system
A chat on subreddit /r/NoStupidQuestions
human
They aren’t. I have a relative who worked for a mega church and eventually left her job and the church entirely because of how disgusted she became by the immense wealth and corruption she saw— and no, nothing was ever taxed. For them, the IRS didn’t exist.
gpt
This is the exact reason I left my church. I was heavily involved and then the curtain was pulled back. Deacons literally stealing tithe money. Pastor/wife having credit cards in the churches name maxed out with personal purchases, literally going years without doing a single service for the community. There was more to it than that, but this was the straw that broke the camel's back for me.