Time to Tax Religion

Time to Tax Religion

Why is it that RELIGION is not classified as a business?

The catholic church, or as it is now, one of many church denominations, no longer dictates the running of the people. This is no longer the middle ages or even a European city bowing to Rome.

Religious movements earn money. The own properties. Have large bank accounts and investments earning immeasurable interest. They accrue antiquities of enormous wealth.
It is clear they don't spend all their money to aid their cause or that of their followers. So what is left over goes into their coffers - pure profit. A business model the envy of many.

Any large corporate entity has many laws and political ethics to guide it. The collapse of the home loan market  in 2008/09 saw many large lenders and brokers conspire and fail to meet regulations. This resulted in global economic turmoil, fed purely by the self gratification of individuals and company's alike.

Their punishment was swift and the end of many careers and many blue chip corporate empires. These empires may not have the long standing of a religious movement, but they were force-ably withdrawn from playing any further role in the economy. 

The Catholic Church is constantly under fire for digressions so unholy it alarms me that they do not have a temporary restraint on their 'religion' status.  A recent article stemming from a 5-year long Royal Commission into systemic child abuse, published research on the true wealth of the Catholic Church in Australia. This investigation took place in order to make a comparison to the settlements made by the church to victims of horrendous child abuse by their church leaders.

The church's guilt is past apparent,. Part of the ongoing investigations now focus on the appropriate level of remuneration paid to it's victims.

It is clear the church is not fit to manage a network of employees who have time and time again broken laws and ruined lives. So why do you receive so much legislative protection? Why can't we look past the curtain of antiquity and treat you like a business? In turn punish you like a business who has broken ethical and corporate boundaries.

With these home grown and all too familiar global atrocities in mind, I ask the question; what is the exact purpose of the church? Is it to spread the word of God and the life of his progeny Jesus? That's great, do what you need to do. But after all the talk and banter and reading, what are you actually here to do?


I ask this purely because, if you are not taxed like any business, then any money you have leftover from church collections, bequeaths, property and investment earnings, surely should be spent directly on the righteousness you promote ie. on something to benefit your believers. Is this not the case? Of course not - how else did the catholic Church end up owning billions in property. So what are they actually doing for you?

Is the current church model truly necessary? Can't you read a website to learn more about the bible? Can't you join a on-line sermon instead of going to Church? What do you actually get at Church apart from relieving your sinful guilt?

I would ask the question, how is the church actually helping real people - even their own people? Is there a Catholic Church Children's Hospital? No. Do yo get free health insurance for being a devout Catholic? No. Do you get a free funeral for believing this whole time you're forgiven enough to go to heaven? No - they even charge you for that.

Now I understand each church has to be built, maintained, keep the staff etc etc and I understand you have access to counseling and other services.

But ultimately you are selling a lifestyle through a belief system. The principle is in somewhat similar to insurance yet without the demigod. We take out insurance to protect us against our misfortune or failings. There are no guarantees. The moral code is not there but we can get out of insurance what we want, just like we can use religion to suit our needs. Both require money.

But why does religious profit not get taxed? Why don't the faithful have access to a more comfortable life or a more secure life given the endless wealth of the church?

Instead that burden is on the taxpayer. If you charge for a service then you profit from it and you pay tax on it. It's no different. Even more so, are funds from devout Australian families going offshore into Vatican coffers?

I found out that the AFL is not taxed. The tax free status they receive is because of what value they add to the community as a whole and at grassroots levels. Sounds a bit easy? Correct me if I am wrong, but if widespread child abuse was taking place by coaches and support staff of AFL and local clubs, the organization would be shut down.

Why do we keep protecting institutions that have systemic human abuse; abise of the worst kind imaginable. The subterfuge from the leading ranks of the church that went on for decades like a cloak convenience, is a crime in itself.
A tyrannical reign of christian hypocrisy underpins the cloth of the church and has befouled their fabric of truth.

You break the rules, you lose your status. The catholic church no longer deserves legislative protection. Start by taxing the church. Society does not need any more abusers.