“Separation of Church and State”: The Tax-Exempt LDS Church
Should the LDS Church lose its tax-exempt status because of its involvement in government? Has the LDS Church overstepped its bounds with its involvement in politics? As controversial as it is, the short answer to these questions is "no." For the sake of understanding, however, let’s also discuss the long answer. I frequently come across these arguments against the LDS Church that go something like, “If the LDS Church is going to act like a business, it should be taxed like a business,” or, “If the LDS Church is going to get involved in politics and influence legislation, then it should lose its tax-exempt status – separation of church and state!” These arguments are non sequitur, and mostly come from a lack of understanding about the LDS Church, the U.S. government, and the relationship that is allowed between them. So let’s explore this relationship a little bit and clear up some of these commonly used misconceptions. “Separation of Church and State