Editor’s note: This article is part of a series answering your biggest religious questions. Each week, we will answer one submitted faith question. To send a submission, timesfreepress.com/religionquestions or email wmassey@timesfreepress.com.
Question: Why should a charitable organization subsidized by our government (no taxes) such as a church be allowed to refuse positions such as pastor or priest based solely on gender (no women allowed)?
A: Conversations about tax exemption are back in the news after Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke said in a recent town hall that religious groups should lose their tax-exempt status if they oppose same-sex marriage.
Conservative commentators quickly went after O’Rourke and religious groups denounced the idea.
Churches and religious organizations are included with nonprofits in the group of tax-exempt organizations. The majority of Americans, historically and today, are supportive of religion and believe it contributes to the social good, which is why they are included with charitable organizations in U.S. tax law. People can get tax deductions for supporting them because Americans decided the government should not have to do or fund everything in society, said Richard Foltin, senior researcher with the Freedom Forum Institute.