Should Efcc Probe Churches?

If the church, mosque or shrine of worship is clean, I see no chaos and unrest at all.

father forgvie them

Yes and no, right and wrong (methinks anyway).

If members of a church pay their taxes, they are free to dispose of their earnings as they see fit. Like any other member of society. Having rendered unto Ceasar what is his. Disposal of legally acquired funds ceases to be any of the states concern.

If however a church yokes itself to Ceasar (by registering as a charity, incorporating as a business, or otherwise assuming a status that is sanctioned by and thus subject to the state), that puts a different hue on things.

Businesses and charities are subject to Ceasar, it's why they could ride roughshod into KICC and do pretty much as they pleased. Although a "registered charity" buying an 80 grand chariot for a pastor is government business. If a group of believers decide to do the same it's between them & God. Not that I am suggesting that it's a good idea, I am just making the point that, if you yoke yourself to Ceasar, he will deal with you on his terms


No, Christians are not tax exempt. By (counter-intuitively & contra scripturally) registering/incorporating, they are after Ceasars coin. All we need do is trust God with what we have and to supply what we need.

In whatever guise, how can the aim of Church be profit?

God bless

That's not quite the point I was making.

Christians pay tax right?
Then come together, call themselves an organisation and claim the tax back. Why?
It's the state's way of making the church subject. The tax breaks come at a price, physically and spiritually.
It also raise questions about trust in our Lord if we look to the state for resourcing


What should happen is that Christians pay tax - and then dispose of their money as they choose, and it's no concern of the state. We don't need Ceasars tax breaks. The state funding is a sly way of making the church subject. We are subject only to the Lord, our Head & Husband.

Neither is the church an organisation (corporation, registered charity, legal entity etc etc).
We are the body of Christ and should in no way be yoked to the state. One of the big pointers to false religion is any kind of alliance with the state.

Nigeria's case is somewhat different. As I don't believe the churches get tax breaks or register as companies. As such they are not tied to the State. But that doesn't give them leave to break the law (ill-gotten gains as tithes/offerings).

God bless.

What are you saying?
Read it again, more carefully this time, I'm sure there's something in there that is a gross perversion of scripture  !

I'll do a complete about turn if that will help?
TayoD, please, it's essential we don't agree, no one else even starts to engage me on this site anymore.

Eureka. Ha!

This to me ties in with our ongoing discussion in "Christians & Politics"
Ceasar is the state. And politics is allying, consorting, partnering with the state - Ergo, there's no way we agree  .

Phew, for a moment you had me going  .

God bless dude

In the west people pay their tax religously, but the average Nigerian will prefer to pay tights in church and evade tax. Given the religous complexity of the Nigerian state I don't think churches should pay tax to the state. But what the EFCC should do is to serve as a control check to churches to make sure the revenue genarated is being deployed to add value in the lives of members of the church.

Because many times in this country you see people skipping meals because they want to pay tights in church meanwhile the head of the church is living in afluence. That is exploitation by every standard whether he is a man of God or not.

That's true. I never figured out why church leaders will be living like kings while people in their congregation starves. I mean, we're meant to be Christians and I don't expect a pastor to be poor (God Forbid) but what will Jesus do?, Jesus will break bread with his followers and share the thing equally.

Like my dad says, how can a hungry man praise God?, When it's time to shout Halleluyah, he'll open his mouth and start yawning.

Yeah!

There is corruption everywhere - if the government wants to clean up corruption, then no area should be left untouched. Is it in the Bible that churches should not be probed, what is the argument against EFCC beaming their searchlight on the church? If the church has nothing to hide, then no need to be jittery. Corruption is a crime, Murder is a crime, there is no small or big crime, crime is crime, if Murder is probable in the church, why should corruption, embezzlement and crimes like that go unprobed?

Nigerians are hypocrites - small time they say government is not doing anything to curb corruption, and then suddenly they want a section left out. The worst crimes you see in the secular world also exists in churches, so why should the church be left out?