New US Government Petition re: Cults and Tax Exemptions

by mind blown 58 Replies latest watchtower scandals

  • ABibleStudent
    ABibleStudent

    ssn587 - I heartily agree with Okage, tax them, tax all churches, why should they get a free ride? Churches use public utilities, roads, etc. tax them all. then it will truly be indiscriminant. another good point is have all churches and nonprofit organizations show what come in and what goes out, and specifically what it goes out for and is used for.

    Hi ssn587 and Okage, does that mean you would be willing to write a White House petition to modify the tax codes? If you do write a petition, please post a link on JWN. I would be willing to sign your petition if it is well written. Please do not be deterred by some JWN members not encouraging you about writing a petition.

    BTW 36 people have signed the petition as of this morning.

    If this petition does not obtain 25,000 signatures, I am thinking about writing another petition about replacing the Federal Income Tax with a Federal retail sales tax. A Federal retail sales tax might not benefit members of dangerous cults, but I would not dread April 15th anymore. Unfortunately, a Federal retail sales tax law might have more opponents than religious organizations. Tax accountants, tax lawyers, real estate agents, non-profit organizations, etc would be against any changes to the Federal Income Tax system that would not benefit them.

    Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,

    Robert

  • botchtowersociety
    botchtowersociety

    What Jeff said.

  • JeffT
    JeffT

    A federal sales tax is too regressive even for me.

    I'm all in favor of providing people with the opportunity to learn about cults. That is why I'm trying to get the novel published. I'm opposed to using the tax codes to bludgeon people into behaving the way I want them to behave. I don't care who is on which end of the beat down, it is an abuse of federal power, in my opinion.

  • ABibleStudent
    ABibleStudent

    JeffT - A federal sales tax is too regressive even for me.

    I'm all in favor of providing people with the opportunity to learn about cults. That is why I'm trying to get the novel published. I'm opposed to using the tax codes to bludgeon people into behaving the way I want them to behave. I don't care who is on which end of the beat down, it is an abuse of federal power, in my opinion.

    Hi JeffT, Because you are an accountant, I'm not surprised that you don't like a federal sales tax. I'm curious why you feel that a federal sales tax would be too regressive for you. I do not remember economist or politicians using the word "regressive" when debating about converting from Federal income tax to a sales taxes. I have wished for a Federal sales tax for years for numerous reasons, although I know that changing from an income tax to a sales tax would be tricky to avoid undesirable economic effects.

    I'm also curious what would you write about in your novel that would awaken readers to the dangers of dangerous cults that has not already been written about by Raymond Franz, Steve Hassan, Don Cameron, and others?

    Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,

    Robert

  • Shawn10538
    Shawn10538

    I was just number 38. C'mon people, stop talking about it and act. It took me about three minutes to register and sign the petition. If you have reservations, remember, it's not law yet, it's just a petition to put it on a ballot. It probably won't pass but let's try anyway. We might be surprised.

  • JeffT
    JeffT

    Progressive = a tax system that weights the tax burden toward those that make more

    Regressive = a tax system that causes people at the lower end of the income spectrum to pay a higher percentage of their money

    A graduated income tax is set up such that high income people pay higher rates than those at the lower end. this is intended to adjust for the amount of disposable income available to members of the two groups. A sales tax hits poorer people heavily because they have to spend a higher precentage of their money just to stay alive. Sales taxes, cigarette taxes, alchohol taxes and lottery tickets all pull higher percentages of income from poor people than rich people. I would prefer to see something close to a flat tax, everybody pays say 15% of whatever they make with no, or very few; offsets, credits, deductions or other adjustments.

    To repeat my thoughts on all of this, I am opposed to ANY effort to have the government dictate what a person, or group of people, can say or think.

  • mind blown
    mind blown

    This has NOTHING to do with freedoms. It has to do with intitutions/cults doing DAMAGE & HARM with out dated practices (inquisition, stoning, hanging, exil, blacks at the back of the bus) or mind bending brain washing & shunning, that harm modern society in the 21st Century and getting a free tax ride.

  • ABibleStudent
    ABibleStudent

    @ mind blown, I agree with you. The White House petition to protect Americans from dangerous cults is tilted to protect the rights of an individual more than an organization.

    @ JeffT

    JeffT - Progressive = a tax system that weights the tax burden toward those that make more

    Regressive = a tax system that causes people at the lower end of the income spectrum to pay a higher percentage of their money

    Thanks for the definitions JeffT. BTW per your definitions a retail sales tax may be either a progressive or regressive tax depending on how the sales tax law is structured. People who are rich have more to spend as well as luxury items could be taxed at a higher rate. Also, sales taxes on home sales (which already exists in some counties) and on stock sales would affect the rich more than the poor.

    Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,

    Robert

  • rnewman123
    rnewman123

    Hi,

    I heard though the UK government is discussing charging tax for property transaction for any religeous groups.

    The Vatican is going mad about it so there maybe an angle that could be used...

  • ABibleStudent
    ABibleStudent

    Thanks a million to the 80 people who have signed the White House petition "Protecting Americans from Dangerous Cults: Modify USC Title 26 ยง 501 Tax Exemption Requirements.

    I want to thank Steven Unthank for encouraging me to use Facebook to promote the White House petition, and to thank ProdigalSon on JWN and Aida on JWSF for linking to the petition on their Facebook accounts. I want to thank everyone who has posted on this thread and the following two threads:

    Also, I specifically want to thank JWN members JeffT, Band on the Run, New Chapter, james_woods, and botchtowersociety for your comments on this and/or the aforementioned threads. I may not like what you wrote in your posts, but you are free to write your opinions and I would defend your right. You 5 more than anyone else gave me information that I used to create the questions in the FAQ section and the motivation to create a Facebook page.

    I published my first Facebook page today. The page is a work in progress and I would appreciate any comments about how to improve the message on the page. The page briefly describes the petition, where to go for additional information, and FAQ type questions to help people to overcome their objections to sign the petition. The link to the Facebook page is http://www.facebook.com/pages/Protecting-Americans-from-Dangerous-Cults/264002310365016 .

    Even though it is unlikely that 25,000 people will sign this petition before May 26, 2012, I want to be prepared to do a better job of promoting a similar White House petition the following day.

    Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,

    Robert

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