Opinion: Tax ’em all!

by Lucas Togan

What is this entire hullabaloo about Bishop David Oyedepo launching an airline?

If Christians don’t make exploits as such on earth who should? How are you supposed to make the religion attractive to this material crazed generation we find ourselves in today? Society expects you to live the life of a rap-star or Hollywood/Nollywood A-lister to prove that God is working. He has 4 private jets. So? Do you expect the MAN-OF-GOD to queue at airports like the rest of us when he has spiritual deadlines to meet? No, I don’t.

And apparently Oyedepo doesn’t either. I remember an interview I watched way back where Kenny Ogungbe & Dayo Adeneye (top Nigerian record label owners) were asked why they spent so much money acquiring flashy cars and maintaining larger than life profiles? The simple answer was that they wanted to encourage the up-coming artists and the younger generation that hip-hop is not for riff-raffs but that one can achieve a fabulous life in hip-hop. So I ask again, if the Men-of-God don’t live the “kingdom” life here on earth who will believe they serve God-of-all-things? Sincerely a lot of us won’t believe their God is alive let alone populate their church halls as we do every Sunday or be inspired(coerced) to pay our tithes and large offerings.

I sincerely support and I have since stopped castigating Men-of-God who have diversified their ministry to cash in on profitable business ventures. I do not have the authority to challenge their “calling” and it is not my place to question where they got the funds or how they choose to disburse such funds. I however have a big issue with the government that has decidedly

done nothing to cash in on this gold-mine called “ministry”. The government of the day should realize that we need to separate religion from state. They need to face the reality that these churches are nothing but business enterprises and treat them as such.

Let us walk through today’s average church:

*          The name often has “international” in it (though they speak one language and have a single building at best, to their name).

*          They invariably have bill boards that, amongst other prints, show the pastor and wife’s picture with all their titles.(I thought the ministry was about God/Jesus?)

*          They often have a radio/TV show that ends with strong emphasis on their address and worship schedule.

*          The pastor encourages members to be marketers, set a target for everyone every service (invite your neighbour, invite your friend etc.). {Why does a church need marketing? He (God) that called you will definitely populate the ministry and enrich it.}

*          Where the church can afford a building, it is fenced with guarded gates. The building itself has a security door. If you saunter in you are accosted – what/who are you looking for? {Hello? I want to pray! I want to see Jesus! Does He not live here?! Why can’t I just walk into a church and kneel and say a prayer. Church should protect their property only from vandalism not ENTRY! Correct me if I am wrong but don’t you wish a time would come when we Christians would be able to walk into any church and be void of the labels (Catholic, Deeper life, Redeemed etc.)?}

*          And finally – The all-important TITHE. (Don’t even get me started)

Back to this lame duck government. I believe the time has come for you to open your eyes. Impose a flat rate tax on all churches. Audit them periodically and all their interests. The government cannot deny that churches are the most profitable SMEs around. So what is who waiting for? If the government is afraid of losing popularity, they should see what happens when all the church tax is channelled sincerely to free quality healthcare, free quality education and investment in other SMEs.

This is a huge revenue stream you are allowing to waste. TAX ‘EM ALL!

SPARK! Let’s change it!

Link to Lekan’s page: <https://www.facebook.com/lucas.togan>

Comments (7)

  1. You couldn't have said it better,the only problem I have is that the government will lavish the money as we'll, it's only when the govt has re-arranged itself that everyother can fall into place.

  2. This writer is truely lead by the spirit.God will surely bless you and impact more knowlege on you.Gofment pple una don hear ooooo. Bring in d tax masters ASAP.this is income leakage DAT must be sealed. And I think a ministry of religious affairs should be established to help monitor consolidation

    of churches as was done in d banks.

  3. This writer is truely lead by the spirit.God will surely bless you and impact more knowlege on you.Gofment pple una don hear ooooo. Bring in d tax masters ASAP.this is income leakage DAT must be sealed. And I think a ministry of religious affairs should be established to help monitor consolation of churches as was done in d banks.

  4. Sparks up the inner me… This is what we are talking about. Good read!

  5. The church is actually supposed to be a non-profit making organization, but now that it is a profit making one, tax too should be included.

  6. Hmmm… *sigh* progressive tax yeah?

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