I have tried several times to find the lengths of state support of churches in America. I guess I’m just not using the correct terms in the internet search. I believe Massuchusetts was one of the last states to end the practice. I would appreciate a source and a link on this.
bump
tax exemption?
‘in god we trust’
i’ll leave worked out arguments to others…those are just some catchphrases to get people started.
In all honesty, the printed phrase “In God We Trust” just pays lip service at best to some generalized sense of theism (unitarian or trinitarian), possibly even a deistic notion bordering on effective agnosticism. It is so vague and so many world religions could fall under its umbrella that I do not think it would qualify as some serious government endorsement of “churches” any more than someone exclaiming, “Oh, my God!” Now, if the currency and coinage made a highly specific reference to God as understood by a very specific religion, then that could be taken as more of a state-sponsored endorsement.
And regarding the tax exemption, the original logic behind that policy in years gone by was that the moralizing effect a religious institution had on the surrounding community reduced the need for acts of governmental law enforcement; that is, a church equated to less crime in an area. The church taxes forfeited by the local government were easily offset by the cost savings on law enforcement (jails, courts, etc.), so the trade-off was considered a prudent one. Whether that would still be the case today is open to debate. Also, it is my impression that the tax exemptions for churches were later extended to all non-profit enterprises, not just religious ones, and also recast as a “muzzle” regarding any political discussion on the part of churches, a policy applied in a very selective fashion these days depending on which political group is in power.
I do not have a direct link handy, but you might try Gary North’s book from 2004 titled Conspiracy in Philadelphia: Origins of the United States Constitution which is available free online in PDF format. He discusses state-affiliated churches in the early American colonies at great length and in great detail throughout it, so it likely has the answer to the question.
Thanks. I’ll look it up.