Why should I as an atheist be required to subsidize religion? I’m not, you remark? I most certainly am, I assert.

The American public subsidizes religion to the tune of around eighty-two and a half billion dollars a year. In the form of tax breaks, workers must make up this deficit by way of increased taxes. Your taxes are $82.5 billion higher than they should be.

But… But… But… No buts. It is true that other non-profits also receive subsidies in the form of tax breaks… however there is no non-profit other than religion that does not have to account for every expenditure of each penny in detail.

Non-profits are restricted by the Internal Revenue Service from engaging in politics… yet, as has been recorded by the news media many churches blatantly break this rule by urging support for specific issues and candidates. Many of these churches exclaim that you must vote for this or that issue or candidate because “God Almighty” wants you to.

It is time for churches to be treated the same as any other non-profit. Churches should be required to maintain an auditable detailed record of expenditures. This should be done at the very least if the non-profit status is to be maintained. Otherwise, the churches should submit to taxation just as any other business does. Religion, if examined non-emotionally, is a business in every since of the word. Indeed, it is the only business that offers a product, everlasting life, that cannot be even proven to exist.