-Caveat Lector- > Item 1 > Friends of Liberty, International > http://www.friendsofliberty.com > January 17, 2001 > > SUPREME COURT DENIES INDIANAPOLIS BAPTIST TEMPLE CASE U. S. MARSHALS > RAID > IMMINENT > Indianapolis Baptist Temple > The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Religious organizations are taxable > and > now the Court has said the New Testament Church must pay taxes and > come > under control of the IRS. In 1983, the Court ruled that the IRS 501 > (c) (3) > tax-exempt organizations are under the rule of the wicked in > government. Now > the U. S. Supreme Court has refused to hear the IBT case while > hearing a > case concerning professional golfers being allowed to use a golf > cart. Read > about it HERE! http://www.friendsofliberty.com/2001/00121_01.htm > > === > Item 2 > http://www.SierraTimes.com > SierraTimes.com Update > Direct E-mail Update 01.16.01 15:40 ranch time > > High Court Refuses to Hear Church's Tax Case Appeal > Indianapolis Baptist Temple faces foreclosure for refusing to collect > employees' tax contributions on religious liberty grounds. > > By Beliefnet News Services > > WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 -- The U.S. Supreme Court Tuesday refused a > request by > members of the Indianapolis Baptist Temple to hear an appeal of a > federal > judge's foreclosure order.The justices meet in conference to decide > which > cases among hundreds will be granted a hearing during its spring > session, > but did not include the Baptist Temple case among those it choose to > hear.The > Baptist Temple was appealing a judge's order that U.S. marshals seize > church > property to settle a $6 million tax debt.Roughly 80 church members > were > attending a worship service Tuesday morning when the senior pastor, > the Rev. > Greg A. Dixon, received word of the Supreme Court decision on his > cell > phone, > the Indianapolis Star reported."I fully expect the federal marshals > to come > in at (any) given time" Dixon said "We're going to mourn the death of > religious liberty."Two members of the high court, including Chief > Justice > William Rehnquist, had already turned down the church's previous > request for > an emergency stay of the foreclosure.There was speculation that once > the > possibility of a hearing by the high court was erased, federal > marshals > would > move quickly to seize the church's property. However, there was no > immediate > sign of police or federal agents around the church.U.S. Marshal Frank > Anderson repeatedly has said the marshals will seize the church when > the > timing will minimize any risk of injuries. > > The U.S. Department of Justice says the church owes about $6 million > in > back taxes, interest and penalties because church leaders have > refused to > collect employee withholding and Social Security taxes.U.S. District > Judge > Sarah Evans Barker ordered members to vacate the church by Nov. 14 > and gave > federal marshals permission to use any necessary force to take > possession of > the building.As members of the church have maintained a protective > vigil > inside the temple for the past nine weeks, the issue has attracted > national > attention from various religious and anti-tax groups. Church members > have > argued that the federal government has violated its constitutional > right to > the free exercise of religion. Moreover, pastor Gregory A. Dixon has > said > that since temple members recognize Jesus Christ as the only > authority over > the church, the withholding of taxes would impose a secular > control.Founded > in 1950, the 1,000-member Baptist Temple owns 22 acres and has a > half-dozen > pastors on staff. > > The church Web site describes the congregation as "an unregistered > Baptist > congregation whose head is not the state, but the Lord Jesus Christ. > The > Indianapolis Baptist Temple does not participate in government > programs. > > "The Web site adds: "The Indianapolis Baptist Temple is a New > Testament > congregation made up of scripturally baptized believers. We exist to > exalt > Jesus Christ, edify the saints through the Word of God and evangelize > our > world. We must not veer from our God-given mandate."The Indianapolis > Baptist > Temple is congregational in practice which simply means the people > under the > leadership of the Pastor are responsible for all decisions, activity > and > service."A New Testament congregation should be militant, which > simply means > believers should aggressively 'contend for the faith' as they exalt > Christ, > edify saints and evangelize the world." > > This has been a Special Report by Sierra Times.com > > === > Item 3 > January 16, 2001 > > http://www.starnews.com/news/articles/templepm0116.html > > High court refuses to hear church's appeal > > Staff Report / The Indianapolis Star News > > > The U.S. Supreme Court has refused a request by members of the > Indianapolis Baptist Temple to hear an appeal of a federal judge's > foreclosure order. > > The justices meet in conference to decide which cases among hundreds > will be granted a hearing during its spring session. > > The Baptist Temple case was not included in the orders issued by the > court today. The Baptist Temple was appealing a judge's order that > U.S. > marshals seize church property to settle a $6 million tax debt. > > Roughly 80 church members were attending a worship service this > morning > when the senior pastor, the Rev. Greg A. Dixon, received word of the > Supreme Court decision on his cell phone. > > "I fully expect the federal marshals to come in at given time” Dixon > said “We’re going to mourn the death of religious liberty.” > > There was speculation that once the possibility of a hearing by the > high > court was erased, federal marshals would move to seize the property > of > the Southside church. There was no sign of police or federal agents > around the church today. > > U.S. Marshal Frank Anderson repeatedly has said the marshals will > seize > the church when the timing will minimize any risk of injuries. > > As the service continued, some people moved their personal belongings > into nearby vehicles and one church leader carried school supplies > out > of the building. > > Marshals have said they would confiscate everything in the building > once > they arrive. > > Church members and supporters who guarded the front doors said they > were > on a heightened state of alert. That didn't mean they were edgy. > > “I’m not nervous at all because were doing what’s right” Pastor Duane > Cleghorn, of Washington County. “There’s a peace in my heart that > wasn’t > there before because now we know what lies ahead." > > The U.S. Department of Justice says the church owes about $6 million > in > back taxes, interest and penalties because church leaders have > refused > to collect employee withholding and Social Security taxes. > > U.S. District Judge Sarah Evans Barker ordered members to vacate the > church by Nov. 14 and she gave federal marshals permission to use any > necessary force to take possession of the building. > > While members of the church have maintained a protective vigil inside > the temple for the past nine weeks, the issue has attracted national > attention from various religious and anti-tax groups. > > Church members have argued that the federal government has violated > its > constitutional right to the free exercise of religion. Moreover, > Dixon > has said that since temple members recognize Jesus Christ as the only > authority over the church, the withholding of taxes would impose a > secular control. > > Two members of the high court, including Chief Justice William > Rehnquist, had already turned down the church's previous request for > an > emergency stay of the foreclosure. > > > Copyright 2001 Indiana Newspapers Inc. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get email at your own domain with Yahoo! Mail. http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! 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