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Funny how the so-called "Constitutionalists" like Ron Paul and his sycophantic followers never make this an issue, but gleam onto far more trivial matters to jump up and down over.All religions can get a pass, you just need money and connections to make it happen quickly.
If you wanted to worship me, all you need is one congressman and about 10k and cash and you are exempt.
fyi
this is 30 years old, a little late to give a fuck
OK - again: what constitutes a religion?
What are the criteria in which to acquire tax-free status?
Legally? Beats the frack out of me. As I recall, the problem with Scientology was that it charged for its healing mumbo jumbo, not that the healing was mumbo jumbo.
Here is what the IRS says.
http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p1828.pdf
The bolded is what I am looking for - nobody seems to have any clue.
It was reported at the time that the meeting between administration officials and Scientology officials lasted as little as 10 minutes.
Why would Reagan grant tax-free status to a bunch of kooks?
Who gives a fuck?
seriously, why do you fucking care at all?
Liberalism is full of kooks
are you just jealous?
yea im sure every person in that neighborhood was just happy as shit.....try a middle class neighborhood were you dont have to many Muslims around....then tell me people wont talk....They just built a new mosque down the block from my parents house. No one gave a shit.Because everyone knows it's the "liberals" who shit a brick when someone tries to build a mosque near them, right?
i bet they would if it was down the block from them....
Statements like this baffle me. I guess it's different growing up in NY.
There are mosques EVERYWHERE. I've lived most of my life "down the block" from a mosque - and no one has ever "shit a brick" about it. There are mosques "down the block" from the most most orthodox Jewish neighborhoods in Brooklyn.
Muslims aren't feared in NY - everyone has gone to school with Muslims, worked with Muslims, and lived around them for their entire lives. The loudest people shouting about the "ground zero mosque" have probably never even been to NY.
I simply don't get the Fear that I see a lot of people affected by. They're no stranger to me than Catholics.
Funny how the so-called "Constitutionalists" like Ron Paul and his sycophantic followers never make this an issue, but gleam onto far more trivial matters to jump up and down over.All religions can get a pass, you just need money and connections to make it happen quickly.
If you wanted to worship me, all you need is one congressman and about 10k and cash and you are exempt.
fyi
this is 30 years old, a little late to give a fuck
religions and charities getting a taxation pass are law.
If Scientology is benign, why did Katie Holmes run to NY to file for divorce? She's trying to keep her daughter out of their clutches by going to a state where Scientology isn't as ingrained and accepted.
Funny how the so-called "Constitutionalists" like Ron Paul and his sycophantic followers never make this an issue, but gleam onto far more trivial matters to jump up and down over.
religions and charities getting a taxation pass are law.
Wingnut Congresscritters have made it clear that they have no problem repealing laws.
If Scientology is benign, why did Katie Holmes run to NY to file for divorce? She's trying to keep her daughter out of their clutches by going to a state where Scientology isn't as ingrained and accepted.
Why? Let's see, celebs, publicity, drama, upper hand in publicity and the list is long, I'm sure she consulted with , attorneys, agents, publicists so as to make the proper popular choice and get win the court of public opinion.
Not as odd as the Conservatives here that recognize Scientology as a legitimate religion.
Legally; it is a legitimate religion. Do you have anything to say otherwise?
i would think a "religion" has to have a God or Gods to worship....who do these guys worship.....L.Ron Hubbard?....hey just askin....
Legally; it is a legitimate religion. Do you have anything to say otherwise?
i would think a "religion" has to have a God or Gods to worship....who do these guys worship.....L.Ron Hubbard?....hey just askin....
So Buddhism isn't a religion, and shouldn't have tax-exempt status?
I thought I made a point of saying 'administration'. I didn't claim that presidents decide these things all by their lonesome.
That said, I think I made a mistake: the battles with the IRS occurred throughout the Reagan administration, but the actual IRS decision was made during an impromptu meeting between Scientology dictator David Miscavige and IRS Commissioner Goldberg during the Bush administration, in 1991:
Scientology made the initial gesture toward a cease-fire when Miscavige, the church leader, paid an unscheduled visit to the IRS commissioner, Goldberg.I apologize for the error. But my main point is why are these kooks granted tax-exempt status?
The first full account of that meeting and the events that followed inside the IRS was assembled from interviews, Scientology's own internal account, IRS documents and records in a pending suit brought by Tax Analysts, a nonprofit trade publisher, seeking the release of IRS agreements with Scientology and other tax-exempt organizations.
Feffer, a church lawyer since 1984, said he approached officials at the Justice Department and the IRS in 1991 with an offer to sit down and negotiate an end to the dispute.
The church's version of what followed is quite remarkable. Miscavige and Marty Rathbun, another church official, were walking past the IRS building in Washington with a few hours to spare one afternoon in late October 1991 when they decided to talk to Goldberg.
After signing the visitors' log at the imposing building on Constitution Avenue, the two men asked to see the commissioner. They told the security guard that they did not have an appointment but were certain Goldberg would want to see them. And, according to the church account, he did.
Goldberg said he could not discuss the meeting, although a former senior official confirmed that it occurred. An IRS spokesman said it would be unusual for someone to meet with the commissioner without an appointment.
Miscavige does not grant interviews, church officials said, but Rathbun said the Goldberg meeting was an opportunity for the church to offer to end its long dispute with the agency, including the dozens of suits brought against the IRS, in exchange for the exemptions that Scientology believed it deserved.
"Let's resolve everything," Rathbun recalled saying. "This is insane. It's reached insane levels."
Goldberg's response was also out of the ordinary. He created a special five-member working group to resolve the dispute, bypassing the agency's exempt organizations division, which normally handles those matters. Howard M. Schoenfeld, the IRS official picked as the committee's chairman in 1991, said later in a deposition in the Tax Analysts case that he recalled only one similar committee in 30 years at the agency.
I thought I made a point of saying 'administration'. I didn't claim that presidents decide these things all by their lonesome.
That said, I think I made a mistake: the battles with the IRS occurred throughout the Reagan administration, but the actual IRS decision was made during an impromptu meeting between Scientology dictator David Miscavige and IRS Commissioner Goldberg during the Bush administration, in 1991:
Scientology made the initial gesture toward a cease-fire when Miscavige, the church leader, paid an unscheduled visit to the IRS commissioner, Goldberg.I apologize for the error. But my main point is why are these kooks granted tax-exempt status?
The first full account of that meeting and the events that followed inside the IRS was assembled from interviews, Scientology's own internal account, IRS documents and records in a pending suit brought by Tax Analysts, a nonprofit trade publisher, seeking the release of IRS agreements with Scientology and other tax-exempt organizations.
Feffer, a church lawyer since 1984, said he approached officials at the Justice Department and the IRS in 1991 with an offer to sit down and negotiate an end to the dispute.
The church's version of what followed is quite remarkable. Miscavige and Marty Rathbun, another church official, were walking past the IRS building in Washington with a few hours to spare one afternoon in late October 1991 when they decided to talk to Goldberg.
After signing the visitors' log at the imposing building on Constitution Avenue, the two men asked to see the commissioner. They told the security guard that they did not have an appointment but were certain Goldberg would want to see them. And, according to the church account, he did.
Goldberg said he could not discuss the meeting, although a former senior official confirmed that it occurred. An IRS spokesman said it would be unusual for someone to meet with the commissioner without an appointment.
Miscavige does not grant interviews, church officials said, but Rathbun said the Goldberg meeting was an opportunity for the church to offer to end its long dispute with the agency, including the dozens of suits brought against the IRS, in exchange for the exemptions that Scientology believed it deserved.
"Let's resolve everything," Rathbun recalled saying. "This is insane. It's reached insane levels."
Goldberg's response was also out of the ordinary. He created a special five-member working group to resolve the dispute, bypassing the agency's exempt organizations division, which normally handles those matters. Howard M. Schoenfeld, the IRS official picked as the committee's chairman in 1991, said later in a deposition in the Tax Analysts case that he recalled only one similar committee in 30 years at the agency.
Because they met the legal requirements to be a tax-exempt religious organization, and despite your apparent belief that you get a vote in what other people believe and how they live their lives, it's not for the federal government or anyone else to decide on the "legitimacy" of someone's religious beliefs.
It would be incredibly nice if leftists ever came to understand the true meaning of the phrases "No one asked for your opinion" and "No one cares what you think".
Because they met the legal requirements to be a tax-exempt religious organization, and despite your apparent belief that you get a vote in what other people believe and how they live their lives, it's not for the federal government or anyone else to decide on the "legitimacy" of someone's religious beliefs.
It would be incredibly nice if leftists ever came to understand the true meaning of the phrases "No one asked for your opinion" and "No one cares what you think".
Because they met the legal requirements to be a tax-exempt religious organization, and despite your apparent belief that you get a vote in what other people believe and how they live their lives, it's not for the federal government or anyone else to decide on the "legitimacy" of someone's religious beliefs.
It would be incredibly nice if leftists ever came to understand the true meaning of the phrases "No one asked for your opinion" and "No one cares what you think".
I hate to bring up this painful point but....
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion"
Why in hell do they give tax exempt status to any religion? It's blatantly unconstitutional!
Oh yeah, shit, I forgot...political cronyism....
It was reported at the time that the meeting between administration officials and Scientology officials lasted as little as 10 minutes.
Why would Reagan grant tax-free status to a bunch of kooks?
It was reported at the time that the meeting between administration officials and Scientology officials lasted as little as 10 minutes.
Why would Reagan grant tax-free status to a bunch of kooks?
As opposed to all the other kooks?
Why does any Church get a tax exemption?
Why is Evil Space Lord Zenu and Body Thetans any more ridiculous as walking on water or getting golden tablets or Mohammed going to the Mountain in one day?
I agree! But what is the legal criteria for the tax-exempt status?It was reported at the time that the meeting between administration officials and Scientology officials lasted as little as 10 minutes.
Why would Reagan grant tax-free status to a bunch of kooks?
As opposed to all the other kooks?
Why does any Church get a tax exemption?
Why is Evil Space Lord Zenu and Body Thetans any more ridiculous as walking on water or getting golden tablets or Mohammed going to the Mountain in one day?
