“If it’s real to you it’s tax free money to us,” The UFO abduction counselor, the preacher, the priest, the rabbi and the mullah – religion is like losing a bullfight those not involved.
In all seriousness, if you took the money out of religion it would be over in a year. The big banks would take all the churches for non payment and turn them in to payday loan outlets and cake. But hey, something is better than nothing.
So churches own $600 billion in property? At a 10% tax rate that would be only $60 billion back to us, a pittance in these days of trillions. To make it meaningful at an even trillion we need to tax the churches at 180%.
Americans are losing their religion at a rate of about 16% per generation, with that being accelerated of late. In most of the rest of the civilized world the people leaving are now a majority. They are as exceptional as we are. But it is growing in nations whose average yearly income is less than $300. Go figure…