ante up the coffers

Here's something I have not heard anyone propose, as far as debt solutions and the ongoing national economic crisis goes. Let's remove all churches from tax-exempt status.
Think about it. We could reserve tax-exempt status strictly for the non profit charity organizations. While many churches (and of course here in the states the largest religious body is Christian, though what I suggest would pertain to all denominations of all faiths) do engage in non profit charity work, this is far from the majority of their activities. So, we should tax churches just as we tax any other business, because, churches are by nature wealth-building organizations. While corporations can still engage in occasional charity work, so too could the church. Equally, as corporations are allowed to lobby for and endorse their select political candidates through PACs and Super-PACs, churches already have free reign to dance the dance, but with no checks and balances.
Since the separation of church and state is a never-ending debate, even less likely are the chances of a separation of state and business interests. Money dominates in Western Capitalism, money talks. And if religious agendas are given so much weight in modern politics, from abortion litigation to teaching Creationism in public schools to challenging climate change, then religious institutions should be made to pay for their seat at the table.
I do not see this as any violation of our freedom of religion. Persons are allowed to go into business for themselves while still expected to pay the mandatory federal taxes where appropriate. Obviously, persons could also pursue their faith of choice. However, since many activities and agendas of the churches behind said faiths have little or nothing to do with non-profit charity work then they should at last be contributing and paying their share.
Again using Christianity as my prime example, keep in mind that the Vatican is one of the wealthiest, debt-free nations in the history of our world. How many millions have been paid out in the USA alone, in the past decade, over settling child molestation cases out of court? If anything, this would be a great excuse for all churches to keep cleaner accounting records, thereby improving their own money management.
Also, consider how religious-based lobby groups comprise some of the most powerful lobbying networks in the country. What right has any church to affect politics so deeply, without having to pay their share of tax monies? Legitimate, federally-recognized non profit charity groups should by nature be apolitical. Any exception should then pay the piper.
This wouldn't pay the national debt outright, but it would certainly help. And as this government is incapable of existing without a tax program, here we could find a new source for tax revenue by taxing those institutions who have dodged the bullets for years and years, instead of hitting the lower or middle or upper classes any more.
All's fair, right?