The floodgates open even wider

[DeistPaladin]

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hFFXHfh0tnIHWKcr6uJHTpaLmuJg?docId=15e08682c72a44f786d8aee89f86a8e4

US judge rules against corporate contribution ban
(AP) – 16 hours ago
ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — A U.S. judge has ruled that the campaign finance law banning corporations from making contributions to federal candidates is unconstitutional, saying that a recent Supreme Court decision gives companies the same right to donate as individual citizens enjoy.
[...]
"(F)or better or worse, Citizens United held that there is no distinction between an individual and a corporation with respect to political speech," Cacheris wrote in his 52-page opinion. "Thus, if an individual can make direct contributions within (the law's) limits, a corporation cannot be banned from doing the same thing."

Aaaaaaaggghhhhhh

I'm a businessman and an MBA. I more than get the idea of corporate identity as a useful financial accounting tool. Incorporation helps to keep track of what assets are owned by the company (the "company" being an entity that can own said assets) and what liabilities the company has to vendors, banks and other interest holders. Incorporation is even more necessary when you have "owners" who are countless public stockholders, where ownership fluidly changes hands as stocks are traded. It's a useful financial accounting tool and I can't imagine any alternative.

That's all the concept of corporate identity was ever intended for. It's strictly for keeping track of asset ownership, financial liabilities and tax filing. It was never intended to create these faux people who suddenly need to have their rights protected like real flesh-and-blood people. What's next? Voting rights?

I almost think we need an amendment to the constitution that spells out that corporations are only "persons" with respect to internal financial accounting and tax purposes. They are explicitly not protected by any other freedom or dignity offered by our constitution.

[tackattack]

You realize most churches I've been to have been incorperated. Perhaps this is a mass push to allow religious groups to influence politics more... OMG... atheist doomsday.... circle the wagons!! Honestly though I agree with your position, and it is just another tool that has become a weapon. It seems the nature of humanity to turn everything towards destructive purposes in the end. I must be geting tired if my pessimism is showing that bad

[Ashendant]

You realize most churches I've been to have been incorperated. Perhaps this is a mass push to allow religious groups to influence politics more... OMG... atheist doomsday.... circle the wagons!! Honestly though I agree with your position, and it is just another tool that has become a weapon. It seems the nature of humanity to turn everything towards destructive purposes in the end. I must be geting tired if my pessimism is showing that bad

I await the atheist apocalypse

[Minimalist]

You realize most churches I've been to have been incorperated. Perhaps this is a mass push to allow religious groups to influence politics more... OMG... atheist doomsday.... circle the wagons!! Honestly though I agree with your position, and it is just another tool that has become a weapon. It seems the nature of humanity to turn everything towards destructive purposes in the end. I must be geting tired if my pessimism is showing that bad

We'll make you one of us yet, Tacky. An understanding that the world is going to shit is followed by the realization that there is no 'god' to save it.

BWAHAHAHAHAHA!

[Violet]

Honestly though I agree with your position, and it is just another tool that has become a weapon. It seems the nature of humanity to turn everything towards destructive purposes in the end. I must be geting tired if my pessimism is showing that bad Sad

But that's okay, because every human loves explosions!

Nitroglycerin, gunpowder, nuclear warhead, and other fun things that go BOOM: we love them all!

And also tickling babies... we all love doing that ^_^

[HeyItsZeus]

The motherfuckers are like the herpes!

[DeistPaladin]

You realize most churches I've been to have been incorperated.

Of course. Putting my feelings about religion aside, it makes sense that a church as an entity is going to own property (the building, etc) as well as have operating expenses that are not billed to an individual but rather to "the church" as an entity.

Non-profit organizations are structured the same way as a for-profit company except that instead of assets, liabilities and owner equity, it's assets, liabilities and the trust fund for future activities of the organization.

It makes perfect sense to think of a company, church or non-profit as an entity that owns property, assets and takes on liabilities, as well as pay taxes separately than from the owners (the down side of incorporation is you effectively have double taxation but that's the price a business owner knows going in). The important thing to recognize is that this is just an accounting tool. Some idiot judges have started to think "They're an entity? Oh, that must mean they're people too with all the rights protected by our constitution." Conservatives love to whine about judicial activism but this is a real example of that kind of thing.

[Minimalist]

The bastards should be taxed the moment they open their mouths about any secular issue.

[tackattack]

@DP- It's an accounting tool until something balloons to oh say... Vatican city.

I would say fined min, but potato; pototo

[DeistPaladin]

@DP- It's an accounting tool until something balloons to oh say... Vatican city.

I would say fined min, but potato; pototo

Technically taxed, not fined. There's no law against a church getting political. It's just you lose your non-profit status when you do.

Personally, I say make it easy. Tax them all. Religion is a business, except that businesses produce real products and services.