200 billion dollars? American money ? And I bet a lot is in investments of various kinds as well as real estate. Controlled by eight old dudes? Six of whom are senile with age ?? With nobody in congregations involved in money management, or voting on anything ? The Bible indicates the early followers of Jesus voted on things. And money matters were handled in common, and money was distributed and so was food. And it was all transparent. So show us the books. So ask your congregation leaders, "When is the food distribution ? " "When do the widows get some money?" Tell them, "I am poor, so isn't it Biblcal that the Faithful and Discreet Slave, help me in my poverty ?" Ask them, "Aren't we supposed to take care of one another?" Tell them, " we don't need any more books, or magazines, we are all full up." what we need is some real help around here.
What Could Cause the Watch Tower Corporation to Loose Its Non Profit Tax Status?
by frankiespeakin 19 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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Chaserious
To me this is very political in its nature even though the government they support and tell other to support is only in their imagination it still opposes the
right of a country to get it citizens to bear arms in its defence, a very serious political stand.
Maybe, but as long as the federal goverment is not going after churches that explicitly call for election of certain politicians from the pulpit they are not going to go after anti-military religions. They'd probably have to go after the Quakers and Amish too if that was the basis. As long as Westboro Baptist Church still has tax free status despite hateful and much more overtly political speech than the WTS spouts, the WTS status is not going anywhere.
I don't discourage people from petitioning their member of Congress about this or any other issue they feel strongly about, but that is unlikely to be the way this kind of thing would happen. There is little to no political capital to be gained from such a move. People in general just don't care much, and there is always the risk that some voters would wonder if their church is next. If they did get a little too greedy and some fraudulent conduct could be shown, that would be a more likely trigger. Even then, I suspect they would try to somehow find a "fall guy" to take the hit and carry on unscathed.
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frankiespeakin
Chas, good points so maybe a bunch of child molestations lawsuit that they loose in court, might be the thing that causes them to loose tax exempt status?
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frankiespeakin
Here's a link that shows the Wt corporation gloating over a recent taxation victory in France:
http://www.jw-media.org/fra/20120705.htm
For Immediate Release
July 5, 2012
(French, Russian)France ordered to pay millions for illegal taxation of Jehovah’s Witnesses
STRASBOURG, France—The European Court of Human Rights ruled today that the government of France must pay over 4.5 million euros ($5,600,000 US approx.) for full restitution to Jehovah’s Witnesses for violating their religious freedom through illegal taxation.
Last year, on June 30, 2011, the European Court ruled that the government of France violated the rights of Jehovah’s Witnesses when it attempted to impose a retroactive 60 percent tax on all religious donations made by Jehovah’s Witnesses in France between 1993 and 1996. The Court invited the parties to resolve the matter amicably, but because the government maintained that the excessive taxation was not illegal, a friendly settlement was impossible.
In today’s decision, the government was ordered to remove “all consequences” of the tax. In addition to returning the 4,590,295 euros ($5,749,439.50 US approx.) that were confiscated at the time that the taxation was imposed, plus interest, the government is to pay the Witnesses 55,000 euros ($68,888.64 US approx.) for legal costs and expenses. It is expected that full restitution will also include removing all liens or mortgages from the facilities owned and used by the Witnesses in Louviers.
André Carbonneau, one of the attorneys for the Witnesses who worked on this case, stated: “It is hoped that this decision will encourage the French government to proceed with more restraint and caution in the future before using legal mechanisms such as taxation to restrict the religious freedom of its citizens.”
J. R. Brown, a spokesman for the Witnesses at their world headquarters in New York, commented: “Clearly, these efforts by the government of France to financially stop our Bible education work in France did not succeed. We rejoice over this development, along with our fellow believers and other citizens of France who appreciate their right to accept or reject our Christian message.”
Related Links:
News Release: “European Court of Human Rights vindicates Jehovah’s Witnesses in France”
News Release: “Witnesses’ legal victory in France now final and enforceable”
Video: Commentary by Bruno Faure
Video: Commentary by Philip BrumleyMedia Contacts:
J. R. Brown, Office of Public Information, tel. +1 718 560 5000
France: Guy Canonici, tel. +33 2 32 25 55 55France
Video News Releases
- Commentary by Bruno Faure, a representative of Jehovah’s Witnesses in France (in French with English subtitles).
- Commentary by Philip Brumley, general counsel for Jehovah’s Witnesses (in English with French subtitles).
Court Rulings
- European Court of Human Rights judgment:Case of Association Les Témoins de Jéhovah v. France (PDF)
Also in French (PDF)
France ordered to pay millions for illegal taxation of Jehovah’s Witnesses
Press release: July 5, 2012
Also in French, RussianWitnesses’ Legal Victory in France Now Final and Enforceable
Press release: November 10, 2011
Also in RussianEUROPEAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS VINDICATES JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES IN FRANCE
Press release: June 30, 2011
ECHR to examine attempt by France to tax Christian faith
Press release: October 6, 2010
Also in RussianSacred occasion in France draws record numbers
Press release: June 24, 2010
Also in RussianFrench High Court confirms 60-percent confiscatory tax measure on religious donations
Press release: October 6, 2004
Tax on Religious Donations in France
Report: October 4, 2004
Highest administrative court in France rules that Jehovah’s Witnesses are a religion
Press release: June 23, 2000
Jehovah’s Witnesses appeal to European officials to support freedom of religion
Press release: July 23, 1999
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frankiespeakin
Nice try for France maybe they will win in the future, Good Luck to the French!
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ABibleStudent
Has anyone read the article Do the Math: Abolishing the Charitable Deduction Will Cost Charities Billions?
Another option to eliminating tax exemptions for non-profit corporations, is to write to political representatives to replace current income tax codes with a Value Added Tax (VAT) or a flat tax. There is more than one way to reduce funding for a dangerous cult.
Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,
Robert
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problemaddict
I do find it very odd that the religion you belong to in America, can take away your freedoms (voting, civil service politically speaking, speaking to loved ones), based on their theology without reprisal.
I mean, you can remain a Catholic and take birth control. But if you celebrate a holiday as a JW, you are cut off from everyone you know, with them being threatened to also be cut off if they speak to you. How can this continue to be legal? Honor killings are illegal because they are....well......killings and that is against the law.
Communal shunning for exercising rights afforded by the constitution isn't quite the same thing, but isn't someone trying to take away those rights beholden to the law?
I honestly don't get it.
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villagegirl
I do find it very odd that the religion you belong to in America, can take away your freedoms (voting, civil service politically speaking, speaking to loved ones), based on their theology without reprisal.
Scientology ? Cults of all kinds seem to do this, but it is a valid point. In Canada fundamentalist Muslims tried to bring in Sharia Law, ( cuts off hands of thieves, stones women, enforces full body covering of women, some of their famous laws) There was a huge protest and it was never allowed. The "laws" of the GB are as arbitrary, illogical and inexplicable as any in fundamentalist Islam. They seem to divide and conquer their subjects with fear and banishment. The WT society is famous for "Legalism" that is the reputation and definition assigned by those other Christians, you know the 800 million protestants on this planet. I fully believ they lie about their assets, hide money all over the world and live in luxury on hidden estates. Rutherford did, in the mansion in San Diego. Its become a religion of wealthy white men and subservient underlings.
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Chaserious
Chas, good points so maybe a bunch of child molestations lawsuit that they loose in court, might be the thing that causes them to loose tax exempt
status
No, I don't think that would be the trigger. Federal law allows all religious organizations and churches to get 501(c) (tax exempt) statuts. The IRS can't revoke the status because they don't think an organization is "deserving." It would take a change in federal law to make additional requirements to keep the 501(c) status. As I mentioned, there is not going to be political support anytime soon for this kind of change. I doubt you could find 5% of members of Congress who are in any way interested in picking and choosing what religions get the tax exemption (or eliminating it all together), much less any kind of majority. There is too much risk (being labelled as "war on religion", etc) and not enough public support. Plus there is a significant risk that if they change the law to favor some religions and not others, it could be invalidated as unconstitutional.
It would be far more likely to be some kind of financial wrongdoing that could bring a change about. Things like enriching insiders, private benefit, political activity, not paying taxes on unrelated business income, and other financial wrongdoing are all part of the already existing law that nonprofits must follow and can get in trouble for not complying with. I don't know how much of this is going on, if any, and what the chances are of airing it publicly, but it's just so much more likely because it wouldn't require passage of new laws.
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villagegirl
How about some law that says religions who use their money to perform actual service to the community could exempt that money. Things like food and clothing distribution, housing for the homeless, helping widows and orphans, medical services to the sick and wounded, would all be exempt from taxation. Whereas advertising themselves and their beliefs in the form of books and magazines and publishing equipment and land holdings would be subject to normal taxation? That would mean the WT would have NO exemptions.