Sales Tax

[Lotan]

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]

...Founding Christian Fathers...

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

His delusion knows no bounds, apparently.

You sound like a British Tory describing Thomas Jefferson after reading his Declaration of Independence from British tyranny.
http://experts.about.com/e/t/to/Tory.htm

[Cephus]

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?

Which, of course, is ridiculous and shows your complete lack of understanding. Not like anyone is surprised, you don't seem to understand much of anything.

It has never been held by anyone, not the Supreme Court, not the founding fathers, not anyone, that taxation of products is a violation of the establishment clause. The only reason churches are not taxed on their income is a very questionable reading of the separation of church and state and the assumption that if you tax churches, they'll have a legitimate reason to become involved in politics.

It's sad that people have to explain such basic things to you.

[jcrawford]

It has never been held by anyone, not the Supreme Court, not the founding fathers, not anyone, that taxation of products is a violation of the establishment clause. The only reason churches are not taxed on their income is a very questionable reading of the separation of church and state and the assumption that if you tax churches, they'll have a legitimate reason to become involved in politics.

Churches already have a legitimate reason to involve themselves in politics, because if the feds tax them, they'll soon run the whole country, not just the public schools in each state.

Thanks for your pontification and edification on some of the reasons for church and state separation.

[micatala]

Let me suggest a completely different approach to the problem.

Tax all books that are published by for profit companies.

Do not tax any books that are published by non-profits.

THis gets around any problems of what is religious and what is not.

If a religious group then wants to publish some books and not have them taxed, they simply need to create a non-profit publishing enterprise. They could publish Bibles, religious tracts, whatever they wanted.

For profit companies could also publish the same materials, but would have to charge the tax.

Churches, being non-profit, could thus still maintain their non-taxed status, whether or not they were involved in publishing.

What do you all think?

[McCulloch]

Let me suggest a completely different approach to the problem.

Tax all books that are published by for profit companies.

Do not tax any books that are published by non-profits.

THis gets around any problems of what is religious and what is not.

If a religious group then wants to publish some books and not have them taxed, they simply need to create a non-profit publishing enterprise. They could publish Bibles, religious tracts, whatever they wanted.

For profit companies could also publish the same materials, but would have to charge the tax.

Churches, being non-profit, could thus still maintain their non-taxed status, whether or not they were involved in publishing.

What do you all think?

That is the second best idea on this topic I've heard. The best would be to eliminate tax on all books.

[micatala]

Actually, I could go for no tax on books as well.

Let's flip for it. Heads = your idea of no tax wins. Loser has to convince everybody else to go along.