Posted on 04/17/2004 10:27:19 AM PDT by balrog666
Edited on 05/07/2004 6:09:57 PM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]
Internal Revenue Service agents are investigating a Pensacola man who operates a creationist theme park and museum off Old Palafox Road and who they say is evading taxes on more than $1 million in income.
This week, federal IRS agents raided the home and businesses of Kent Hovind, 51, in the first block of Cummings Road, confiscating all computer and paper records of financial activity since January 1997.
(Excerpt) Read more at pensacolanewsjournal.com ...
Bingo.
"This is based on misperceptions," Stoll said. "They don't understand how the church is created and registered, how it operates under church law, which is entirely separate from secular authorities."
Good old Glen Stoll:
On the morning of August 2, 1996, Glen Stoll presented his Heaven passport and was refused passage on American Airlines because of his nationality. They insisted that he must have picture identification issued by the Local, State, or Federal government. Glen talked to American Airlines management, but they remained firm in their refusal to let him board and he missed his flight from Seattle to Texas. American Airlines cited new Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) directives as their authority.Yet another clash between Stoll and the law:Later, Glen complained to the FAA that Christians could not fly because of their new directives. FAA officials said that American Airlines was interpreting the new regulations too strictly and said there were exceptions. The travel agency was horrified that Glen had been refused passage and he was issued new tickets for an October flight.
The laws of God practiced by an Oregon-based religious group and the laws of California Highway Patrol and Glenn County Sheriff's Office units came into direct conflict Thursday afternoon and resulted in the detention of six Embassy of Heaven church members - five adults and a juvenile.And:A CHP unit attempted to pull over a motor home southbound on I-5 Thursday afternoon after noting it had an irregular license plate - issued not by a state but by the "Kingdom of Heaven."
As the vehicle did not immediately pull over, but traversed down the freeway until exiting west at County Road 200 and stopping at a Union 76 station there, authorities interpreted the incident as refusal to yield.
With guns drawn and commands shouted, officers ordered the people out of the vehicle. Initially, they refused to exit; then one got out - cab passenger Paul Revere, pastor of the group, the Embassy of Heaven church, based 20 miles east of Salem, Ore., at a location called Sublimity.
Shortly after 8 p.m., the Glenn County Sheriff's Office in Willows released Pastor Revere, daughters Brooke and Skye and Embassy members Abraham and Michael. Driver Glen Stoll remained in custody as did the group's van which also served as their home on the road.
[...]
Officers contacted at the county's adult detention center early Thursday evening expressed their frustration at not getting pertinent information - like dates of birth - from the group in order to book them into the jail.
[...]
According to Pastor Revere's wife, Rachel, speaking by phone from their Oregon home, the group believes, birthdates are immaterial as they have been born again and all things are new in Christ.
Married since 1971, Rachel said she and her husband each received revelations from God in 1987 to begin a different life - one separated from the world - more like the early Christians or the Anabaptists; they don't believe in man-made governments.
"All the men (there are 400 missionaries who go all over the country to spread the Embassy of Heaven message) have been arrested. We don't do bail. They fast and pray and hold steadfast to the faith."
[...] About the group's adamant stance in refusing to give birthdate and name specifics, she concluded, "I pray they'll be firm in their faith."
Closer to home, in September 1994 an Embassy of Heaven "ambassador" led Washington state troopers on a 90-mile chase from Tumwater to Portland on I-5. Glen Stoll, the driver, ignored police signals to stop (he had Embassy license plates), leading them on a 65-mph chase down the interstate until he was forced to stop because of construction traffic. The officers had to lift him out of his vehicle.And another, etc. (too many to list them all):
One of our ambassadors, Glen Stoll, vividly illustrated "fleeing from the stranger." On his way to the Retreat, Glen went around three police roadblocks in his Heaven vehicle. Glen Stoll's exciting story of risking his life to obey the Higher Authorities is in our Road Reports.Also from that site:
"The ancient scriptures say that the Kingdom of Heaven is coming someday. The new testament proclaims that the Kingdom has arrived! Jesus didn't bring us a RELIGION. He brought us a NATIONALITY."So to answer your question, no, they don't think that the law applies to them -- they believe that they are a law unto themselves. Good luck with that one in court, fellas.And: "What is the relationship between Jesus and attorneys? Did Jesus endorse attorneys? Did He say, "Hey, if you sin, get yourself an attorney?" No, Jesus said, "Woe unto you lawyers!" Lawyers openly show they are against Christ's principles by returning evil for evil, and encouraging vengeance rather than forgiveness. If we will just simply take the light burden of Christ, then we don't need lawyers any more. Jesus Christ is our only Advocate. He is our only Mediator."
This shouldn't be a surprise, though. They feel justified in having their own "creationist biology", "creationist geology", "creationist physics", "creationist natural history", and so on, so "creationist law" is just the next logical step in divorcing themselves from reality and living in their own little make-believe world.
It's pretty clear that he hasn't. I don't think you get it. Hovind appears to be one of those "I'm exempt" nuts who doesn't pay income tax at all. Are you saying that no pastor or minister should have to pay taxes at all, even on their personal salaries?
Besides, how does this "I'm an exempt church (and so is anything whatsoever I earn, consume, produce or touch)" business Hovind is feeding the IRS go along with the "no one here but us scientists" line he's feeding the rubes?
He musta skipped over that line when his knee jerked.
You forgot: Creationist Astronomy.
Don't these guys believe any laws apply to them?
Who Hovind?
"Since 1997, Hovind has engaged in financial transactions indicating sources of income and has made deposits to bank accounts well in excess of $1 million per year during some of these years, which would require the filing of federal income taxes," wrote Schneider.
The statement is based on financial records plucked from Hovind's garbage from July 2002 through March 2004, statements from a former employee, Internet research and public records.
Seems like a straight forward case to me.
But then that is what one should expect of the income tax as Congress has enacted it, that has been its character for nearly 100 years.
"A hand from Washington will be stretched out and placed upon every man's business; the eye of the federal inspector will be in every man's counting house....The law will of necessity have inquisical features, it will provide penalties, it will create complicated machinery. Under it men will be hauled into courts distant from their homes. Heavy fines imposed by distant and unfamiliar tribunals will constantly menace the tax payer. An army of federal inspectors, spies, and detectives will descend upon the state."
-- Virginian House Speaker Richard E. Byrd, 1910, predicting the consequences of an income tax.
As long as folks support keeping the income tax, well that's what comes with it:
I discussed the importance of abolishing the income tax because of its tendency to form a habit of servility in the souls of a people that accepts it. Servility of soul is bad not only in itself, it is also an open door through which will soon walk the abuses of ambitious government power. Leaders who find themselves with governmental power over a servile people will be quick to conclude that such a people exist to serve them.
Alan Keyes 1999
So, are you saying that no one who works for a non-profit funded principally by donations (say, your minister, or the CEO of The United Way) should have to pay income tax even on their personal salary?
It's nonsense, but that seems to be a clear implication of what you're saying. Except that your statement in nonsense even on it's face, since donations to your church are deductible.
You knee-jerkers are falling all over yourselves to excuse a scofflaw just because he's waving a cross. Disgusting.
"But in a sworn statement made to obtain the search warrant served Wednesday"
but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched and the persons or things to be seized.
"Since 1997, Hovind has engaged in financial transactions indicating sources of income and has made deposits to bank accounts well in excess of $1 million per year during some of these years, which would require the filing of federal income taxes," wrote Schneider.
The statement is based on financial records plucked from Hovind's garbage from July 2002 through March 2004, statements from a former employee, Internet research and public records.
But hey, this is an old document
And means just what it says.
Until the income tax law is repealed, that's the way of it:
"A hand from Washington will be stretched out and placed upon every man's business; the eye of the federal inspector will be in every man's counting house....The law will of necessity have inquisical features, it will provide penalties, it will create complicated machinery. Under it men will be hauled into courts distant from their homes. Heavy fines imposed by distant and unfamiliar tribunals will constantly menace the tax payer. An army of federal inspectors, spies, and detectives will descend upon the state."
-- Virginian House Speaker Richard E. Byrd, 1910, predicting the consequences of an income tax.
- "The income tax in effect makes us vassals to the government – the politicians decide how much income we can keep. No mere “reform” of this slave tax, such as flattening the rate, can correct its fundamental denial of control over our own money. Only the abolition of the income tax itself will restore the basic American principle that our income is both our own money and our own private business - not the government's."
- "Replacing the income tax with a national sales tax would rejuvenate independence and responsibility in our citizens. True economic liberty and moral revival go hand in hand."
- "A national sales tax would also put the American citizen back in control of national fiscal policy. The best way to curtail government spending is to cut taxes, because they can’t spend what they don’t get. But with a sales tax, we could deny funds to a spendthrift government – and give ourselves a tax cut – whenever we make the private choice to alter our spending and saving habits."
Seems to me it's time to be repealing the income tax with its IRS and putting something better in its place.
- It is fairer to tax people on what they extract from the economy, as roughly measured by their consumption, than to tax them on what they produce for the economy, as roughly measured by their income.
[Montesquieu wrote in Spirit of the Laws, XIII,c.14:]
- "A capitation is more natural to slavery; a duty on merchandise is more natural to liberty, by reason it has not so direct a relation to the person."
http://www.dinosauradventureland.com/dal2.asp?pg=rides&specific=9
That's one of their rides? LOL!
"And over here kids can frolic in the Promordial Ooze Mudpuddle! It too is included in your $7.00 admission!" =)
http://www.dinosauradventureland.com/dal2.asp?pg=rides&specific=9
That's one of their rides? LOL!
"And over here kids can frolic in the Primordial Ooze Mudpuddle! It too is included in your $7.00 admission!" =)
And you both forgot Creationist Astrology.
The fear of the law and its punishment is the same as the terror engendered by violence except for degree.
Our enemies, domestic and foreign, know this, we ignore it.
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