Posted on 03/04/2014 10:46:18 AM PST by greyfoxx39
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, a religious organisation registered as a private unlimited company in the UK, was told in 2005 that it was not exempt from paying business tax on its temple in Preston, Lancashire.
Because the public were not allowed access to the temple, which was reserved for the most devout Mormons, the High Court dismissed their appeal in July 2008.
However, the church refused to accept the decision, claiming that it amounted to discrimination on religious grounds and taking their battle all the way to Strasbourg.
Now the European Court of Human Rights has upheld the ruling of the British courts.
-SNIP-
Only the most devout members of the church, who hold a "recommend" status, are entitled to enter the temples.
The House of Lords ruled that the Preston temple was not qualified as a "place of public religious worship" since access was restricted to this select group.
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
Speaking for myself, there is far greater support in human history for polygamy than for homosexual ‘marriage’.
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not in the US..
there have been laws against “unlawful habitation” for 200 years or more...
and while its true the “religious freedom” that the Mormons have demanded was the “human right” to commit polygamy wholesale for their religious..
1 that didn’t make it right..
2. this article is not about the sexual deviancies of the Mormons but of tax fraud...
Oh?
Do the Baptists, Catholics, and ANYONE else (besides Scientologists) have a MONITOR at the door to see if you can WORTHILY enter??
“Did you read the article? It was because these temples are NOT public houses of worship (only a few select members can get it)...”
Yes, I read the article. By its definition, the Holy of Holies in Jerusalem should have been taxed because only the High Priest entered there.
A public house of worship is not where every citizen gets equal treatment. Non-christians are asked to skip the Lord’s Supper in our church. Many churches refuse to marry someone who is not a member or part of a member’s family.
A church is not a public accommodation, as used in the Civil Rights Act. It is not required to give equal access to anyone who wants.
Religious freedom requires allowing a religion to determine what is or is not acceptable behavior. As long as that rule does not endanger someone or violate an important law (don’t cut puppies throats on an altar, for example), it should be allowed.
Your umbrage is noted.Kerry said Putin made a mistake going into the Ukraine; too.
Martin Niemöller (1892-1984) was a prominent Protestant pastor who emerged as an outspoken public foe of Adolf Hitler and spent the last seven years of Nazi rule in concentration camps.
Niemöller is perhaps best remembered for the quotation:
First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out-- Because I was not a Socialist.
Comparison of FReepers to Nazis is frowned upon on FR, as several zotted posters found out.
Those Brits are just gobsmacked CRAZY!!
Let's get an FR tour group together and show them how religious FREEDOM is supposed to work!
A bus will be leaving from Washington, D.C. tomorrow at noon, and will roll out US 50 on the way to SLC.
Any folks who want to VISIT the Magnificent structure in Temple Square can board.
“Do the Baptists, Catholics, and ANYONE else (besides Scientologists) have a MONITOR at the door to see if you can WORTHILY enter??”
I fail to see why that is wrong, if a church decides to do so. When we have church business meetings, for example, the public is not allowed. A woman in a bikini would not be allowed in our services, nor a nude man. Someone wearing an obscene T-shirt would not be allowed to join the worship, although they would be offered something to cover the T-shirt.
Maybe you are a part of a church where anyone can do anything, but most congregations DO reserve the right to refuse entry based on their beliefs about right & wrong. A church, at least in America, is not a government office.
As for a tax break, I can get a charitable deduction for my tithes to our local Baptist church
Our congregation gives about 35% of our offering to charitable works,
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from what I know of Christian churches, your Baptist church gives most of the offerings to need the hungry and the needy..
the Mormons have about $500 BILLION in land and beach resorts and malls and cattle ranches and orange groves..and high rise apartment buildings and life insurance companies etc..
and no food kitchens or hospitals ...
and they give less than 1% every year to lend “charity” to their own members...
that means the “charity” must be paid back...
I’ll add that in one Baptist church I was a member of, the congregation decided a certain individual was not allowed to enter ever again. He had been repeatedly warned and counseled, but he refused to refrain from malicious gossip. So we voted him out, and he was not allowed to enter.
Perhaps restornu could tell us.
I hear she has great understanding.
“from what I know of Christian churches, your Baptist church gives most of the offerings to need the hungry and the needy..”
Nope. Much of it goes to pay our pastor his $24,000/year salary, and to pay the electric bill and repairs. We also give to missions and to the poor, but it is not a majority of our budget - about 35%, which is more than most.
What's a HATER like you know about “charitable purposes”?
--MormonDude(What's more charitable than getting all wet for DEAD PEOPLE in the TEMPLE so that they'll have ANOTHER chance to hear and OBEY the Restored Gospel®?)
How DARE you!!!
Oh...
Wait...
Martin Niemöller (1892-1984) was a prominent Protestant pastor who emerged as an outspoken public foe of Adolf Hitler and spent the last seven years of Nazi rule in concentration camps.
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while the Mormons in Germany supported the Nazis and agreed with the murder of Jews..
when the Christian missionaries were expelled the Mormons were allowed to stay..
when a 17 year old German Mormon boy spoke out for the Jews the Mormons didn’t lift a finger to help him but excommunicated him and turned him over to the Nazis who beheaded him...
why because he went against the Mormons “religious freedom” and policy to hate Jews and want them exterminated..
It would SEEM that way...
ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION
of the
CORPORATION OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS
CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS.
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
STATE OF UTAH
COUNTY OF SALT LAKE
I, the undersigned, having been duly chosen and appointed President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in conformity with the rites, regulations and discipline of said Church, being desirous of forming a corporation for the purpose of acquiring, holding and disposing of Church or religious society property, for the benefit of religion, for works of charity and for public worship, under and pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 3, Title 19, of the Compiled Laws of Utah, 1917, on "Churches and Religious Societies," and all acts amendatory thereof and supplementary thereto, for that purpose do hereby make and subscribe, in duplicate, the following
First: The name of this corporation shall be the CORPORATION OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS.
Second: The object of this corporation shall be to acquire, hold and dispose of such real and personal property as may be conveyed to or acquired by said corporation for the benefit of the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a religious society, for the benefit of religion, for works of charity and for public worship. Such real and personal property may be situated, either within the State of Utah, or elsewhere, and this corporation shall have power, without any authority or authorization from the members of said Church or religious society, to grant, sell, convey, rent, mortgage, exchange, or otherwise dispose of any part or all of such property.
Third: The estimated value of the property of which I hold the legal title for the purpose aforesaid, at the time of making these Articles of Incorporation, is One Million, Five Hundred Thousand Dollars.
Fourth: The title of the person making these Articles of Incorporation is "PRESIDENT OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS."
Fifth: The corporation seal shall contain the words, "Corporation of the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints," and an impression thereof is hereto affixed.
[Seal] [Signed] Heber J. Grant
President of the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints.
STATE OF UTAH
SS:
COUNTY OF SALT LAKE
On this 26th day of November, 1923, before me, Arthur Winter, a Notary Public in and for said County, personally appeared HEBER J. GRANT, who is known to me to be the person whose name is subscribed to the foregoing instrument as President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and duly acknowledged to me that he executed the same as such President.
[Seal] [Signed] Arthur Winter
Notary Public
Residing at Salt Lake City, Utah.
My commission expires Dec. 1, 1923.
ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION
of the
CORPORATION OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS
CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS.
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
STATE OF UTAH ss.
COUNTY OF SALT LAKE
HEBER J. GRANT, being first duly sworn, deposes and says:
That he is now and for more than twenty years last past has been the duly chosen and appointed President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and as such President has been since on or about the 26th day of November, 1923, and now is, the legally constituted Corporation of the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter=day Saints, a corporation sole; that under and pursuant to Section 18-7-5 R.S.U. 1933 he hereby amends Article "Fourth" of said Articles of Incorporation as now of record in the proper offices of this and other states, said article as amended to read as follows:
Fourth: The title of the person making these articles of incorporation is "President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints." He and his successor in office shall be deemed and are hereby created a body politic and corporation sole with perpetual succession, having all the powers and rights and authority in these articles specified or provided for by law. But in the event of death or resignation from office of the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or in the event of a vacancy in that office from any cause, the President or Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of said Church, or one of the members of said Quorum thereunto designated by that Quorum, shall, pending the installation of a successor President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, be the corporation sole under these articles, and the laws pursuant to which they are made, and shall be and is authorized in his official capacity to execute in the name of the corporation all documents or other writings necessary to the carrying on of its purposes, business and objects, and to do all things in the name of the corporation which the original signer of the articles of incorporation might do; it being the purpose of these articles that there shall be no failure in succession in the office of such corporation sole.
[Signed] Heber J. Grant
President of the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints,
corporation sole.
[Seal]
Subscribed and sworn to before me this 18 day of June, 1940.
[the name of Notary Public not shown on copy of amendment]
(Original in State of Utah Archives, Salt Lake City, Utah)
ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION
of the
CORPORATION OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS
CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS.
A UTAH CORPORATION SOLE
Pursuant to the provisions of Section 16-7-5 of the Utah Code Annotated 1953 (as amended) relating to amendments of articles of incorporation of corporations sole, the CORPORATION OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS, a Utah Corporation Sole, does hereby amend its Articles of Incorporation by adding an additional Paragraph V thereto as follows:
Upon the winding up and dissolution of this corporation, after paying or adequately providing for the debts and obligations of the corporation, the remaining assets shall be distributed to a nonprofit fund, foundation or corporation, which is organized and operated exclusively for charitable, educational, or religious and/or scientific purposes and which has established its tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has caused these presents to be executed this 19th day of November, 1973.
CORPORATION OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE
CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY
SAINTS, a Utah Corporation Sole
By: [signed] Harold B. Lee
Harold B. Lee, Corporation Sole
STATE OF UTAH ) ss:
County of Salt Lake )
HAROLD B. LEE, being first duly sworn, deposes and says: That he is now and ever since July 7, 1972, has been the duly chosen and appointed President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and, as such president, is now and ever since said date has been the legally constituted CORPORATION OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS, a Utah Corporation Sole; that the original Articles of Incorporation of said Corporation Sole were executed by Heber J. Grant, President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints; that he, Harold B. Lee, is the successor in office to the said Heber J. Grant; that he, Harold B. Lee, executed the foregoing Articles of Amendment as said Corporation Sole.
[signed] Harold B. Lee
SUBSCRIBED AND SWORN to before me this 19th day of November, 1973.
[signed] Wilford W Kirton, Jr
NOTARY PUBLIC
Residing at Salt Lake City, Utah
My commission expires:
2-3-77
First: The name of this corporation shall be the CORPORATION OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS.
Second: The object of this corporation shall be to acquire, hold and dispose of such real and personal property as may be conveyed to or acquired by said corporation for the benefit of the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a religious society, for the benefit of religion, for works of charity and for public worship. Such real and personal property may be situated, either within the State of Utah, or elsewhere, and this corporation shall have power, without any authority or authorization from the members of said Church or religious society, to grant, sell, convey, rent, mortgage, exchange, or otherwise dispose of any part or all of such property.
Third: The estimated value of the property of which I hold the legal title for the purpose aforesaid, at the time of making these Articles of Incorporation, is One Million, Five Hundred Thousand Dollars.
Fourth: The title of the person making these articles of incorporation is "President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints." He and his successor in office shall be deemed and are hereby created a body politic and corporation sole with perpetual succession, having all the powers and rights and authority in these articles specified or provided for by law. But in the event of death or resignation from office of the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or in the event of a vacancy in that office from any cause, the President or Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of said Church, or one of the members of said Quorum thereunto designated by that Quorum, shall, pending the installation of a successor President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, be the corporation sole under these articles, and the laws pursuant to which they are made, and shall be and is authorized in his official capacity to execute in the name of the corporation all documents or other writings necessary to the carrying on of its purposes, business and objects, and to do all things in the name of the corporation which the original signer of the articles of incorporation might do; it being the purpose of these articles that there shall be no failure in succession in the office of such corporation sole.
Fifth: Upon the winding up and dissolution of this corporation, after paying or adequately providing for the debts and obligations of the corporation, the remaining assets shall be distributed to a nonprofit fund, foundation or corporation, which is organized and operated exclusively for charitable, educational, or religious and/or scientific purposes and which has established its tex-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
Sixth: The corporate seal shall contain the words, "Corporation of the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints," and an impression thereof is hereto affixed.
Such real and personal property may be situated, either within the State of Utah, or elsewhere, and this corporation shall have power, without any authority or authorization from the members of said Church or religious society, to grant, sell, convey, rent, mortgage, exchange, or otherwise dispose of any part or all of such property.
As noted earlier, this is an article about Great Britain....has nothing to do with the Civil Rights Act.
Mormons discriminate against and refuse temple entry to those members based upon payment of a "full tithe".
Perhaps, religious freedom in Britain has a differing definition than you are espousing.
Your quote: Religious freedom requires allowing a religion to determine what is or is not acceptable behavior....can be taken to mean to allow "freedom" of beheading in Moslem countries.
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