1. Atheism IS a religion. The reason atheists get their priorities enforced by the government, despite being a loud minority, is because they claim to not be subject to the “separation of church and state” by choosing a very specific and arguably incorrect definition of “religion”. If true Christians don’t reject their propaganda they will soon outlaw most expressions of our faith in favor of theirs.
2. Churches SHOULD NOT accept tax-exempt status. It’s fascinating that the very “shepherds” charged with teaching the “sheep” about faith cling to tax-exemptions as though they could not survive without them. Pinocchio, meet your strings. We’ve already written about this in detail, but this is a great opportunity to sound the alarm again.
3. A “church” isn’t The Church, The Body, or The Fellowship of the Saints. Especially not “mega-church“. Do not be guilted and manipulated by the Jezebel, Ahab, “the great harlot”, or “Babylon the Great” and definitely don’t be guilted by “clergy” as though you owe them the same allegiance that we give to our “One Teacher” (Matthew 23:10).
Please consider these carefully and pray about asking your friends at your churches if they’d help you try to improve their local fellowship by not tolerating these things.
Godspeed.
I give you two out of three. How much faster would the government have the power to shut down the church if they had the power to tax it? The power to tax is the power to destroy! Our government does not own us, but they act like they do. Hence, you get phrases like “tax exemption”, which should be meaningless in America. There should be no presumption that everything and everyone and every transaction between consenting parties is subject to taxation. Or that if something is not taxed, we owe thanks to our benevolent government for that favor. That is a socialist mindset. The government should be taxing fewer things, not more. And especially NOT freely-assembled believers.
I couldn’t take the call, but I’ve thought this through and I disagree based on Mark 12:17 among others. I do agree that it’ll take a great deal of faith to hope to find our taxes paid from the mouths of fish, but I also believe that we’re called to have a great deal of faith. Especially if we’re the ones claiming to lead others.
Remember that discussion we had about legally divorcing our wives as a demonstration of our faith in God’s power over man’s laws? Of course that was a bit extreme given the testimony and importance of marriage to God. Especially when society has made a joke of it. However there is no Biblical basis for tax exempt churches, in fact there’s quite the opposite. If Jesus paid the “temple tax”, to “not cause offense” why shouldn’t we? Combining the “give to Caesar” above with the Matthew 17 teaching and the details of them both and I’m compelled to stand by this. Sure, perhaps the temple itself should not tax “the children” but no such concession is even hinted at concerning imperial taxes. It’s fascinating to me how clear this point is. Every bit as clear as the teachings on marriage.
Obviously the prospect is uncomfortable. I agree completely with that.
Yes, I agree with you, Les has said before that operating as any legal entity at all is problematic. I’ll give him a call, I bet he’ll tweak this. I think he’s just hoping to take the first steps at cutting the strings. Thank you.
Regarding point three…
“church” as we know it, from about 150 years after Messiah to this day, has very little resemblance to anything described in the NT. The word that church replaced was ekklesia which means called out from the world and replaced the Hebrew kalhal which means assembly or congregation and was first used to describe Israel in the wilderness. “Church” showed up in the KJV per the edict of King James. Google “the 13 edicts of King James” and how they were used to guide the production of the KJV. King James was given authority from the RCC only over “churches” not congregations or assemblies. Today’s church is illegitimate. Its organization, authority, rules, traditions of men, false doctrines etc. etc. are not scriptural. Like the RCC, Judaism, and Islam, Christianity has its roots in Babylonian paganism and idol worship. I know my words are going to not settle well with you…but, that’s what truth does.
PS: I probably didn’t spell ekklesia or kalhal correctly…sorry.
“Today’s church is illegitimate. Its organization, authority, rules, traditions of men, false doctrines etc. etc. are not scriptural.” – I mostly agree, only I do think that the remnant does exist within churches too. I believe we should always be looking for opportunities to find more true-believers IRL (in real life) because without other believers we’re limited in our effectiveness .
I certainly understand your being “done” with churches, but please don’t be done with The Body & The Remnant. Be brave. If “the flock” is brave and faces the hypocrisy, humanism, and man-made doctrines like David faced Goliath, change has gotta come and some lost sheep rescued in the process.
You should have published this yesterday then. I know the draft was there for at least a week. Are there any left that would speak up? Are there any of more than little faith?