Why did Reagan Administration grant tax-free religious status to Scientology?

[konradv]

If there's a valid reason to call the movie business "Hollywierd", CoS is it.

 

[Dot Com]

it could be construed as favoritism towards one group over another which could lead to a ruling where all religions lose their tax exempt status.

And this would be bad?

It would be unprecedented in the history of this country.

Capt Obvious to the rescue!!!

 

[Quantum Windbag]

And this would be bad?

It would be unprecedented in the history of this country.

Capt Obvious to the rescue!!!

This country has never taxed religion, a fact that, more than anything else, has kept religion out of the government. Yet some people fail to grasp the obvious, so I am forced to repeat it.

 

[whitehall]

Blame it on Bush, blame it on Reagan? When are radical lefties going to tell us how great their own guy is?

 

[Luddly Neddite]

Scientology isn't any nuttier than, say, Methodists, Lutherans,Morms, Catholics, or any of the rest of the believers in Magic Sky Fairies.

What I think is that we need to end the tax breaks to ALL religions.

Either that, or I need to incorporate as a religion.

But yes, its likely Ronnie Ray-Gun was already suffering from Alzheimers.

 

[Harry Dresden]

It was reported at the time that the meeting between administration officials and Scientology officials lasted as little as 10 minutes.

Why would Reagan grant tax-free status to a bunch of kooks?

Why would he discriminate against a religion? That's in the liberal playbook, not the conservative playbook.

Because everyone knows it's the "liberals" who shit a brick when someone tries to build a mosque near them, right?

i bet they would if it was down the block from them....

 

[theDoctorisIn]

Why would he discriminate against a religion? That's in the liberal playbook, not the conservative playbook.

Because everyone knows it's the "liberals" who shit a brick when someone tries to build a mosque near them, right?

i bet they would if it was down the block from them....

They just built a new mosque down the block from my parents house. No one gave a shit.
Statements like this baffle me. I guess it's different growing up in NY.

There are mosques EVERYWHERE. I've lived most of my life "down the block" from a mosque - and no one has ever "shit a brick" about it. There are mosques "down the block" from the most most orthodox Jewish neighborhoods in Brooklyn.

Muslims aren't feared in NY - everyone has gone to school with Muslims, worked with Muslims, and lived around them for their entire lives. The loudest people shouting about the "ground zero mosque" have probably never even been to NY.

I simply don't get the Fear that I see a lot of people affected by. They're no stranger to me than Catholics.

 

[g5000]

Why would Reagan grant tax-free status to a bunch of kooks?

From where did you get this nonsense?

Reagain did not grant tax-exempt status to Scientology.

They did not gain that status until 1993.

 

[g5000]

Courts in the United States since 1993 have formally recognized Scientology as a religion. Its battle to receive its tax-exempt status was not won easily, however; after being recognized as a tax-exempt religious organization in 1957, its exemption was revoked by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in 1967.

Believing that their “bombardment” strategy against the IRS would eventually pay off, they were finally rewarded in October 1993 when the Internal Revenue Service granted full non-profit status and tax exemption to all churches of Scientology and related social betterment organizations, concluding after an exhaustive and thorough review that Scientology churches are “organized and operated exclusively for religious and charitable purposes.”

CESNUR 2004 - The Church of Scientology: In Pursuit of Legal Recognition, by Derek H. Davis

 

[thanatos144]

Courts in the United States since 1993 have formally recognized Scientology as a religion. Its battle to receive its tax-exempt status was not won easily, however; after being recognized as a tax-exempt religious organization in 1957, its exemption was revoked by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in 1967.

Believing that their “bombardment” strategy against the IRS would eventually pay off, they were finally rewarded in October 1993 when the Internal Revenue Service granted full non-profit status and tax exemption to all churches of Scientology and related social betterment organizations, concluding after an exhaustive and thorough review that Scientology churches are “organized and operated exclusively for religious and charitable purposes.”

CESNUR 2004 - The Church of Scientology: In Pursuit of Legal Recognition, by Derek H. Davis

Now why would you go and show that the OP is full of shit???? He at least tried and it isn't his fault maybe his lying is because he didn't get enough hugs.

 

[Synthaholic]

It would be unprecedented in the history of this country.

Capt Obvious to the rescue!!!

This country has never taxed religion, a fact that, more than anything else, has kept religion out of the government. Yet some people fail to grasp the obvious, so I am forced to repeat it.

OK - again: what constitutes a religion?

What are the criteria in which to acquire tax-free status?

 

[Synthaholic]

Why would Reagan grant tax-free status to a bunch of kooks?

From where did you get this nonsense?

Reagain did not grant tax-exempt status to Scientology.

They did not gain that status until 1993.

Try to keep up, Slingblade.

 

[Synthaholic]

Courts in the United States since 1993 have formally recognized Scientology as a religion. Its battle to receive its tax-exempt status was not won easily, however; after being recognized as a tax-exempt religious organization in 1957, its exemption was revoked by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in 1967.

Believing that their “bombardment” strategy against the IRS would eventually pay off, they were finally rewarded in October 1993 when the Internal Revenue Service granted full non-profit status and tax exemption to all churches of Scientology and related social betterment organizations, concluding after an exhaustive and thorough review that Scientology churches are “organized and operated exclusively for religious and charitable purposes.”

CESNUR 2004 - The Church of Scientology: In Pursuit of Legal Recognition, by Derek H. Davis

Now why would you go and show that the OP is full of shit???? He at least tried and it isn't his fault maybe his lying is because he didn't get enough hugs.

You are incapable of keeping up, Corky.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

Capt Obvious to the rescue!!!

This country has never taxed religion, a fact that, more than anything else, has kept religion out of the government. Yet some people fail to grasp the obvious, so I am forced to repeat it.

OK - again: what constitutes a religion?

What are the criteria in which to acquire tax-free status?

Legally? Beats the frack out of me. As I recall, the problem with Scientology was that it charged for its healing mumbo jumbo, not that the healing was mumbo jumbo.

Here is what the IRS says.

http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p1828.pdf

 

[Two Thumbs]

It was reported at the time that the meeting between administration officials and Scientology officials lasted as little as 10 minutes.

Why would Reagan grant tax-free status to a bunch of kooks?

Who gives a fuck?

seriously, why do you fucking care at all?

Liberalism is full of kooks

are you just jealous?

 

[syrenn]

It was reported at the time that the meeting between administration officials and Scientology officials lasted as little as 10 minutes.

Why would Reagan grant tax-free status to a bunch of kooks?

You mean sorta like what the chirstians were to the romans......

 

[Synthaholic]

It was reported at the time that the meeting between administration officials and Scientology officials lasted as little as 10 minutes.

Why would Reagan grant tax-free status to a bunch of kooks?

You mean sorta like what the chirstians were to the romans......

Exactly!

But I don't think that the Romans gave them tax-free benefits. They gave them oxygen-free benefits.

 

[Synthaholic]

This country has never taxed religion, a fact that, more than anything else, has kept religion out of the government. Yet some people fail to grasp the obvious, so I am forced to repeat it.

OK - again: what constitutes a religion?

What are the criteria in which to acquire tax-free status?

Legally? Beats the frack out of me. As I recall, the problem with Scientology was that it charged for its healing mumbo jumbo, not that the healing was mumbo jumbo.

Here is what the IRS says.

http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p1828.pdf

The bolded is what I am looking for - nobody seems to have any clue.

 

[Two Thumbs]

All religions can get a pass, you just need money and connections to make it happen quickly.

If you wanted to worship me, all you need is one congressman and about 10k and cash and you are exempt.

fyi

this is 30 years old, a little late to give a fuck

 

[Synthaholic]

All religions can get a pass, you just need money and connections to make it happen quickly.

If you wanted to worship me, all you need is one congressman and about 10k and cash and you are exempt.

fyi

this is 30 years old, a little late to give a fuck

Funny how the so-called "Constitutionalists" like Ron Paul and his sycophantic followers never make this an issue, but gleam onto far more trivial matters to jump up and down over.