God's Work Tax?

When I was a young boy I use to go to church with my mother and father.  I was always fascinated when the collection plate was passed.  I couldn't believe how many people willingly deposited money into the collection plate.  I always wondered if anyone would notice if I took out a few bucks for myself. That was before my mother explained that the money was given so the preacher and the church could do God's work.

I had this view of Mother Teresa helping the down trodden with this collection money.  That was until I visited Vatican City.  As I approached the Vatican Museum, I couldn't help but notice the beggars lining the perimeter.  As I tour the museum and St. Peter's Basilica, I also remember that back in Chicago, the church was getting ready to closed down some Catholic High Schools in poor neighborhoods due to lack of funds.  Lack of funds, are you kidding me!  Sell a wing of art treasures in the Vatican Museum and you could feed all the beggars and fund all the schools for a long time.

One needn't travel to Rome to see examples of collection plate fraud.  In a near by neighborhood, we have a minister who has a mega church that rakes in money hand over fist.  Most of the people attending the church are poor working class people who reach deep into their pockets each week to keep funding God's work.  However, God's work consist of funding two mansions, each worth over $1,000,000, in a gated country club community.  Clearly, this man is no Mother Teresa.

It's hard for me to understand why people willing fund such establishments.  Worst yet, I don't understand why we have to subsides them with our money so they can avoid paying taxes.  When I am King, I'll eliminate all tax breaks for churches.  They will be viewed as businesses, and have their income and property taxed like all other businesses.  Since some of the tax dollars will go to help the poor and sick, I guess will call it "God's Work Tax".