Unitarian group denied tax status

From the Fort Worth Star-Telegram courtesy of Off the Kuff channeled through Eschaton:

Unitarian Universalists have for decades presided over births, marriages and memorials. The church operates in every state, with more than 5,000 members in Texas alone.

But according to the office of Texas Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn, a Denison Unitarian church isn't really a religious organization -- at least for tax purposes. Its reasoning: the organization "does not have one system of belief."

Never before -- not in this state or any other -- has a government agency denied Unitarians tax-exempt status because of the group's religious philosophy, church officials say. Strayhorn's ruling clearly infringes upon religious liberties, said Dan Althoff, board president for the Denison congregation that was rejected for tax exemption by the comptroller's office.

"I was surprised -- surprised and shocked -- because the Unitarian church in the United States has a very long history," said Althoff, who notes that father-and-son presidents John Adams and John Quincy Adams were both Unitarians.

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Given Strayhorn's Republican affiliation, it's pretty difficult not to think that this is less of a stupid move and more of a pandering to Texas' massive hordes of religious right-wingers. Okay, it's also really stupid. And offensive. Since when is the government in charge of essentially annulling a well established, 200 year old religion? Answer: when the religious right gets both uppity and an increasing amount of political power.

These guys are dangerous. There's more of this to come.

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