tax and church

This article concerns the issue of whether churches should pay taxes if they engage in politics.

There are some references that lead to old articles, the news are real enough though and can be read here:

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/poli...icle-1.1085017


Is It Time To Start Taxing Churches?


"As institutions of faith, churches are not forced to pay taxes like the citizens and (usually) corporations in the rest of the United States. The original argument was that, like charity, church profits and donations go to doing public good — feeding the poor, caring for the sick and other projects that help to build a better, stronger community, and that those advantages outweigh the tax revenue lost.

Churches have grown to take greater advantage of this exemption. The surge in “televangelism” allowed many corrupt pastors to house themselves and keep themselves in luxury without paying taxes by declaring them allowable living expenses. Megachurches began popping up, buying cheap land to build on and using subsidies and avoiding paying property taxes while still taking full advantage of the services other residents pay out for. Some have businesses on site — coffee shops, book stores, all tax exempt by funneling their “profits” back into the church. Others have taken their earnings both from their businesses and donations and used them to evangelize and increase their missions, supporting the church and recruiting new members.

All of this is legal. And despite the growing stretch of the definitions of non-profit, of charity, and living expenses, most Americans would agree that all of this should be allowed.

But the only firewall that was set up is now breaking down. Churches weren’t supposed to get involved in political issues. No endorsing, no campaigning."

Read more: http://www.care2.com/causes/is-it-ti...#ixzz1w4ERPleC

So, should the church refrain from politics, or is it a matter of religious freedom and freedom of speech, and where does the tax issue come in?