Juan Altamirano climbs to the roof of The Church of the Annunciation while painting the exterior Wednesday, April 8, 2020, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) Lurking within the recently passed congressional stimulus package is a constitutional violation that virtually guarantees massive fraud and abuse. Churches, houses of worship and nonprofits with religious missions are eligible for a sizable part of the $2 trillion stimulus under the CARES Act, which allows businesses and nonprofits to take out forgivable loans from the federal government. That’s a problem because it’s unconstitutional for our government to tax citizens and then turn around and hand that money to churches to pay their preachers or mortgages. The federal government can’t take our money and give it to Joel Osteen or Robert Jeffress or Paula White — even in the wake of a pandemic. It’s also a nightmare because churches and religious nonprofits, unlike every other charity in the United States, don’t disclose any financial information to the government or taxpayer. As part of their public trust, 501(c)(3) nonprofits file an annual report with the IRS that details specific financial information — down to every penny. Unlike other 501(c)(3)s, churches are not required to file […]
