Another MAGA star, another religious wingnut. This one actually got reported to the powers that be and now he doesn’t have a tax exemption.
Greg Locke doesn’t roll down the aisles or handle snakes — yet — but the energy is the same.
What is interesting is that Locke announced yesterday that he dissolved the church’s tax exempt status. So apparently his “church” is now a MAGA clubhouse. Which is as it ought to be. The man does not deserve any accommodations afforded normal clergy. Watch both clips.
How is Greg Locke's church still tax-exempt?pic.twitter.com/vsyeQT3jU4
— Brian Tyler Cohen (@briantylercohen) May 16, 2022
Here’s where he says he “got a lawyer” and invites the IRS to eat his dirty socks. The man has an obsession with dirty socks, I’ll say that much.
After being reported to the FBI and IRS (not sure who did that… ?) — Greg Locke says he's "hired an attorney" and "dissolved Global Visions 501(c)(3) status". And continued obsessing over dirty socks… ?
Have the day you deserve. ??? pic.twitter.com/KzmKYytr43
— The Dude (@TheDudeTrader1) May 23, 2022
I’m sure that the true story will come out soon. Patheos is a religious website that will be on top of this and also Right Wing Watch will have an eye out. If this is true, I’m all for it. If Locke and others of his ilk want to have MAGA clubhouses and be self supporting through their own contributions, by all means. But they absolutely should not be getting the same breaks from the government that an honest house of worship gets. Locke is a counter culture fanatic, not a man of God and more stinks about him than his socks.
The Constitution provides for freedom of (as well as from) religion. It also quite specifically states there can be NO religion based requirement for ANY office or public trust in the United States. You know what the Constitution does NOT say or as far as I can tell even imply? Tax Exempt status for churches. Or “Churches.” As far as I’m concerned all churches should pay taxes like any person or business. For most churches it won’t be that much because most don’t own lots of land and have big, fancy buildings or pay their pastor(s) big salaries. Yes, for some it would take a bite out of them but if it forces them to choose between doing following the teachings of their religion (the stuff the prophets/founders actually taught which most of the time is fine regardless of the religion) and having fancy buildings, fancy schools and perks like huge fancy houses, cars and even jets for their bigwigs then so be it.
If your church has a gym, a gift shop that sells recordings and books with the senior pastor’s sermons (many of these have more than one pastor), and more than one building used for services, you’re a business.
(The one I grew up with? It has a 10-acre parcel, half of which is, and has been from the start, rented out as pasture. It isn’t huge, it doesn’t have acres of parking, and it uses some of its land for a community garden. The “temporary” building put up at the start lasted 50 years.)