David Frum of Newsweek: Why is Scientology Tax-Exempt?

Don Carlo · **Joined:** Mon Jul 25, 2005 6:20 am **Posts:** 8097

Noted journalist David Frum, writer for Newsweek and The Daily Beast, has blistering words about CoS, at http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2 ... xempt.html

Frum links to James Kirchick's July 24, 2012 Tablet article, Scientology Is Not a Religion: Germany treats L. Ron Hubbard’s movement as a cult and a threat to democracy. The U.S. should follow its example.
, http://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-news-an ... religion/2

The only glitch in this article is this sentence:

Quote:

the Church’s vindictive and cynical legal strategy against the Cult Awareness Network, whereby it sued the organization—a support group for cult members and their families—into bankruptcy, assumed its name, and then operated it as a Scientology front.

To be more exact, the lawsuits were filed by parents using CoS money and lawyers. A lawyer and Scientologist, Steven Lee Hayes, bought the Cult Awareness Network and let Scientologists take it over. CAN still has no legal relationship to the Church of Scientology, International, or other CoS corporations.

Knowledge · **Joined:** Wed Sep 19, 2012 5:09 pm **Posts:** 100

Don Carlo wrote:

Noted journalist David Frum, writer for Newsweek and The Daily Beast, has blistering words about CoS, at http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2 ... xempt.html

Frum links to James Kirchick's July 24, 2012 Tablet article, Scientology Is Not a Religion: Germany treats L. Ron Hubbard’s movement as a cult and a threat to democracy. The U.S. should follow its example.
, http://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-news-an ... religion/2

The only glitch in this article is this sentence:

Quote:

the Church’s vindictive and cynical legal strategy against the Cult Awareness Network, whereby it sued the organization—a support group for cult members and their families—into bankruptcy, assumed its name, and then operated it as a Scientology front.

To be more exact, the lawsuits were filed by parents using CoS money and lawyers. A lawyer and Scientologist, Steven Lee Hayes, bought the Cult Awareness Network and let Scientologists take it over. CAN still has no legal relationship to the Church of Scientology, International, or other CoS corporations.

Should Scientology Entities Be Recognized As Exempt Organizations? - Part 1
http://www.forbes.com/sites/peterjreill ... ns-part-1/
FORBES magazine

It seems like these days a lot more respected journalists and pundits are at least asking the question.

Don Carlo · **Joined:** Mon Jul 25, 2005 6:20 am **Posts:** 8097

Thanks for the Forbes link, Knowledge. Good quote in the comments, page 2, that points out that even if CoS is a "real" religion, it still can lose its tax exemption:

Quote:

Bob Jones University v. U.S., 461 U.S. 574 (1983), where a bona fide, unquestionably religious organization nevertheless lost its exempt status due to its maintaining a discriminatorily segregated campus dating policy.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/peterjreill ... ns-part-1/

Hoping to find "Part 2" by Peter J. Reilly, I searched the site and did find a July 22, 2012 piece That's How They Got Al Capone But Scientology Maybe Not, with this excellent quote:

Quote:

The closing agreement is long expired and the Supreme Court decision still stands.

from http://www.forbes.com/sites/peterjreill ... maybe-not/

I maintained that the Secret Agreement expired in 1999 (and showed quotes to prove it); see viewtopic.php?f=9&t=29926&p=394652 . The Supreme Court decision that Reilly is mentioning is the Hernandez agreement denying it tax exemption.

bubbler · **Posted:** Thu Sep 20, 2012 3:37 am

One word, gentlemen and ladies:
"Inurement"
A legal term that has brought down much less, but not to my knowledge more, than the Church of Scientology.

David Frum of Newsweek: Why is Scientology Tax-Exempt?

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