The Freedom From Religion Foundation has decided, wisely, to end its battle over a huge unconstitutional tax break for religious leaders. The perk is known as the “Parsonage Exemption” and it’s the loophole that allows ministers to deduct the cost of rent of their church-owned houses from their taxable income. ( Christianity Today says 84% of senior pastors receive this exemption and it’s worth $20,000-$38,000 on top of their base salary.) It’s a perk that also benefits megachurch pastors who live in mansions, but the problem is that atheist leaders can’t get access to the same benefits. FFRF’s co-presidents asked the government to give them the same benefit, but they were denied the opportunity because of their atheism. That’s when they sued over the matter. After various twists and turns , a U.S. District Judge ruled in their favor … but this past March, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the decision . Had FFRF won, it would’ve been an arrow through the heart of religious privilege. The big remaining question was whether FFRF would challenge the decision. They could have asked the entire Seventh Circuit to reconsider the case, or they could have asked the Supreme Court […]
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