Posted on 08/29/2007 9:34:20 AM PDT by Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus
London's Times Online recently reported that, according to Vatican sources, Pope Benedict XVI is working on his second encyclical, a doctrinal pronouncement that will condemn tax evasion as "socially unjust." The pontiff will denounce the use of tax havens and offshore banking by wealthy individuals because it reduces tax revenues for the benefit of society as a whole.
Pope Benedict could benefit from a bit of schooling. Tax avoidance is legal conduct whereby individuals arrange their affairs so as to reduce the amount of income that is taxable. Tax avoidance can run the gamut of legal acts, such as investing in tax-free bonds, having employer-paid health plans, making charitable gifts, quitting a job and banking in another country. Tax evasion refers to the conduct by individuals to reduce their tax obligation by illegal means. Tax evasion consists of illegal acts such as falsely claiming dependents, income underreporting and padding expenses.
(Excerpt) Read more at worldnetdaily.com ...
Sounds to me like he's against illegal immigration!
Supports it? He runs one! ;)
All you have to do is contact the Kennedy family and put your money where they do so you can evade taxes as they do. Then vote to raise everyone elses taxes, the way they do.
"render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's."
I bet we won’t hear the Pope talk against the Church’s tax exempt status in many places around the world.
Is he going to fight to have the Church pay taxes now? Didn’t think so...
What's it called to game the tax system so tax havens and offshore banking by wealthy individuals are created to provide tax avoidance?
What about all the money the government wastes?
Should I stop making purchases online too?
Ok, fine, so I guess all Churches will pay property taxes and have their books audited and pay corporate taxes.
Cool! I'm tired of working and from what I've seen if you go on welfare you get a new car, free health care and a big screen TV!
Whatever happened to “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s goods”?
You beat me to it!
The point is solid: tax avoidance can't be OK for the clergy and still be bad for the followers. They have to know that this position will be seen as hypocracy.
In reality, he’s just another elected official.
In Mr Williams own quotes regarding Pope Benedict's views, I can see much room for interpretation:
- Tax evasion is unjust... and illegal as Mr Williams pointed out.
- Taxes do benefit society as a whole... where do you think roads, defense and diplomacy get their funding? Benefiting society doesn't only mean 'welfare' except in the constitutional sense of 'promoting the general welfare'.
Mr Williams has taken the London Times's interpretation as holy writ and written a piece that infers the Pope's message while specifically denouncing the OECD... with whom he assumes the Pope agrees.
Sorry, not biting on this one until I see what he actually wrote (will write).
Pope Benedict XVI is working on his second encyclical, a doctrinal pronouncement that will condemn tax evasion as "socially unjust."
Working on. That means it hasn't been released yet. That doesn't stop the newest tabloid on the net (WND) from pronouncing from the hilltops that the Pope denoucnes all tax breaks though!
Here's (probably) what it's REALLY going to say: That anyone who avoids paying taxes ILLEGALLY is not "doing their part". And indeed, isn't that what SCRIPTURE says too?
Sheesh. WND. Why do I even bother?
The Catholic Church hates success. I am glad that I have left them behind.
World Net Daily is deeply anti-Catholic. I’ve complained to their editors repeatedly. I’ve given up. They just don’t even wish to get things accurately about Catholics. They routinely link to the NYSlimes and other MSM as their source for things Catholic in the news. They’d never trust the Slimes on other matters but they don’t have a scintilla of curiosity about the accuracy of the Slimes on Catholic matters. They never bother to vet such articles with Conservatives who are faithful Catholics to see where the spin lies but instead just throw it up to see what sticks to the wall. That’s because deep down they have contempt for Catholics.
Yes, indeed, WorldNutDaily has become a tabloid, in other ways too (sensational/titillating soft porn stuff, tin-foil hat stuff, among other things.)
***I’ll wait and read the encyclical myself. Too many times, his words have been taken entirely out of context by the MSM and then pounded on by well-meaning conservatives who take the MSM’s quotes as accurate. In this, case Walter Williams is shooting the Vatican on the information of the London Times.***
FINALLY, someone makes sense.
But, you’re wasting your time. The Catholic haters are having too much fun putting down the Catholic church.
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