Confused Jurisdictions

https://evangelicalfocus.com/europe/27144/evangelical-church-in-rome-that-takes-case-of-unrecognised-religious-building-to-european-court-of-human-rights

This is a case of confused thinking and confused jurisdictions, the result of the institutional mindset that affects the heirs of the Magisterial Reformation.

The New Testament approach to such questions is to suffer yourself to be defrauded, to accept the plundering of your goods. In other words just pay the tax.

Of course if there were no bank accounts and institutional-related bookkeeping, there would be little to tax apart from the property itself. But because churches want to run themselves like a business they're wide open to such examinations and inquiries.

Why should the Church expect some kind of benefit or exemption?

Some are still thinking in Constantinian terms and they want state recognition and sponsorship - the tax exemptions actually represent a kind of subsidy as the budget shortfalls are then picked up by other tax-paying entities. Their tax payments and burdens are effectively redistributed in order to cover the bill the Church property does not have to pay. But such institutionally-minded Christians don't want to hear this so they dismiss it out of hand. Nothing is more abhorrent to them than being viewed as a 'sect'. They want institutional status which means buildings, signs, and the like.

Sadly these questions are then further confused by the Christian embrace of Enlightenment Liberalism and its categories of ideals and ethics - leading many to speak of things like 'rights' and so forth, though these notions are nowhere to be found in the New Testament.

The absurdity of state involvement in such questions is on display as the Roman Catholic assumptions of the Italian state cannot grasp the idea of a church building that lacks what is commonly referred to as 'Church Architecture' - or this may just be pretense. Rome itself has always been a bit different as the pope wields a great deal of unofficial power in the city. I remember the Anglican Church I used to visit all the time (often staying with the vicar) was not allowed to have bells though it had a perfectly functional and sufficiently grand bell tower. The view was impressive though the unused platform was deep in pigeon droppings.

Until very recently there were few Biblically-oriented Christians on the Continent that wanted state involvement in Church affairs.

Though I'm sure many will disagree I think it's wrong for them to bring this case to the ECHR. I pray that God blesses their work - it touches me to see it prosper as it did not exist when I was last in Rome over twenty-five years ago. But I also hope they continue to move more in a Biblical direction in terms of New Testament practice and ethics - something that is unlikely given de Chirico's American connections and affiliates.

Drop the suit and pay the taxes or re-think how you're meeting as a church.