Shouldn't someone be able to organize his or her own religion?

Factual Questions
1

This had to have been asked on this board but I couldn’t find any evidence using the search engine.

What makes a religion. A legal - tax-exempt religion that is recognized by the state.

How could the IRS dictate what a religion is? I mean, what if the basis of my religious beliefs are based one self-worship. I think you see where I’m going with this. Don’t flame me for asking, I was just thinking about how a certain church is recognized by the state (IRS) and therefor can enjoy all amenities that come with that recognition (tax-exemption).

2

In a moral sense, the IRS has no ability to tell you what your religion is, or whether your beliefs constitute a “legitimate” religion.

From a financial perspective, however, the IRS has every right to determine which institutions are non-profit (charitable) and therefore not subject to income tax.

3

You could go the Branch Davidian route. Just amount lots of guns and when the tax man comes a 'knockin you can give him his payment in hot lead.

Of course there is the downside of having the BATF burn your ass to the ground, but hey, no one said starting a fringe religion was easy :slight_smile:

4

SAd but true - anyone with a public library card can find out how to start their own tax-free religion. Pretty frightening isn’t it?

5

Ask L. Ron Hubbard how easy it is. I have a sister- and brother-in-law who have given his “church” more money than I even want to think about.

6

Keith,
I would love to hear your family’s experiences with Scientology–unless you think they’d come after you!

Scientology has to be the wierdest religion around.

7

Just become a branch of the ULC!

www.ulc.org

What? You’re not a ULC pastor yet?

8

Try looking here. I’m not sure it’s exactly what you’re looking for, but it’s a good place to start.

You’ll have to scroll down near the bottom of the screen (and there’s a lot of screen! This is, after all, the IRS we’re dealing with here) to section [7.8.2] 3.6, titled ‘Religion or Advancement of Religion’.

~ Complacency is far more dangerous than outrage ~

9

Scientology is a cult, not a religion. Ask anyone who’s been there (myself excluded, fortunately).

10

Smilingjaws, I’d just as soon keep the L-Rons out of my life. But for a good review of just what an insidious scam this is, I recommend to you the book “A Piece of Blue Sky,” (can’t think of the author’s name). Could probably find it at amazon.com in about 30 seconds. (See how lazy I am?) :slight_smile:

Time magazine also did a very good cover story on the “church” a few years ago, that would be pretty easy to look up in a periodicals index. Scientology then went on a MASSIVE smear campaign of Time and, as I recall, messed with the reporter who wrote the article more than a little bit.

These are NOT people you want to mess with on your own.

As for the OP, I guarantee you, you could start a church espousing anything, and people would follow it.

11

I saw the full text of A Piece of Blue Sky on a web site somewhere, probably a link from www.xenu.net or a site like that.

12

Kindly remember that, to be tax-free, your “religion” must be not-for-profit (and I’m speaking here of U.S. laws.) It’s OK to have prophets, it’s not OK to have profits. So, if you want to form the First Church of Enlightened Self-Interest, you can probably get tax-free status as a church…but you as an individual member of that church will NOT enjoy tax-free status, the non-profit status is only granted to the church as an organization.

On the other hand, if the feds figure out that it’s a sham, that the moneys collected by the church are being used for your personal welfare, then those infidels at the IRS will jump on you with all four feet and about 1,000 pounds of tax code.