[Vision2020] ...................................Kirkers: DOUG WILSON A HYPOCRITE? You Decide.

[Chris Maland]

Dear Kirkers,

In light of the recent zoning complaints filed at the behest of your Pastor 
(Douglas Wilson) by his subordinates, it is worth considering Wilson’s 
recent statements concerning the ethics of taking legal actions for mere 
illustrative purposes.

Within the last month (on Wednesday, April 25, 2005, at 1:30 in the 
afternoon) Wilson, met with the Board of Latah County Commissioner (BOCC) to 
discuss the alleged selective enforcement of property tax laws. For 
confirmation of this fact, click this link:

http://66.102.7.104/customq=cache:qpVt9jZjnu8J:www.latah.id.us/Dept/BOCC/2005/04_25_05_Agenda.pdf+%22Doug+Wilson%22&hl=en&ie=UTF-8

Wilson highlights the similarity he sees between the zoning and the 
tax-exemption issues, on his monoblog post of May  24, 2005 (caps are mine):

“…given the current ruling, the zoning code is now free to be used as a 
weapon by citizens who only want to be Puritans for one day, and only for 
one building, only for one church, and only for one church’s people. And oh, 
by the way, THE SAME GOES FOR PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTION.”

An abridged version of the relevant portion of the discussion between Wilson 
and the BOCC is transcripted below:

Doug: …Our adversaries have been overt about what they want to do. They want 
to run us out of town. And they are using every device that they can get 
their hands on to do that. And so, whatever you do, I would implore you to 
do it consistently and across the board. That means, if—

Commissioner #1: I’m sure that’s our goal.

Commissioner #2: …I struggled very hard to follow the law, and what was 
right and equal. And so, I certainly am not going to change my position as 
far as equality and religious freedom and all those things that we all have 
access to.

Doug: I appreciate that, but we’re a year later and there are two entities 
that have had the tax-exempt removed and those are our two. And the next two 
that are on the docket are two more that I sit on the board of. And there is 
no action that has been taken concerning any other tax-exmept entity in 
Moscow. AND I’M NOT GOING TO FILE A COMPLAINT AGAINST ALL THE ENTITIES 
BECAUSE WHAT’S BEEN TO US, I BELIEVE IS UNJUST. SO, I’M CERTAINLY NOT GOING 
TO ILLUSTRATE THE INJUSTICE OF IT BY FILING A SIMILAR COMPLAINT AGAINST THE 
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH ACROSS THE STREET. I’M NOT GOING TO DO THAT…

Commissioner #1: Well, I appreciate that. And I know, if somebody protested 
any other tax-exempt organization, I would treat it the same as I have this 
here, except that, unfortunately right now, you’re the only one that has 
been protested.

Doug: That’s exactly the point. AND WE’RE NOT GOING TO FILE COMPLAINTS 
AGAINST THESE OTHERS BECAUSE IT WOULD BE WRONG TO DO SO. I would just like 
you to be aware of what’s going on in the bigger picture. There’s a reason 
why we’re the only entities coming before you. There is a reason for that. 
And it’s a publicly documented reason. So…

Commissioner #1: Ok.

Doug: Thank you, Gentlemen.

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