Why should we subsidise religious leaders and their silly statements?

Destiny Church leader Brian Tamaki gives a geology lesson. Blames sinners for earthquakes. Image Credit: YouTube.

Destiny Church leader Brian Tamaki’s statement blaming the Kaikoura earthquake on “gays, sinners, and murderers” highlights the stupidity of our charity laws which define the advancement of religion a charitable activity and give tax exempt status to religions purely because they advance religion.

Public revulsion at Tamaki’s statement resulted in an on-line petition calling for the removal of Tamaki’s tax exempt status. Currently, that petition has over 120,000 signatures.

I guess many of these signatories, and others objecting to Tamaki’s statements, are really restricting their criticism to this specific example. But, let’s be clear. Tamaki’s statement was a religious statement. It is part of his particular advancement of his particular religion. He gets tax exempt status for saying such things.

Any argument for treating him differently to others advancing religion would be discriminatory – and could be seen as illegal itself.

Tamaki was advancing religion

Sure, some people might object to my calling Tamaki’s statement advancing religion – but we can’t pick and choose. Many religious leaders have made equally silly claims – in fact, such claims are only to be expected from religious leaders given the non-evidential nature of religion.

Of course, Tamaki and other religious leaders have the freedom to make ridiculous statements like this – just as we have the freedom to ridicule them – or ignore them. But what many people object to is that such ridiculous statements are being made by people we subsidise through their tax-exempt status. They are making these statements as part of their advancement of religion. And we are effectively paying them for making those statements.

There is no logic in this day and age, and in this secular society, for a religion or belief (including atheism) to be subsidised by the public purely for advancing their beliefs. In fact, it seems to me undemocratic for people with different beliefs to be forced to subsidise the advancement of a religion or belief.

We subsidise the Destiny Church – and Tamaki

The Destiny Church is just one example but the Charities Register certainly shows they have taken full advantage of this subsidy. Here is a list of Destiny Church organisations  registered for tax exemption. You can check out their reasons (advancement of religion) and the financial statements via the links.

Charity Name	Registration Number	Registration Status	Registered Date
Destiny Church Auckland Trust	CC29039	Registered	30/06/2008
Destiny Church Christchurch	CC31639	Registered	30/06/2008
Destiny Church Dunedin	CC31176	Deregistered	30/06/2008
Destiny Church Gisborne	CC31170	Deregistered	30/06/2008
Destiny Church Hamilton	CC29070	Registered	30/06/2008
Destiny Church Kaitaia	CC31465	Deregistered	30/06/2008
Destiny Church Nelson	CC29107	Registered	30/06/2008
Destiny Church Porirua	CC31406	Deregistered	30/06/2008
Destiny Church Rotorua	CC29108	Deregistered	30/06/2008
Destiny Church Taranaki	CC31434	Registered	30/06/2008
Destiny Church Taumarunui	CC31446	Deregistered	30/06/2008
Destiny Church Tauranga Trust	CC27986	Registered	30/06/2008
Destiny Church Te Puke	CC31454	Deregistered	30/06/2008
Destiny Church Thames	CC31461	Deregistered	30/06/2008
Destiny Church Wanganui	CC31439	Deregistered	30/06/2008
Destiny Church Wellington	CC31401	Registered	30/06/2008
Destiny Church Whakatane Trust	CC30992	Registered	30/06/2008
Destiny Church Whangarei	CC31001	Registered	30/06/2008
Destiny International Trust	CC27985	Registered	30/06/2008
Destiny Rescue Charitable Trust	CC50592	Registered	23/05/2014
Destiny School	CC30131	Registered	30/06/2008
Destiny Social Services Trust	CC31078	Deregistered	30/06/2008
Destiny Television Ministries International Trust	CC28102	Deregistered	30/06/2008
Empower International Trust	CC25962	Registered	17/06/2008
Fire And Destiny Centre	CC11272	Registered	5/10/2007

Yes, I know, some people are going to react by telling me that religious organisations do good work – charitable work. And, I do not disagree with that in many cases.

But the point is that truly charitable work, helping the poor and disadvantaged, providing social and educational facilities, helping during disasters, etc., is provided for  by the criteria defined as charitable. The advancement of religion is different – is related only to the advancement of a belief (in this case legally requiring belief in a supernatural entity). It has nothing to do with helping people.

True  charity not harmed by removal of religious tax exemption

Those religions actually doing real charitable work would not be disadvantaged by removal of the advancement of religion criteria. They could continue to provide the real charitable services – and receive tax-exempt status for doing so.

Removal of the advancement of religion clause would not reduce real charitable work one bit. Nor would it prevent silly people like Tamaki saying ridiculous things.

But at least we would not have to face the fact that we financially support such silly people and  their ridiculous statements.

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