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Nothing in the First Amendment or SCOTUS decisions deal with taxation. In fact, they didn't get an exemption from taxation BY POLICY until 1894. Nothing to do with the Constitution.
So, once again, what makes churches so special?
Oh I had no idea, I thought that since States ran their churches before independence, they always and Nationally provided special exemptions for churches since back then.
But I guess it's the same as the "In God We Trust" and "Under God" additions to our naive secular government.
Their specific inclusion in the First Amendment to theConstitution.
Quote:
Originally Posted by cupper3
Nothing in the First Amendment or SCOTUS decisions deal with taxation. In fact, they didn't get an exemption from taxation BY POLICY until 1894. Nothing to do with the Constitution.
So, once again, what makes churches so special?
The only way a tax is imposed is by LAW. The First Amendment prohibits the Government from making any laws respecting the establishment of religion or impeding the free exercise thereof. Taxes impede the free exercise of religion, hence the POLICY. It has taken rulings by the SCOTUS over time to fully implement the Bill of Rights, cupper. It is not necessary that everything has been acknowledged from the beginning.
The only way a tax is imposed is by LAW. The First Amendment prohibits the Government from making any laws respecting the establishment of religion or impeding the free exercise thereof. Taxes impede the free exercise of religion, hence the POLICY. It has taken rulings by the SCOTUS over time to fully implement the Bill of Rights, cupper. It is not necessary that everything has been acknowledged from the beginning.
Taxes impede the free exercise of religion? So do Laws.
Do Taxes not impede one's freedom of speech? After all money is free-speech according to the conservatives in our Catholic/Jewish SCOTUS.
Location: In a little house on the prairie - literally
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LuminousTruth
Oh I had no idea, I thought that since States ran their churches before independence, they always and Nationally provided special exemptions for churches since back then.
But I guess it's the same as the "In God We Trust" and "Under God" additions to our naive secular government.
A common error, and one willfully disseminated by churches.
Location: In a little house on the prairie - literally
10,202 posts, read 7,928,903 times
Reputation: 4561
Quote:
Originally Posted by MysticPhD
The only way a tax is imposed is by LAW. The First Amendment prohibits the Government from making any laws respecting the establishment of religion or impeding the free exercise thereof. Taxes impede the free exercise of religion, hence the POLICY. It has taken rulings by the SCOTUS over time to fully implement the Bill of Rights, cupper. It is not necessary that everything has been acknowledged from the beginning.
Discussions I have had with people who are much better versed than I am in these matters that it actually truly is a matter of changing the policy. For the property component, each State gives exemptions to the churches, and that is easily withdrawn, if the will is there. It would be a State by State fight.
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