Letter: State needs to collect property taxes from churches

Freedom of religion? From the beginning of its statehood, Washington has allowed a tax exemption to churches. It may be time to revisit that issue.

Through the years, church attendance has been dwindling — a Gallup poll shows that only 24 percent of the people in Snohomish County attend church. The churches, often located in high-value commercial areas, are exempt from property tax; hence the tax rate on everyone else is increased. Freedom of religion also means freedom from religion, so why are 76 percent of us paying additional taxes to subsidize religions for a minority?

Minority or majority, this is contrary to our basic First Amendment separation of church and state, and tenant of freedom of religion. Shouldn’t churches pay their share of property tax, just as the rest of us?

Brian Laine

Arlington