Should CofS retain its tax exempt status in the US?

[GoNuclear]

Absolutely not. But.....

I think Scientology is now too useful as a money-maker and anti-personel & anti-population weapon by whomever controls it. To reduce it's usefulness and profitability by changing it's tax status would not be in the controllers best interest.

Who do you see as the controllers?

Pete

 

[Idle Morgue]

That would be a "NO". But no worries - the Church of Scientology and David Miscavige will be gone soon... sooner than you think and it will be a "non-issue"!

 

[GoNuclear]

That would be a "NO". But no worries - the Church of Scientology and David Miscavige will be gone soon... sooner than you think and it will be a "non-issue"!

IdleM,

Allowing the Cof$ to retain its tax exempt status is the lesser of evils. Against what? If the Cof$ says it is a religion, govt. needs to take them at their word ... that in spite of all of their money grubbing, ripoff, hypocritial, horseshitistic xenu nonsense, etc. That is, with the exception of the for profit corporate entities within their structure. First of all, I don't want the govt. determining what is or is not a bona fide religion. Secondly ... their tax exempt status won't go away without a fight, during which the govt. may very well obtain a ruling in their favor that will be used as case law against legitimate churches they don't like for various political reasons.

There is always the crowd screaming "They aren't paying their fair share!" I'd like to point out here that that was pretty much the exact argument/slogan that was used to get people to accept the income tax in the first place. More precisely, the slogan was "Tax the rich!" At that time, behind the scenes, it was the very rich that were behind the movement to get an income tax in the first place. It didn't take too long for an Aikido-like turn-around to fasten the income tax onto everybody else while the rich pay virtually nothing in the way of income tax, which is true to this day. The same argument is now being used by the Obamanistas to push for tax increases on those who make over $250k in taxable income married/$200k single. How soon we forget.

There is one legitimate tax that can and is levied on churches, and that is a tax or fee for the privilege of incorporation, and it is a very low fee at that. If you want to tax the Cof$ legitimately, levy a tax on harrassing dissidents/former members, and double the rate for harassment of their families and triple the rates if the program involves the killing of someone's cats or dogs.

Pete