If you believe in the supernatural and on that basis obtain a paying job, as a minister, priest, pastor, whatever, you don’t have to pay income tax. If you establish a group of like believers and buy a piece of land and/or a building for meetings, you don’t have to pay property tax. And if your group buys stuff, like computers, billboards, and so on, you don’t have to pay sales tax. You’re a charitable institution.
What’s charitable about killing people who don’t believe what you believe? What’s charitable about telling half of your group that they’re subordinate? What’s charitable about telling another portion of your group that they’re sick? What’s charitable about discouraging rational thought unless it supports your beliefs? What’s charitable about telling all of them they’re sinners just by virtue of having been born?
If we’re going to exempt people from contributing to the upkeep of our roads, hospitals, schools, and so on because of their (presumed) ethically good behavior (an interesting idea, by the way), then let’s at least be consistent: let’s exempt snowplow operators, doctors, nurses, teachers, firefighters, police officers, counselors, plumbers, electricians. And so on.
