I attended an Australian 'church' for 15 years. On the outside it appeared to be a normal evangelical organisation. On the inside, you got to see how it really operated. This organisation which comes under the umbrella of Restoration Fellowships International has amassed property, finances and information on its members and it uses same to increase it's holdings for its own benefit.

This cult has been exposed by the ABC's Four Corners programme (July 2008) and has abused its members and destroyed their families. Yet the government of this country allows this institution to carry on and on and on without any audit of its finances, which it would do if it was taxed.

This church does not help the community, it does not help the poor, it does nothing for anyone except the elders of said community. They have been known to tell one congregation member that they need to stop being a physiotherapist and start working as a concrete contractor, mainly because the concrete contractor (member of church) was making more money. They have taken money from sick and dying old men on their death beds, and they have tossed out other sick and ailing old men because they could 'no longer support them'.

If this church were taxed, there would be a sudden need for accountability (a favourite word of the elders) and the congregation might think twice about giving money to its coffers.

The government is helpless in the face of 'churches' such as these. As to genuine gatherings of members of the body of Christ, you don't need assets, you don't need buildings, you don't need to tithe. Simply gather together wherever you can, help each other as you can, give to one another liberally and with a good conscience and give to the community as the Spirit leads you. Then let the government tax the organisations who dare to abuse the members of their communities with disdain and impunity