What's really wrong with that? The government already has the systems in place to collect tax so it sounds more efficient than trying to do it privately. In my country the tax system is also used to collect student loan repayments even though it's not tax, but it probably saves on administrative costs that way. Sure, student loans are also the government, not a private organization, but maybe it could be opened up to businesses as a way to collect recurring or income related payments! Imagine the accuracy of price discrimination you could achieve with access to that.

Separation of church and state is a thing.

In some countries

In Germany at least you can opt out.

I was surprised and even shocked that when my mother in law was out of the hospital after cancer treatment the Diakonie (social welfare connected to protestant church and funded by those taxes) showed up twice a day to change her dressing, make sure she was fed and administered her meds. And she was not a churchgoer. Made a huge difference.

Despite that I still agree those taxes should't exist and also agree that no organizations should be exempt from taxation.

The cynic in me is suggesting that people that just had cancer treatment are excellent parties to be nice to on the off chance that they'll put you in their will, the optimist is happy that religion can show its good side every now and then.

What annoys me even more is that in Germany e.g. the wages of bishops are directly payed for by the state. Only priests and lower levels are payed via church taxes.

As usual it's a stupid historic thing dating back to 1803 and not one has touched it since (It is "compenstation" for a one-time transfer of church property to the states in compensation for France taking German territory).

Churches shouldn't pay taxes, but yeah, having the government collect the tithe seems like not enough separation between church/state. Even still, as long as the tax isn't compulsory for non-believers and the countries in question are generally happy with it, it doesn't seem like a very big deal.

FWIW, in the US and elsewhere, we have ideologies like Critical Race Theory which are not discernibly different from religions (certainly more religion than sociology or research) and which are taxpayer funded. (And no, this is not the same thing as religious studies programs--studying a religion/ideology is not the same thing as promoting, producing, and enforcing it).

Why shouldn't they? They do business and make profit just like any other corporation, but somehow at the end they don't get taxed because certain kinds of delusional people get a pass?