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To tj, the constitution does not enumerate rights.

Quote:thats mostly my stance but with religion I am sick of churches not having to pay taxes or pity parties for religious folks failing to adapt to society. 

 

This quote is EXACTLY why you cannot permit the government to have taxing authority over religious institutions. See, the Church (whatever that means for this discussion) does not adequately bend its beliefs and practices to realtorpat's requirements. Since they will not adapt to his vision of "society", he believes that the government should use its taxing authority to force the Church to comply with his vision. Never mind that his vision most likely violates the tenets, precepts and traditions of that institution, the government should force them to change anyway. They aren't entitled to their own beliefs if they conflict with his. The power to tax is the power to destroy. The Church cannot expect to be beholden to the whims of the government and its winner picking tax code and still maintain its role as the conscience of society; too many people like realtorpat here would have the audacity to insist that the Church bend it's knee to his desires. 

 

Frankly this is the entire reason why the tax code itself must be revised, it's nothing more that a tool used for the advantage of those who control it.

Quote:This quote is EXACTLY why you cannot permit the government to have taxing authority over religious institutions. See, the Church (whatever that means for this discussion) does not adequately bend its beliefs and practices to realtorpat's requirements. Since they will not adapt to his vision of "society", he believes that the government should use its taxing authority to force the Church to comply with his vision. Never mind that his vision most likely violates the tenets, precepts and traditions of that institution, the government should force them to change anyway. They aren't entitled to their own beliefs if they conflict with his. The power to tax is the power to destroy. The Church cannot expect to be beholden to the whims of the government and its winner picking tax code and still maintain its role as the conscience of society; too many people like realtorpat here would have the audacity to insist that the Church bend it's knee to his desires. 

 

Frankly this is the entire reason why the tax code itself must be revised, it's nothing more that a tool used for the advantage of those who control it.

 

I would argue that if you exempt churches from taxation, that in effect puts the government in the position of defining what is a church.   If you want to get the government out of the business of defining what is or is not a church, then tax everyone.   No exemptions.  

Quote:I would argue that if you exempt churches from taxation, that in effect puts the government in the position of defining what is a church.   If you want to get the government out of the business of defining what is or is not a church, then tax everyone.   No exemptions.  

 

Nope, we already see with the IRS scandal that they cannot be trusted to properly administer this thing. What we have now is working fine, they need to keep their hands off of the church.

Quote:To tj, the constitution does not enumerate rights.

Sure it does, if it's politically convenient for whichever side wants it done a certain way to say that it does.

Quote:Sure it does, if it's politically convenient for whichever side wants it done a certain way to say that it does.

 

You're correct that it enumerates some rights. The fact is that it does not create or grant those rights, merely identifies specific ones pertinent to the times that are codified to be beyond the scope of government interference. There are many other unenumerated rights that also fall outside that scope, but the Constitution is designed to address what Government can do, not what it can't. Where we have lost our way is that the current populace views it exactly backwards, that unless it is specifically enumerated then it falls within the perview of government when the opposite is the intent of the Founders.