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Bill: Religion Reform
Details
Submitted by[?]: Liberty Party
Status[?]: defeated
Votes: This is an ordinary bill. It requires more yes votes than no votes. This bill will not pass any sooner than the deadline.
Voting deadline: October 3759
Description[?]:
| Religions are not companies that the government should feel free to tax. |
Proposals
Article 1
Proposal[?] to change
Taxation of religious institutions.
Old value:: Religions are treated as companies, and all profit is taxed, however, charitable donations are not taxed.
Current: Religions are treated as companies, and all profit is taxed, however, charitable donations are not taxed.
Proposed: Recognized religions are not taxed.
Debate
These messages have been posted to debate on this bill:
| Date | 02:16:05, November 16, 2014 CET | From | Liberty Party | To | Debating the Religion Reform |
| Message | Religion is jot a business therefor it should not be treated as one. The taxation of recognized religions should be nullified. |
| Date | 00:52:03, November 17, 2014 CET | From | We Say So! Party | To | Debating the Religion Reform |
| Message | The operation of religion is little different to that of any other company. They have a product which they sell to the population and the profit of their operations are taxed. Why should religion be exempted from regulation that affects every other part of society? |
| Date | 00:58:06, November 17, 2014 CET | From | Conservative Realism Party | To | Debating the Religion Reform |
| Message | A religious organization is non-profit. There is no central person who can sell the religion. Let's say our nation was heavily into Christianity. No person can trademark or sell "Christianity". The government is also doing nothing to benefit the organization. A normal organization has the government give subsidies if they aren't doing good, and they give stimulation if bankruptcy occurs. A religion would never get that type of funding and support. The legal matters to this are debatable, but let's just put it this way: The people of our society are infuriated at getting their way of life taxed. The only people infuriated at businesses being taxed is the hard-core capitalists. Our party believes the government should be encouraging religion and not tearing it down. We deeply respect your opinion, but we kindly disagree with you WSS> |
| Date | 01:59:01, November 17, 2014 CET | From | We Say So! Party | To | Debating the Religion Reform |
| Message | We accept a difference of opinion, but we disagree strongly that religion is inherently "non-profit". One look around a certain religions places of worship and the question is raised "where did the money come from?" If any religion, however, operates purely as a "non-profit" then there would be no profits to tax. For those that make profit, that money is taxed. We also disagree with the statement "A normal organization has the government give subsidies if they aren't doing good". The government holds no such policy. Businesses fail, this is the nature of operating a private business. The government does not provide handouts to private consortia. |
| Date | 02:10:16, November 17, 2014 CET | From | Conservative Realism Party | To | Debating the Religion Reform |
| Message | You said "Where did this money come from?" It came from donations. Traditional Abrahamic religions have people give up to 10% of their income to their church or synagogue! This is a lot of money donated, and they use that money to enhance their worship experience, evangelize, help feed and care for the poor, and pay for their buildings and houses of worship. Maybe political candidates should be taxed on the money people give them. That'd make sense with your logic. |
| Date | 02:43:07, November 17, 2014 CET | From | We Say So! Party | To | Debating the Religion Reform |
| Message | "Maybe political candidates should be taxed on the money people give them." That would be perfectly acceptable, although we believe you have purposely misconstrued our logic. We would also point out that, in the current legislation, any money given for charitable purposes is not taxed. Only profits are taxed. Money to be given to "help feed and care for the poor" would be given as a charitable donation and, as such, would not be taxed. |
| Date | 02:50:36, November 17, 2014 CET | From | Conservative Realism Party | To | Debating the Religion Reform |
| Message | Ok, then pass this bill. We don't recognize any profitable corporations "religious organizations" anyways (ex: a man creating his own religion where he is a god and making people pay money to him is an example of a profitable organization and therefore isn't a religion. A church that people donate to that creates a building for worship, food for the poor, and missionaries is considered non-profit to us) |
| Date | 02:54:56, November 17, 2014 CET | From | We Say So! Party | To | Debating the Religion Reform |
| Message | A building for worship and remuneration of members is something that businesses do, as such they are taxed. Whether your Party recognises them or not is not the point, the law does. |
| Date | 03:04:26, November 17, 2014 CET | From | Conservative Realism Party | To | Debating the Religion Reform |
| Message | Ok, then decline this. You don't agree with the principle of this law. "the law does." ~~~ That's kind of the point. We are trying to change the law. Thanks for a great debate. We're not gonna try to convince you on this anymore. Obviously, we view religion very differently. That's ok, parties can disagree. |
| Date | 03:15:55, November 17, 2014 CET | From | We Say So! Party | To | Debating the Religion Reform |
| Message | Agreed. OOC: and thank you for keeping it civil. This may be a game, but I've been involved in these things often enough where some people lose sight of that fact and that we're arguing as two opposing political parties rather then individuals, especially on subjects such as this. It gives me a lot of faith in the future of the game. |
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Voting
| Vote | Seats | ||||
| yes |
Total Seats: 0 | ||||
| no |
Total Seats: 0 | ||||
| abstain | Total Seats: 325 |
| Random fact: Parties have the ability to endorse another party's candidate for the Head of State election (if there is one). This adds a strategic element to the elections. |
| Random quote: “Their cheap talk of the 'greater good' is a thinly concealed excuse for subordinating the people to the institutionalized violence that is the state.” - Margaret Woodhall, former Dranian politician |