Posted on 05/06/2007 7:05:53 AM PDT by aclusux.com
The Alaska Supreme Court has ruled that Anchorage Baptist Temple, a church in the state, will be allowed to defend a lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union contesting certain tax exemptions granted to the church. The ACLU has filed two lawsuits challenging a statewide tax exemption on real property owned by a religious group, when the property serves as the residence of a teacher in a private religious or parochial school.
Anchorage Baptist Temple (ABT) runs a number of ministries, including alcohol and drug abuse recovery programs, community outreaches, a bus ministry and other services. The congregation also owns six residences that house teachers at a Christian school. Now that the Alaskan high court has ruled, the church will have its day in court to defend a tax exemption for the teachers' residences.
Mat Staver is president of Liberty Counsel, which has filed a motion to intervene in the case. He says losing the tax exemption would put an undue burden on ABT, but he believes the suit against the church is in keeping with the ACLU's agenda.
"The Alaska Legislature has seen the need," Staver notes. "They've chosen to give tax exemption to these housing projects or these housing parsonages, but the ACLU could care less," he says. "They want to shout their mantra of separation of church and state and stop this process right now, irrespective of the consequences."
Without the tax exmeption, ABT would divert about $23,000 each year from other services to pay property taxes, the pro-family attorney points out. And, he notes, other churches will face similar hardships if the tax exemption law is lifted.
But Staver feels the American Civil Liberties Union's complaint is without merit. "Frankly, not taxing a house that will be used for an education person is not an establishment of religion by any stretch of the imagination," he asserts. "We're glad that now we can defend this case against the ACLU on behalf of the churches," the attorney adds. "It's an important case."
Fight on!
Still now word from them about tax dollars for Muslim foot baths. They’re crazy but they’re not stupid.
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The ACLU can't do that for there is a space bigger than the distance between the sides of the Grand Canyon between the dogma of the ACLU and the Constitution.
A gap the ACLU isn't interested in closing.
Will the ACLU have to pay all expenses when they lose?
What is the criteria for an organization to be categorized as a tax-free religion in the United States?
Funny how the separation of church and state migrated from the communism of the USSR to the United States which was founded on the Judeo/Christian ideas. Now our msm touts the idea that America was founded on secular ideas. hmmm, fake history in the making. Our older universities which are now governed by anti-christian professors and administrators were founded by various Christian Faith.
Let us not forget the aclu was founded by socialist/communists for the lone purpose of overthowing this country and turning it into the likes of the old USSR.
Read the original by-laws of the organization.
Wow, if they win, millions of parsonages will be affected.
So are all teachers in Alaska eligible for the tax exemptions?
I served on a church board for some years figuring ways to manipulate the tax laws so the preacher could get most compensation for the least tax liability. Finally bowed out in disgust at the venality of the deliberations..
Property taxes are evil, and part of the the communist agenda. We didn’t always have property taxes.
“There is no prohibition against an individual state establishing a religion.’
Now that’s interesting. If Utah starting funneling state taxes into the Mormon church, it would be legal? Maybe so.
I don't know the details of your situation, of course, but Boards have an obligation to figure out ways to legally avoid paying taxes. In the same way, heads of households have the same motivation, and obligation to their families.
Article 52 [Religion]
(1) Citizens of the USSR are guaranteed freedom of conscience, that is, the right to profess or not to profess any religion, and to conduct religious worship or atheistic propaganda. Incitement of hostility or hatred on religious grounds is prohibited.
(2) In the USSR, the church is separated from the state, and the school from the church.
Works for me.
These are houses, all over town, that *just happen* to have teachers living in them. These teachers *just happen* to work for Anchorage Christian Schools, a not (too much) for profit educational organization affiliated with a local “megachurch” ABT.
The teachers are not ordained or any other kind of ministers, they dont do Sunday school or visit sick folk in the hospital - they teach. Part of their pay is a Church owned house to live in.
And for that, the church want the Muni to give up 10s of thousands in property taxes.
As far as these “outreach” programs go, that is complete news to me. Catholic Social Services and Salvation Army do yeoman's work with the chronic substance abusers (AKA drunken bums) - I have yet to hear a peep about the ABT folks lifting a finger to help the poor/needy/bums.
However, you can learn more from their website
http://www.ancbt.org/
Thus, my comment about mega-church.
/tax scofflaw rant
Later read/pingout.
All property taxes should be abolished.
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