The newspaper visited a dozen churches in Milwaukee that applied for property tax exemptions in 2010 and found three had little or no activity on numerous occasions. At one church, near N. 92nd St. and W. Silver Spring Drive, old furniture, a smashed computer screen and other debris littered the front yard and no one was at the church on five different Sundays when it purportedly had worship services.
In a separate case in Merton, a for-profit fitness center was operating seven days a week out of a church.
A tiff over a billboard with an atheist message has left an East Side church owing more property taxes.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation alerted the Franklin County auditor’s office that Christ Cathedral Church wasn’t paying taxes on the Stelzer Road land it rents to Clear Channel for a billboard.
Auditor’s records show that the property, at 407 Stelzer Rd., has a dentist’s office but is otherwise used for religious purposes. Because of the commercial part of the property, the church owed $1,645 in taxes for 2010, which went unpaid, O’Neil said. The bill, with interest and fines, is now $1,900. Malone said he forgot to pay it.
Jesus had two dads, and he turned out alright.~ Andy Gussert
“Feminism has fought no wars. It has killed no opponents. It has set up no concentration camps, starved no enemies, practiced no cruelties. Its battles have been for education, for the vote, for better working conditions…for safety on the streets…for child care, for social welfare…for rape crisis centers, women’s refuges, reforms in the law.
If someone says, “Oh, I’m not a feminist,” I ask, “Why, what’s your problem?”
When I did side work for a Lutheran Church, I found out many things. Most notably I paid taxes on the income I made from the church, so did everyone else who got paid an income from the church. There were times I volunteered, but was turned down to volunteer and was insisted that I get paid......which was weird to say the least.
When ever the church needed major work done, part of the price they paid to have the work done included the taxes the contractor had to pay.
So really, the only tax the church wasn't paying was property tax. But it was a modest church.
Then I think of Calvary in Albuquerque, where the pastor is reported to own not one but two very expensive cars, now what does he plan on doing with these very expensive cars??????chop them up and feed them to the poor, sell them and use the money to give to the poor????
Then there is the one and only homeless shelter run by a christian charity. The owner also had a mercedes and a rolse royce donated to him and he uses them for his personal use while at the same time begging people for money and supplies for the homeless.
As I stated in another thread, yes, it is time that the government take over the healthcare industry and the care for the poor industry because churches just really aren't doing it, they are more interested in building big fancy buildings and buying $80. bibles. Oh, and sending kids on trips.
Such is precisely the type of behavior and splurging that is causing people to turn away from the church today.
It has been said that the Vatican has accumulated a vast amount of property and other holdings in the United States in excess of $800 Billion, sic, no one knows exactly how much.
'Bishops' of huge 'mega-churches' are showing off their fleet s of Rolls and other exotic automobiles.
All tax free.
All things considered, if the church cannot show that its temporal holdings are not furthering the purpose of the church, should these holdings be taxed?
So you want to take away a church's 501(c)3 status once they get enough money to covet?
The mega-churches are obviously exploiting the status. $800 billion in land and property holdings is doing exactly what to serve the furtherance of the dictates of Jesus Christ?
'Pope Benedict XVI is appealing to a new group of admirers: marketers seeking not blessings but pontifical product placements.
Since his election last year, the pope has been spotted wearing Serengeti-branded sunglasses and brown walking shoes donated by Geox. He owns a specially engraved white Apple iPod, and he recently stirred much publicity with a pair of stylish red loafers that may or may not be from Prada.'
Hmmm
One wonders if dispensations will become big business again...especially since the pope has called for a 'one world' bank and central authority to......
"The Vatican called on Monday for the establishment of a “global public authority” and a “central world bank” to rule over financial institutions"
"It called for the establishment of “a supranational authority” with worldwide scope and “universal jurisdiction” to guide economic policies and decisions"
These are some of the quotes from the article. Is this the world financial system out of which the mark of the beast will arise?
The pope has an extremely comprehensive understanding of Scripture and prophecy regarding the Woman Riding the Beast of Revelation, the religious system affiliated with the ruling government of the end times.
May just be 'birth pangs', but the Vatican is pushing hell for leather towards fulfillment of this prophecy, almost as if they welcome it....
I would think that the pope has the peoples welfare in mind, but he should know better than call upon a one world system to improve that welfare...
When I did side work for a Lutheran Church, I found out many things. Most notably I paid taxes on the income I made from the church, so did everyone else who got paid an income from the church. There were times I volunteered, but was turned down to volunteer and was insisted that I get paid......which was weird to say the least.
When ever the church needed major work done, part of the price they paid to have the work done included the taxes the contractor had to pay.
So really, the only tax the church wasn't paying was property tax. But it was a modest church.
Then I think of Calvary in Albuquerque, where the pastor is reported to own not one but two very expensive cars, now what does he plan on doing with these very expensive cars??????chop them up and feed them to the poor, sell them and use the money to give to the poor????
Then there is the one and only homeless shelter run by a christian charity. The owner also had a mercedes and a rolse royce donated to him and he uses them for his personal use while at the same time begging people for money and supplies for the homeless.
As I stated in another thread, yes, it is time that the government take over the healthcare industry and the care for the poor industry because churches just really aren't doing it, they are more interested in building big fancy buildings and buying $80. bibles. Oh, and sending kids on trips.
It has been said that the Vatican has accumulated a vast amount of property and other holdings in the United States in excess of $800 Billion, sic, no one knows exactly how much.
'Bishops' of huge 'mega-churches' are showing off their fleet s of Rolls and other exotic automobiles.
All tax free.
All things considered, if the church cannot show that its temporal holdings are not furthering the purpose of the church, should these holdings be taxed?
So you want to take away a church's 501(c)3 status once they get enough money to covet?
The mega-churches are obviously exploiting the status. $800 billion in land and property holdings is doing exactly what to serve the furtherance of the dictates of Jesus Christ?
'Pope Benedict XVI is appealing to a new group of admirers: marketers seeking not blessings but pontifical product placements.
Since his election last year, the pope has been spotted wearing Serengeti-branded sunglasses and brown walking shoes donated by Geox. He owns a specially engraved white Apple iPod, and he recently stirred much publicity with a pair of stylish red loafers that may or may not be from Prada.'
Hmmm
Jesus had two dads, and he turned out alright.~ Andy Gussert
“Feminism has fought no wars. It has killed no opponents. It has set up no concentration camps, starved no enemies, practiced no cruelties. Its battles have been for education, for the vote, for better working conditions…for safety on the streets…for child care, for social welfare…for rape crisis centers, women’s refuges, reforms in the law.
If someone says, “Oh, I’m not a feminist,” I ask, “Why, what’s your problem?”
A not-for-profit business should not have any profits to pay taxes on. We could allow putting money away for expansion of the facilities, but that is all.
Ed.W: Are there other charities you'd like to see paying taxes?
Churches can DO charity, but they are "God businesses". You pay for membership, you sign up for all the goodies from said membership, and if you don't follow policy, you're out with no refund.
True, Jesus never earned a dime (or, at least, we never see Him do so) and paid taxes by basically raiding couch cushions, so to speak, but He DID pay. And yet churches don't want to give to Caesar what is Caesar's, as Jesus told them to. Living the high life can't possibly be labeled "charity", so they shouldn't be able to hide behind that term. We punish charities (real ones) for fraud, right? Right? I hope? I just don't see why funds meant to help improve the lives of the needy and poor in spirit can go to some guy's airplane gas bill, and NOT get busted for fraud.
Knock and the door shall open. It's not my fault if you don't like the decor.
