Posted by Kromey at 4:21pm Mar 28 '13And then if you exempt 'religion' you have to define exactly what a 'religion' is, and when it is just a cult. Should Muslims get an exemption? What about Druids? Or voodoo witches? What about Jedi? Wherever you draw that line, it will be arbitrary and unfair. Far better to simply apply a charitable status test based on whether an institution is actually doing good, without considering its religious aspect.
Exactly. If a Wiccan coven were to establish a... uh... okay, mind's blanking on the term, but the Wiccan equivalent of a church... anyway, they'd have to pay property tax on that because Wicca, despite being one of the fastest-growing religions today, isn't recognized by the US government as being a "religion".
Meanwhile over in England, Jedi can set up their Councils and enjoy tax-free status [applying US tax law to the British religious landscape -- I gather UK tax law is similar enough in this regard, though].
I mean, seriously, science fiction fans get their own religion (*coughcough*Scientology*cough*), but legitimate worshipers get the cold shoulder from those same benefits?
And meanwhile we're all supporting the likes of Westboro Baptist Church, just because some lunatic thinks they're following some 2,000-year-old book which says to love thy neighbor...
Exactly. If a Wiccan coven were to establish a... uh... okay, mind's blanking on the term, but the Wiccan equivalent of a church... anyway, they'd have to pay property tax on that because Wicca, despite being one of the fastest-growing religions today, isn't recognized by the US government as being a "religion".
Meanwhile over in England, Jedi can set up their Councils and enjoy tax-free status [applying US tax law to the British religious landscape -- I gather UK tax law is similar enough in this regard, though].
I mean, seriously, science fiction fans get their own religion (*coughcough*Scientology*cough*), but legitimate worshipers get the cold shoulder from those same benefits?
And meanwhile we're all supporting the likes of Westboro Baptist Church, just because some lunatic thinks they're following some 2,000-year-old book which says to love thy neighbor...
Re: No - Kromey