
Too Far
If these megachurches are making money from shopping malls, movie theatres, and sporting events, and not having to pay taxes, then the separation of church and state has gone too far. How much of that money is actually being used for something other than cushioning the pockets of Elders, Deacons, and Reverends?
And, no, I wouldn't shop at a place I knew was owned by a Christian religious organization. I also wouldn't patronize anyplace I knew had anything along the lines of sweatshops involved in the making of their products.
Big business is big business, not big jesus. If I'm not running around my restaurant with my Tanakh under my arm proclaiming jesus as a heretic and a fake, they shouldn't be running around the movie theatre shouting about jesus as the true creator. It's ridiculous.
Jonathan
You'll land up staying home.....
How do you plan on not purchasing from companies whose ownership you do not approve of? Abu Dhabi just bought 5% of Citibank. One of the oil countries in the middle east owns a majority of Caribou Coffee. China, the primary sweat shop owner of the world, owns a huge amount of US Government debt and other US investment securities. Who drives a Ford, Volvo, or Jaguar? They are all owned by Ford Motor Company and Henry Ford was not a Jew lover by any means. Are you going to stop shopping altogether and keep your money under your mattress?
The financial markets and systems of the world are very complex and interrlated. As much as you can't put your head in the gound, you can't pick up every rock to see who owns it. Short of actually giving money to organizations that have owners I am not fond of, why waste my time trying to figure out where I can "buy with conscience." I just decide to buy the best products I can at the lowest price so that whoever is selling it won't make too much money from me. It's called intelligent consumption.
tarfon
Conflict
I haven't researched the law in this area, but I wonder whether the very fact that they'd use these businesses for religious outreach (including proselytization) would strengthen the case for tax-exempt status. That is, if it's a straightforward business, but happens to be owned by a church, there's a strong case for subjecting them to taxes, but if they provide a non-religious service or product (coffee, fitness) along with, and as part of, their religious mission, there's a stronger case for treating that as a religious activity that would be eligible for tax exemption.