From: Eric Cordian <emc@wire.insync.net>
Date: Wed, 5 Nov 1997 13:05:42 +0800
To: cypherpunks@cyberpass.net
Subject: Re: Taxing Churches for their views? Bad idea.
In-Reply-To: <v03102802b085858a6a1a@[207.167.93.63]>
Message-ID: <199711050458.WAA10404@wire.insync.net>
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Tim May Writes:

> Nonsense. And a dangerous course.

> One can decide to "tax churches" or to "not tax churches." I have no
> particularly strong opinion on either option. 

> But one must definitely _not_ base the decision to tax or not to tax on
> the opinions expressed by a church!

> One cannot decide to tax the Catholic Church "into penury" because its
> anti-abortion views have become politically incorrect in the last 30
> years.  Nor can one decide to tax the tempes and synagogues of Judaism
> "into penury" because they are centers of support for the Zionist
> Entity. 

> Think about it. 

I have no objection to churches holding opinions.  However, when they
become a tax-exempt mechanism for the illegal injection of money into
political campaigns, taxing is the minimally appropriate response.

There is a big difference between saying "Our religion disapproves of
abortion", and saying "Vote for candidate Y and attend the big rally we
are paying for out of last week's poorbox donations." 

The Christian right wing has made a mockery of the separation of church
and state in its conspicuous and direct support of particular political
candidates.

--
Eric Michael Cordian 0+
O:.T:.O:. Mathematical Munitions Division
"Do What Thou Wilt Shall Be The Whole Of The Law"