You fleshed out my argument a bit more. May I add a few thoughts?

Churches and religious organizations can provide vital philantrophic aid to those in need. That is one of their main goals, and many, and I mean MANY non-profits have sprung from churches and their laypeople. To attack churches would deprive them of critical monies that would benefit the poor and needy. Furthermore, to balance the argument (from a logical standpoint), governments would also have to go after every non-profit for tax monies. This would collapse charitable organizations, as they operate on not having a profit (like churches do).

In such a scenario, there would be little, if any charity, which would force the government to grow in size and scale. Churches, and non-profits provide a very vital stopgap for aid to the poor and needy. Furthermore, due to less overhead costs on church-based charities (they get usage of buildings for free, which allows more funds to go directly to those in need), large amounts of monies are saved which can be given to further the plight of the poor and needy.

For example, I help out at a homeless shelter that is attached to a church. They also have a clothing center and food pantry. The church does all of this due to monies given to the church by both the attendees as well as the community. If the church was taxed, then the money would be taken away from the shelter, clothing center, and food pantry. Why? Because all the current monies either go to these things, or it goes into overhead such as rent, heat, and water. They would fold, and our city would be without its largest homeless shelter.

Is that what you want, Numonex? To destroy homeless shelters? To kill food pantries? To end clothing drop-offs for the needy? Because that is what your advocating. And as person that has spent years helping the needy, I am apalled at your lack of compassion for the people that churches and non-profits help. You can cite a few bad apples in religion, but don't you dare lump them all together. Did you know that one of the largest aid groups in the world, the Salvation Army isn't a non-profit? Did you know its an actual church denomination? I doubt you did.

Have you ever seen the ceo's houses of non-profit buisnessess?

Makes the occasional priest's lexus look silly in comparison.

Most religious organizations aren't actually non-profit.  Catholic priests are not required to take a vow of poverty and do in fact receive a salary for their work.  They are not exactly a special case, either.

On behalf of the Maltese Knights?

And the work churches do go well beyond just charitable organizations.  The youth group at my church do all sorts of work for the poor and needy and most of the people aren't church members.  I can't remember how many houses I've put new roofs on, how many yards I've mowed and cleaned up, and how many houses I've painted free of charge.  We didn't even try to push religion down the people throats we were helping, all we did was say God bless when we left.  We also visited old folks homes and just talked and listened to the elderly that never gets visitors. 

Almost all non-profit charities pay their workers, especially the higher-ups and organizers.  Non-profit does not mean they don't pay people, it means that it is an organization that does not distribute its surplus funds to owners or shareholders, but instead uses them to help pursue its goals.

It's an interesting case the lumping of one concept to another.

Well I propose Ray Charles is God
God is Love
Love is Blind
Ray Charles is Blind
Ray Charles is God

Isn't that what a lot people are getting on numonex case about. A lump accusation that A=C because it's useful demonize ideas? Isn't that normal procession  of shutting people up. Demonizing them. Make them a villian so no one listens?

How about a useful discussion. Rocket Pig made a good point. A lot of the money comes from people donating. Should donations be taxed? seems like a silly concept. Or how about the idea that some Priests live particularly well while many followers live in hovels. You don't need to have taken a vow of poverty to donate your salary back to the organization you get it from.

I don't know. The world is going nut's. I'm seeing so many Christians starting to bring the hate so loudly the lat few years. I've seen atheists spew out just as much venom in retaliation. It's all nuts. Though I doubt this is starting with atheists. 

I'll say this now. The fact that we are getting so many religious topics on a VG forum is a sign of change. The world is changing and I don't think Christians are going to be on top. The vocal ones are coming out of the word work much like the fanboys of a losing console. At least most are casual and comfortable with their beliefs. But it's the same hate spewing behavior of 1st to 3rd.

Hahahahahahah.  I had to stop reading after the paranoid conspiracies of the first paragraph.  That was crazier than any religious belief.

A religion isn't a religion UNLESS it has tax exempt status. South Park taught me this

I think nuromenex is doing another spoof thread this time he's parodying militant athiests