[Vision2020] Religious Theme Park Tax Exempt?

[Ted Moffett]

All:

This text below is from one of the links I sent to Vision2020 today in
another post, but many if not all may still not read this.  Consider if NSA
was turned into this sort of tax exempt "religious institution!"

http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/rel_liberty/establishment/topic.aspx?topic=tax_exemptions

In another recent case, a Florida court examined whether "The Holy Land
Experience," a religious theme park in Orlando, counted as a church for tax
purposes. The park recreates scenes from ancient Jerusalem and Biblical
stories. Run by Zion's Hope, the park is purportedly designed to tell people
about the Christian faith, with a special emphasis on converting Jews to
Christianity. An entry fee of $35 and various concessions caused critics to
claim this was not a church, but a money-making enterprise that should be
taxed. When the local tax agency attempted to levy property taxes on the
park, Zion's Hope sued. On July 5, 2005, Judge Cynthia Mackinnon ruled that
the theme park did indeed count as a church, and was entitled to tax-exempt
status.

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Vision2020 Post by Ted Moffett
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