Sales Tax

Lotan · Post by **Lotan** » Thu Feb 23, 2006 7:12 am

Here's a recent story from the Christian media...

"(AgapePress) - Liberty Counsel, a Florida-based organization that defends the constitutional rights of Christians, has filed a brief with the State Supreme Court defending a law that provides a sales tax exemption for Bibles and other religious publications.

Recently, the Wiccan Religious Cooperative of Florida sued the State Department of Revenue claiming Florida law that grants sales tax exemption for Bibles and other religious publications violates the constitution's Establishment clause. Liberty Counsel President Mat Staver says the Wiccans paid sales tax on a Satanic "Bible" and, instead of asking for a refund, sued the state."

Is there any good reason that some books should be tax exempt and not others? Who decides what qualifies as a 'religious' publication and what criteria do they use?
If I were to claim, as some Christian polemicists assert, that 'evolution' is my 'religion' could I then demand tax-exempt status for "Origin of Species"? Exemption for one book and not for another amounts to a tangible state endorsement of religious ideas at the expense of other points of view. This gives superstition an unfair advantage.
The only fair solution would be equal tax status for ALL books, regardless of their content. Not only that but this principle should be extended to churches and other 'religious' organizations and media.

jcrawford · Post by **jcrawford** » Fri Feb 24, 2006 10:21 pm

Cephus wrote:
jcrawford wrote:The FA prohibits the Feds from taxing religion, speech, the press and educational assemblies.
Pardon me while I roll around on the floor, laughing hysterically.

Would you mind quoting, verbatim, specifically where it says that?

Sure. "Congress shall make no law .... "

The feds don't have as many rights as either you or they think they do, Cephus. They only have those powers designated to them by the states and by the people. (Amendments 9 and 10)

Who's country do you think it is anyway, Cephus - yours or the feds?

jcrawford · Post by **jcrawford** » Fri Feb 24, 2006 10:32 pm

Cathar1950 wrote:Is taxation on writing an impingement of the operation of free speech?

I believe so. Otherwise the gov can raise the taxes on free speech and the press the same way it does on cigartettes.

Who should pay taxes and on what?

Secularists should pay taxes and stop persecuting churches and Christian Fathers, as well as American Muslims.

Do you really believe a non-secular gov. would do better or different?

It's not a question of secular or non-secular but of equal secular and religious rights and justice for all.

McCulloch · Post by **McCulloch** » Fri Feb 24, 2006 10:33 pm

jcrawford wrote:The FA prohibits the Feds from taxing religion, speech, the press and educational assemblies.

juliod wrote:No it doesn't. There's no point in holdiong this discussion until you are clear on this point.

jcrawford wrote:I am clear on this point. When the Christian states and the Christian people demanded that the Founding Christian Fathers write that "Congress shall make no law" respecting or prohibiting the rights of any of what follows, into their Bill of Rights, they meant it, and still do. That's why they added Amendments 9 and 10 - just as precaution and safe-keeping of their God-given rights.

Have the courts consistently interpreted that "Congress shall make no law" prohibiting the free exercise of religion means that religious institutions shall be tax exempt?

juliod · Post by **juliod** » Fri Feb 24, 2006 11:10 pm

...Founding Christian Fathers...

Like I said, no point. You even believe that the Founding Fathers were christians. Absurd!

DanZ

The Persnickety Platypus · Fri Feb 24, 2006 11:36 pm

EDIT- nvm

Cephus · Post by **Cephus** » Sat Feb 25, 2006 3:01 pm

jcrawford wrote:Sure. "Congress shall make no law .... "

And where does it mention taxation with regard to religion? Anyone?

Who's country do you think it is anyway, Cephus - yours or the feds?

Well, mine is on planet Earth, where is yours?

Cephus · Post by **Cephus** » Sat Feb 25, 2006 3:02 pm

juliod wrote:
...Founding Christian Fathers...
Like I said, no point. You even believe that the Founding Fathers were christians. Absurd!

His delusion knows no bounds, apparently.

jcrawford · Post by **jcrawford** » Sat Feb 25, 2006 5:17 pm

McCulloch wrote:
jcrawford wrote:The FA prohibits the Feds from taxing religion, speech, the press and educational assemblies.

juliod wrote:No it doesn't. There's no point in holdiong this discussion until you are clear on this point.

jcrawford wrote:I am clear on this point. When the Christian states and the Christian people demanded that the Founding Christian Fathers write that "Congress shall make no law" respecting or prohibiting the rights of any of what follows, into their Bill of Rights, they meant it, and still do. That's why they added Amendments 9 and 10 - just as precaution and safe-keeping of their God-given rights.
Have the courts consistently interpreted that "Congress shall make no law" prohibiting the free exercise of religion means that religious institutions shall be tax exempt?

I seriously doubt it. The SCOTUS thinks our Bill of Rights belongs to them alone instead of the people and their respective states.

You seem to take a top-down authoritarian statist approach in your views of what the people's rights are. I start with the Magna Carta and follow Scots-English history up to the time of the American Declaration of Independence from British tyranny. Call me old-fashioned if you like, but then, I'm just a Knoxian Presbyterian and Cromwellian Puritan at heart, as many of our Founding Christian Fathers were.

jcrawford · Post by **jcrawford** » Sat Feb 25, 2006 5:30 pm

juliod wrote:
...Founding Christian Fathers...
Like I said, no point. You even believe that the Founding Fathers were christians. Absurd!

DanZ

I didn't say they all were. Some of them certainly were though. What's "absurd" about referring to them?

Referring to the Founding Fathers as if all of them were atheists, deists or secularists and none of them were Christian seems more absurd and bigoted to me.

jcrawford · Post by **jcrawford** » Sat Feb 25, 2006 5:54 pm

Cephus wrote:
jcrawford wrote:Sure. "Congress shall make no law .... "
And where does it mention taxation with regard to religion? Anyone?

Nowhere. Because "Congress shall make no law ... etc," no federal law may be made taxing religious literature or religious establishments. I would argue that the FA prohibits taxation on speech, the press and on political and educational assemblies as well. What do you think the states and the people amended the big C with their Bill of Rights for anyway? To make it easier for federal tyranny?

jcrawford wrote:Who's country do you think it is anyway, Cephus - yours or the feds?

Well, mine is on planet Earth, where is yours?

Whereabouts on Planet Earth, Cephus? Mine is in North America.