In order to enter a mormon temple, members MUST answer the following questions:
TEMPLE RECOMMEND QUESTIONS
1 Do you have faith in and a testimony of God the Eternal Father, His Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost?
2 Do you have a testimony of the Atonement of Christ and of His role as Savior and Redeemer?
3 Do you have a testimony of the restoration of the gospel in these the latter days?
4 Do you sustain the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as the Prophet, Seer, and Revelator and as the only person on the earth who possesses and is authorized to exercise all priesthood keys? Do you sustain members of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles as prophets, seers, and revelators? Do you sustain the other General Authorities and local authorities of the Church?
5 Do you live the law of chastity?
6 Is there anything in your conduct relating to members of your family that is not in harmony with the teachings of the Church?
7 Do you support, affiliate with, or agree with any group or individual whose teachings or practices are contrary to or oppose those accepted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?
8 Do you strive to keep the covenants you have made, to attend your sacrament and other meetings, and to keep your life in harmony with the laws and commandments of the gospel?
9 Are you honest in your dealings with your fellowmen?
10 Are you a full-tithe payer?
11 Do your keep the Word of Wisdom?
12 Do you have financial or other oblgations to a former spouse or children? If yes, are you current in meeting those obligations?
13 If you have previously received your temple endowment:
Do you keep the covenants that you made in the temple?
Do you wear the garment both night and day as instructed in the endowment and in accordance with the covenant you made in the temple?
14 Have there been any sins or misdeeds in your life that should have been resolved with priesthood authorities but have not been?
15 Do you consider yourself worthy to enter the Lord's house and participate in temple ordinances?
Ping
Don’t give Obama any ideas. Could be a lucrative source of new tax revenue.
I’m not LDS but I hope they win this one. It’s a question of what is right, and discriminating against good people because of their church rules is a terrible idea.
Don't laugh, UnderArmour is a big business.
Not always that I agree with the courts. This is one of those times.
Other religions and their properties are open to all (at least that I can think of). This is as it should be.
part of the worldwide Mormon church,
_____________________________________
the Worldwide Church of Mormon ???
Do the Masons pay this tax on their temples?
A Valuation Officer (tax official) had determined that an LDS Temple was subject to council tax, while the Stake Center, chapel, and associated buildings were exempt from council tax under Schedule 5, Paragraph 11, of the Local Government Finance Act 1988 (places of religions worship, etc.)
That paragraph read, in pertinent part: (1) A hereditament is exempt to the extent that it consists of any of the following—
(a) a place of public religious worship which belongs to the Church of England or the Church in Wales …or is for the time being certified as required by law as a place of religious worship;
(b) a church hall, chapel hall or similar building used in connection with a place falling within paragraph (a) above for the purposes of the organisation responsible for the conduct of public religious worship in that place.
The five-Lord panel unanimously agreed that the LDS Temple was not a place of public religious worship, relying on Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints v Henning (Valuation Officer), AC 420 (1964). In Henning, a unanimous House of Lords held that a LDS Temple in Godstone was not exempt from taxes as a "place of public worship" because the public was excluded from LDS Temples, including Mormons who did not have a Temple Recommend.
The opinion addresses the European Convention on Human Rights, and related matters of taxation.
Look out Catholics. Your next!
The mormons are getting an 80% tax break according to this article...
-snip-
All the church’s places of worship that are open to the public, such as chapels, have the benefit of the full exemption from rates.
The temple, which is not open to the public, does not attract the full exemption, but does benefit from an 80% reduction in rates in view of its use for charitable purposes.
-snip-
http://news.uk.msn.com/uk/mormon-tax-no-human-rights-breach-1
The noose is drawing tighter...
The law expressly grants for “public” worship. The temple is demonstrably not public.
Even in the USA there is no constitutional exemption to taxation for churches, its rather a custom from commonlaw expressed in legislation.
I hold no brief for the Mormon Church, but I’m not sure I trust the EU courts any further than I could throw Chris Christie.