Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 (Denver Mods 7/26/84) 6/24/83; site drutx.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxn!ihnp4!drutx!slb From: slb@drutx.UUCP (Sue Brezden) Newsgroups: net.religion,net.politics,net.flame Subject: Tax relief for Churches--ARRRRGHH Message-ID: <40@drutx.UUCP> Date: Fri, 27-Sep-85 11:08:30 EDT Article-I.D.: drutx.40 Posted: Fri Sep 27 11:08:30 1985 Date-Received: Sun, 29-Sep-85 08:09:58 EDT Organization: AT&T Information Systems Laboratories, Denver Lines: 48 Xref: watmath net.religion:7808 net.politics:11244 net.flame:12095 I am pissed!!! Did anyone notice the disgusting act that passed the Senate yesterday? "(UPI) The Senate, with nary a wisp of protest, voted Thursday to crack down on the worshipers of Satan, and the practioners (sic) of witchcraft...the Senate approved legislation denying tax exemptions to any cult promoting Satanism or witchcraft."--Rocky Mountain News THAT is what is wrong with tax exemptions for churches. It can be used as a battering ram against religions. By denying tax exemption to any religion, as has been done here, it becomes a bonus to the others. Wicca, running on a smaller budget than the major churches, anyway, could be hurt badly by this. There will probably be an attempt to take tax exemption from Thelema (after all, they will say, Crowley was a Satanist. The people who make such decisions don't know better.) Then how about Tibetan Buddhism and Hinduism--after all they have all those dieties with skulls and such, obviously Satanist. (:-) Sigh. So Falwell gets his millions without tax, and any religion that some IRS person thinks is witchcraft does not. And you can bet your booties that Helms (who sponsered this abomination) wants it to apply to anything non-Christian. The bill itself is Christian in that the definition of something as "Satanist" or "witchcraft" has no real meaning outside of the Christian view. I hope someone takes this to court. If this is not a law "respecting the establishment of any religion," I don't know what is. I'm just too mad to type anymore. -- Sue Brezden Real World: Room 1B17 Net World: ihnp4!drutx!slb AT&T Information Systems 11900 North Pecos Westminster, Co. 80234 (303)538-3829 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Your god may be dead, but mine aren't. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Brought to you by Super Global Mega Corp .com