reply to post by Flatfish
There is no such thing as the "right to be tax exempt". An exemption, by definition, is the relief from obligation, or liability. Taxing a church
would be a violation of "separation of church and state". Taxation is for the state by the state and of the state, just the same as government is
for the people, by the people, and of the people. If you want "separation of church and state" then you don't want to tax them. If you tax
churches then they have every reasonable expectation of being a part of the state.
Churches should have never acquiesced to pressure to obtain "tax exempt" status to being with. Chief Justice John Marshall once said that "the
power to tax is the power to destroy" and there is no better way to destroy the free exercise of religion than taxation, and there is no better way
of skirting the Establishment Clause than taxation. You don't like tithers getting a "tax breaks" for tithing? You don't like donors getting
"tax breaks" for donating to a church? Then why would you ignore what I stated earlier and take the stance that you don't oppose churches getting
"tax exemption"?
The only possible way a church can get a "tax exemption" is to be liable for a tax to begin with. Since no church has never been made liable for
any tax collectible by the IRS the only possible way the IRS could have any authority over churches is through "tax exempt" status.
Further, this whole attitude that because some people are not "paying their fair share of taxes" (I am quoting a general attitude not you) because
it creates "shortfalls" in revenue is only valid for those who advocate a constant and continued expansion of government, which this camp likes to
call "progressive". It is demonstrably so, however, that the progressives have only managed to create a regressive return out of control government
authority. The Magna Carta was written and forced upon King John because he was an absurdly out of control government authority who believed he could
get away with whatever he wanted to and all he needed to do to finance his inanities was tax the holy crap out of the nation. That didn't end too
well for King John.
Now, here we are back to the days of monarchies, only know instead of calling them kings we call the presidents, and instead of hereditary royalty or
"divine right" of kings, we elect our kings (presidents), and through taxation we fund school systems that teach our children that what makes us
free is the ability to elect our out of control tax crazed kings. Now that's progressive! Progress down the primrose path of hell.
The American "Taxpayer" has become the equivalent of the Russian "Proletariat", or communist. The "Taxpayer" has decided that they get to
decide who can do what and where because they are a "Taxpayer" and while they "don't mind" that certain charities and churches don't pay taxes,
the "Taxpayer" does mind this or that, blah, blah, blah.
Taxpayer is a statutorily defined term by the tax code. A "Taxpayer" by definition is one who is subject to any applicable revenue law. It follows
then that if a "Taxpayer" is one who is subject to any applicable revenue law then there must be "Non-Taxpayers" who are not subject to any
applicable revenue laws. Are you under the impression that what makes you a statutorily defined "Taxpayer" is your atheism? Would that be the
subject to the tax "Taxpayers" pay? Atheism? There is hereby a tax imposed upon atheism? Is that what you think happened?
Of course, in all likelihood you have no idea what the subject of the so called "income tax" is and it has never occurred to you to ask what the
subject of the tax is, maybe just assuming the subject of the tax is "income". Few understand principles of Constitutional taxation, and have no
idea who taxes and their imposition really work, and in spite of the fact that Revolution for Independence was sparked by a tax revolt over 200 years
ago, today anyone who challenges the efficacy of dubious tax schemes is labeled un-American, because the tax dollars invested in "education" has
taught everyone to think this way.
Thank God we use tax dollars to "educate" we the people so government can tell the "Taxpayer" what to think. Who wants to think anyway? I'm
sure more people would think if it were "tax deductible" but it ain't, so screw that thinking! Let the government do our thinking for us.
