San Francisco Chronicle, Nov. 28, 2008 by Matthai Kurvuila
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/11/28/BAB214BA4E.DTL
The issue was last debated by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1970, according to Jesse Choper, a professor at the UC Berkeley School of Law. Choper said the court acknowledged that the history of tax exemption for churches stretches back to the nation’s beginnings. The court ruled that because tax exemption was a benefit not solely given to religious groups, but included groups like schools and nonprofits, it was fair.