From: Tim May <tcmay@got.net>
Date: Wed, 5 Nov 1997 13:39:39 +0800
To: Eric Cordian <cypherpunks@Algebra.COM
Subject: Re: Taxing Churches for their views? Bad idea.
In-Reply-To: <v03102802b085858a6a1a@[207.167.93.63]>
Message-ID: <v03102805b085a65a1f91@[207.167.93.63]>
MIME-Version: 1.0
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At 9:58 PM -0700 11/4/97, Eric Cordian wrote:

>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.

Taxation or not taxing is not a favor I entrust to government. This is the
way countries with state religions favor the state religion over other
religions.

Fortunately, we do things differently in this country.


>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."

How a church spends its money is not for government to approve of or
disapprove of.


>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.

The "separation of church and state" refers to what power the state may
have over the practice of religion, the establishment of a state religion,
etc.. It has nothing whatsoever to do with stopping the Amish, say, from
voting in blocs for various causes.

See my other post on this topic. The Christian *LEFT* has been active for
several decades in opposing U.S. involvement in wars, in aiding and
abetting draft dodgers, in supporting Marxist regimes in Latin America, in
establishing the Sanctuary Movement, in sabotaging ICBM production
facilities, and in urging churchgoers to vote the agenda being pushed.

So?

Tax all churches or tax no churches, but don't give government the power to
decide if a religion is "worthy" of special tax treatment.

--Tim May

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