Since some of the materials which describe the $cientology cult could be
considered to be copywritten materials, I have censored myself and The
Skeptic Tank by deleting any and all possible text files which describes
the cult's hidden mythologies.  I have elected to quote just a bit of the
questionable text according to the "Fair Use" legal findings afforded to
those who report.  -  Fredric L. Rice, The Skeptic Tank, 09/Sep/95

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From news.interserv.net!news.sprintlink.net!uunet!in1.uu.net!news.cybercom.net!dial1-3.cybercom.net!user Wed Jul 12 09:50:19 1995
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From: rnewman@cybercom.net (Ron Newman)
Newsgroups: alt.religion.scientology
Subject: Tax Notes, Scientology, and the IRS, continued
Date: Mon, 10 Jul 1995 22:04:27 -0500
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I just took a look at some recent issues of _Tax Notes_, a weekly magazine
published by Tax Analysts, Inc. of Arlington, Virginia.  The latest
article on Scientology and the IRS is entitled "Do Scientologists Get a
Break Not Extended to Other Churches?" by Fred Stokeld, in the issue dated
April 17, 1995, pages 324-5.

Stokeld argues that if Scientologists can deduct the cost of what he calls
"fixed donations to the Church of Scientology for general and religious
education courses as well as so-called auditing and processing classes,
which involve one-on-one instruction by a minister to a parishioner on
church history and doctrine" -- then, why can't Jews deduct payments for
Hebrew school and Sunday school tuition, or Bar Mitzvah preparation
classes?   Why can't Catholics deduct payments for Confraternity of
Christian Doctrine (CCD) classes?

The writer interviewed Deirdre Halloran, associate
general counsel of the U.S. Catholic Conference, and THREE
former IRS commissioners: Sheldon Cohen, Donald Alexander,
and Jerome Kurtz.

Some selected quotes:

"Cohen said that the IRS had told him, without explanation,
that the new rules for Scientologists do not apply to Hebrew
school, an answer that did not sit well."

"Where you have a special course that teaches the
history of a religious organization or teaches you your duties
as a member of the organization, if it's deductible for Scientology,
it ought to be deductible for any church or synagogue in the
United States," Alexander said.

"Kurtz, now on the faculty of New York University Law School,
said he is `mystified' by the obsoleting of Rev. Rule 78-189.
He said the IRS has an obligation to tell people what it is doing
and to explain the scope of the laws in this area."

"They would have had a hell of a time getting this by me,"
said Alexander, who also knocked the IRS for failing to release
the closing agreement with the Scientologists.

-- 
Ron Newman             rnewman@cybercom.net
Web: http://www.cybercom.net/~rnewman/home.html