Atheist group sues IRS for ‘discriminating against’ secular non-profits

[Playinghardball]

The Wisconsin-based Freedom from Religion Foundation (FRFF) has filed a lawsuit with the Internal Revenue Service, alleging that churches and religious non-profits receive unconstitutional preferential treatment unavailable to secular groups.

Tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations must file a detailed application form, fee and annual information to obtain and maintain their tax-exempt status. However, churches and other religious organizations are exempted from the requirement to file the reports and fees, which the lawsuit describes as “detailed, intrusive, and expensive.”

The FRFF alleges it is unconstitutional for the IRS to provide benefits to churches and religious organizations “while discriminating against” secular non-profit groups “solely on the basis of religious criteria.”

“The preferential treatment provided to churches and other affiliated religious organizations constitutes an exclusive and discriminatory benefit to religion in violation of the Establishment Clause, as well as the equal protection rights required by the Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution,” states the lawsuit filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Madison.

The lawsuit seeks a court order to stop the IRS “from continuing to exempt churches and other affiliated religious organizations from the application and annual information filings required of all other non-profit organizations under §501(c)(3).”

Raw Story (http://s.tt/1xNhy)

[yortsed snacilbuper]

1. So are the American Atheists!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022068084

[rgbecker]

2. Finally, some movement against the Religious Industrial Complex!

Everyone should be required to go through the same red tape.

[zbdent]

3. Just wait and watch ... those who scream loudly that "Atheism IS a religion"

will start saying that "it's not!" because that would take GOVERNMENT MONEY away from tax-protected institutions.

If the Catholics were supportive of the Democrats these days, there would be NO protection for them.

[onehandle]

4. Atheists WOULD be better served by finally declaring themselves a religion.

Take the tax exemption to increase the organized self-promotion they already practice.

Tax exempt status will never be taken away from organized religion.

[KittyWampus]

7. So are Atheists a religion or not? Pick a lane.

From my experience here on DU, many who call themselves atheists are more accurately called anti-theists.

Myself? Depending on how philosophical conversations go end up being labeled either a pantheist or an atheist.

[Lex]

5. Churches should pay taxes.

Debt crisis solved.

[Nye Bevan]

6. Should all nonprofits pay taxes? Or just churches? (nt)

[Lex]

8. Churches that preach politics from the pulpit.

Pretty much all of them.