There is a campaign to rescind the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals' (PETA) tax exempt status. PETA is an animal rights organization that believes that animals have the same rights as people and should not be eaten, worn, used in medical research, kept as pets, used in entertainment (circuses and zoos) or bred in captivity even if their wild populations are becoming extinct - 'better dead than bred' has been their motto for years. They are not an animal welfare group - that is a group that works to provide humane standards of care for animals and in fact, they are quite contemptuous of animal welfare groups. PETA has engaged in a variety of fraudulent and sometimes offensive campaigns such as "Jesus was a vegetarian", "holocaust on a plate" (that equates the eating of animals to the extermination of Jews during World War II) and provides money to organizations such as the Earth Liberation Front (who recently fire-bombed a Hummer dealership in Los Angeles) and others that have been named by the FBI as domestic terrorist organizations. They also use their millions of tax free dollars to lobby for laws - something that is a direct violation of their tax exempt status. While I believe that everyone has the right to make their own decision regarding vegetarianism or the wearing of leather, I do not believe that any organization has the right to push their agenda down my throat, especially if they are using tax laws illegally to do it. For those of you who feel the same, I am asking you to please go to http://www.petitiononline.com/rvkptaex/ and sign this petition for yourself. When I signed up yesterday, there were almost 64,000 signatures - I would like to see 600,000 or better yet, 6,000,000 signatures. Please feel free to pass on this information and not only to other bird people but cat, dog, hamster, reptile - anyone that keeps or breeds companion animals as well as your friends and family. This organization's sole purpose is to end the keeping of all animals and I for one love mine too much to allow a radical organization to take away my rights to live in peace and freedom with my animals. If you agree, sign the petition. FEEL FREE TO CROSS POST THIS TO OTHER LISTS!!! IN FACT, PLEASE DO SO
So just what is wrong with People Eating Tasty Animals anyway? I mean, if God didn't want us to eat animals, why did He make them out of meat?
thanks Tracy! this is one petition i will gladly sign. I can agree with many of the basic ideas of animal anti-cruelty groups--but PETA is so far out on the fringe, they do not make sense--nor are their strident demands reasonable in a free society. They also use their money to make fun of people they don;t agree with and call it "protest"--for example the new campaign making fun of Clay Aiken because he was quoted as saying he doesn;t like cats. So because of that unforgivable comment, he gets to be the butt of their new campain which will say he has been neutered. That is slander as far as i am concerned. cheers and God bless mimsmommy
Just a devil's advocate here, but the majority of Christian (and no doubt other religions') churches are tax-exempt and spend oodles of time lobbying (such as the recent move by the Catholic church to 'threaten' Catholic lawmakers if they don't vote Catholic despite the views of their constituents, and other tax-exempt Christian groups in general organizing lobbying missions to Washington for everything from abortion to the ten commandments in school). If we are going to rescind tax-exempt status for lobbying, then we should do it fairly and across the board.
soni, I agree completely!! Now if you find a petition to rescind Church tax exempt status I will be the first to sign it!! :haha: Until then I say what's good for one group is just as good for another.
I agree with Soni & KY - the petition seems a little hostile and certainly PETA is no less entitled to exempt status than any other group whether I personally agree with their platform or not. Taking a hard look at the entire tax exempt charity status would be a good thing.
Well, I signed the petition AND I agree with Soni! Our church is not a business or a charity, we don't use a tax exemption for anything. All our money comes from freewill offerings by members, and the money is used for renting the meetinghouse, paying the preacher, supporting missionaries, helping the poor among ourselves, and buying Bibles and songbooks. That's all we do. I too am disgusted at politics in the name of Christ. Amy
Most churches that I am aware of do not go around releasing animals, burning down barns, etc. As this is a homesteading forum, I do not give a rats ass as far as what religious affiliations do as long as it doesnt affect me. Peta and ALF on the other hand has been able to get some laws passed in the name of animal rights and if you think for one second that these laws will not affect you down the road then live in bliss. Any one that wants to raise their own livestock better think about it. What would happen if someone decided that your animals would be better off set free? Hey folks it happens!
I'm with Soni and Ky Guest. I'll gladly sign the petition if they revise it to include revoking the non-profit status of all churches.
:haha: :haha: :haha: :haha: :haha: You guys crack me up. Your reasoning is that unless the whole tax exempt staus is overhauled then taking a stand on one matter is not right because it isnt fair? Well when was life fair :waa: I have lots of issues with the govt but lets be practical here. Most things will not change. If you can make a small dent then it is better then nothing. I for one want my RIGHTS as a farmer. I want the right to be able to butcher my own animals, to house them as I see fit, not some ARA that thinks they know it all. Most ARA'S have never even seen a working farm let alone know how to run one. Any farmer that wants to raise an animal for profit must be able to incorporate good management and business practices or they will not be in business very long. Wake up folks.
