Section: Reading

124) View Additional Information

This question pertains to the "PRO" portion of the passage. Choose the answer that best completes the following question.

According to the author, why would poor and disadvantaged people suffer as a result of the state taxing churches?

1. The poor would no longer receive a subsidy from the government.
2. The poor would have less resources available to them.
3. Taxing churches when their members receive no monetary gain would amount to double taxation.
4. Already cash-strapped governments would be left to pick up the slack left by tax-burdened churches that would either have to eliminate or reduce key programs.

Answer 4 is correct. Answer 1 is false in that the author mentions nothing about the poor receiving subsidies from the government. Answer 2, while true, does not adequately explain the reasoning to the extent the author explicitly does. Answer 3 could be true, but it's not mentioned in the excerpt.