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Politics : Sharks in the Septic Tank

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To: Sidney Reilly who wrote (19580)7/29/2001 8:58:54 PM
From: Dayuhan  Read Replies (1) of 82486
 
Since the power to tax is the power to destroy, then for the government to tax religions would be an attempt by the government to destroy that religion. And the constitution prohibits that.

By that reasoning, government should not be permitted to maintain an army or a police force, either of which could be used to destroy religion. I do not see that granting Government a power that could hypothetically be used to destroy religion violates the Constitutional protection of religion. If that power is actually used destructively, that would be another story.

I have mixed feelings on the taxation of religion. Certainly I believe that religious organizations should be required to make a public accounting of their finances. I would have no problem with allowing tax exemptions to those operating on a small scale, or those that can demonstrate that their income is used for maintaining themselves, for charitable works, etc. But I don't see any reason why religious organizations that are effectively operating as businesses, and accumulating substantial resources, should not be taxed. Certainly I would say that organizations involved in partisan politics or aggressive evangelism should forfeit their tax exemption. And the idea that individual religious intermediaries should not pay taxes is quite offensive: they use the same services and enjoy the same protections as anyone else; there is no reason why they shouldn't pay their share of the cost.

eventually the war on religion will step up and the government WILL try to destroy religion as we slowly submit to the tyranny of the majority in this country.

What war on religion?

If we submit to the tyranny of the majority, it is the atheists that will have to be worried; we are wildly outnumbered by the religious, and followers are more likely to be roused to violence than free thinkers.
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