As a gay man, I can tell you that churches did not help protect me from oppression growing up. Quite the opposite. Your assertion about positive externalities s

As a gay man, I can tell you that churches did not help protect me from oppression growing up. Quite the opposite. Your assertion about positive externalities seems highly suspect to me, and dependent on the institution. Charities also often have positive externalities, but they have far more regulation than churches. Again, why the special treatment? The social cohesion aspect of churches is gone at this point as well. That may have been true 50 years ago, but not today.