Hpwever, if there is a law that no one gets exemptions for housing (the only way such a law could pass constitutional muster) it will have to affect the humble preacher who spends his money on things like soup kitchens as well as the mega-church preachers who live in luxury, and journalists will choose to illustrate their stories by showing how oppressive such a law is to the humble preacher. They are less likely to write about the ones shamelessly exploiting the system.
Lois
I get the good reasons for picking the battles.
But, if a preacher really is *selflessly* giving their all, they will be living the life of a saint by example: in squalor, giving everything resource they come across to promoting their God message and leaving nothing for themselves. Such a person would scoff at the need for a tax break for unneeded housing.