The Roman Catholic Church loves Capitalism and American Laws, too...

[NullTuples]

Exhibit A: "Catholic Diocese of Oakland mulls bankruptcy amid 330 sexual abuse cases"
https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/oakland-diocese-bankruptcy-sexual-abuse-cases-17847038.php

Exhibit B: "Santa Rosa Catholic Diocese files for bankruptcy protection over sex abuse claims"
https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news/santa-rosa-catholic-diocese-files-for-bankruptcy-protection/

Exhibit C: "San Diego Roman Catholic diocese ponders bankruptcy with sex-abuse lawsuits pending"
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-02-11/san-diego-roman-catholic-diocese-bankrRoman Catholic Diocese of San Diego accused of fraudulently transferring assets to foil sex abuse liabilityuptcy-sex-abuse-lawsuits

Exhibit D: "As of March 2023, thirty-two US Catholic religious organizations have sought bankruptcy protection in chapter 11."
https://elibrary.law.psu.edu/bankruptcy/#:~:text=As%20of%20March%202023%2C%20thirty,State%20Law%20professor%20Marie%20T.

Exhibit E:
"As the pandemic began to unfold, scores of Catholic dioceses across the U.S. received aid through the Paycheck Protection Program while sitting on well over $10 billion in cash, short-term investments or other available funds, an Associated Press investigation has found. And despite the broad economic downturn, these assets have grown in many dioceses.

Yet even with that financial safety net, the 112 dioceses that shared their financial statements, along with the churches and schools they oversee, collected at least $1.5 billion in taxpayer-backed aid. A majority of these dioceses reported enough money on hand to cover at least six months of operating expenses, even without any new income."
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2021/feb/04/sitting-on-billions-catholic-dioceses-amassed-taxp/

Exhibit F:
"Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego accused of fraudulently transferring assets to foil sex abuse liability"
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-02-23/roman-catholic-diocese-sued-assets

Exhibit G:
"Catholic Church Shields $2 Billion in Assets to Limit Abuse Payouts
Dioceses are aggressively moving and reclassifying holdings to shrink the value of their bankruptcy estates."
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2020-01-08/the-catholic-church-s-strategy-to-limit-payouts-to-abuse-victims?leadSource=uverify%20wall

American Bishops have around 11.5 or so billion US dollars in cash or similar assets that could be used to pay for damage they've done. Their priests molest and rape children. There's rarely a criminal investigation however, and/or the priests are moved overseas to prevent a criminal investigation. But there are lawsuits . And then when they lose in court, the individual diocese move money out and declare bankruptcy. It's immoral and unethical. It is wrong. They are masters at exploiting loopholes to gather wealth and power.

All non-profit organizations get to avoid certain taxes. And churches are non-profit organizations; they are able to fulfill the requirements for such.

However, only churches are exempt from filing yearly the financial statements to the IRS detailing money-in, money-out designed to help prevent fraud.

There's no real reason given, they were simply granted the exemption. And so, churches are now the perfect financial black boxes for anything from avoiding paying out on lawsuits to actual money laundering and untraceable political influence.

Revoking that exemption is one thing we could do to rein in churches in America without treading on any of their "religious liberties", as it would mean treating them exactly the same as all other non-profit organizations.

[SonofDonald]

1. I was an altar boy in a Catholic Church

I lost my faith decades ago, I didn’t suspect the depths the church had gone to to protect those within who weren’t there for good.

The Priests I served under were some of the greatest men I’ve ever known and I still look up to them to this day, they were funny, personable and kind, I didn’t even know how bad some of them out there were until the whole ugly nightmare became known to the world.

I no longer think of the church as doing good in the world or for it, that’s a self inflicted wound.

I have no issue with people of real true faith, they know who they are and prove it with their actions, President Carter comes to mind, I feel that those people do make the world a better place.

No matter what their religion is.

It’s the ones that smile and say what they think you want to hear while pretending to be on the side of righteousness that crank me off to no end.

End of rant

[dsc]

2. The Family Council does the same thing now

by calling themselves a church they get to lobby without any disclosure.

[NullTuples]

4. Changing that is something Dems could do if they win back the House.

There's simply no reason to keep the exemption that doesn't make churches seem a bit...suspect.

[lindysalsagal]

3. Of all the ways to dissolve the dioceses, bankruptcy?

Ha! Ok. Then!

[NullTuples]

5. They don't dissolve them.

Just move the money & assets out, declare bankruptcy to stave off the payments to the children they harmed, and then slowly move money back in as needed.

[NullTuples]

6. They don't dissolve them.

Just move the money & assets out, declare bankruptcy to stave off the payments to the children they harmed, and then slowly move money back in as needed.

[Waterguy]

7. I agree

I was born Irish catholic,
and I believe in separation between church and state.
I believe all should be afforded the right to practice their beliefs,

but just where does tax exempt status begin or ever end?

Any entity that makes political statements or profits
by donation becomes a profit minded entity, and thus,
should rightfully be classified as non-tax exempt!!!

So, what is free speech?

I think there is free speech, and then, there is a profit center,
And you take that profit center and invest it,
You know, like the future value, And with all the financial risk,
in investment.

And it makes you wonder why they gave that entity a tax-exempt status.
They work it as a cudgel politically to divide one group against another,
You think you have the right to own a gun / so too do the manufacturers who make the guns,
as well as the ammunition manufacturers / they are not tax-exempt oh no, that much would be
too obvious. So those gun and ammo manufacturers spend a lot of money supporting religion.

It's never a lie, If you believe.

And sadly due to our tax laws and their massive lobbying efforts, they certainly do hold a whole lot of sway!!!

And have for a long time.