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CVA Weekly Newsletter
February 26, 2014
- CVA Coloring Page
- Activist Feedback
- Essay: Should Churches Be Tax-Exempt?
- This Week’s Sermon from Rev. Frank and Mary Hoffman
1. CVA Coloring Page
Artist and CVA member Karen Moore has kindly prepared a CVA coloring page. She also created the 4- page CVA coloring book. Both are in PDF formats and can be printed from the CVA web site.
2. Activist Feedback
Mukang, who leafleted with friends at Winter Jam in Atlanta on Feb. 8, writes:
The take rate was good but there were many trashed on the ground. I picked up every booklet and re-handed out again. A few took the booklets and told me the answer is Yes! (to the question: would Jesus eat meat today?) I did not engage with any conversations. I met one vegetarian, and he was happy to receive the booklet. We handed out all the booklets we had, and then we handed out some of our own Vegan Outreach booklets with us too.
Thank you,
Mukang
Upcoming Activist Opportunities
02/2/2014 IN, Indianapolis Third Day & Skillet Tour
03/01/2014 KS, Wichita The Winter Jam 2014 Tour Spectacular
03/02/2014 TN, Memphis The Winter Jam 2014 Tour Spectacular
03/02/2014 CA, San Jose Toby Mac’s Hits Deep Tour
03/02/2014 PA, Philadelphia Casting Crowns
03/05/2014 TX, Ft. Worth The Winter Jam 2014 Tour Spectacular
03/06/2014 MO, Springfield The Winter Jam 2014 Tour Spectacular
03/08/2014 IL, Chicago Third Day & Skillet Tour
03/14/2014 SC, Greenville Extraordinary Women Conference 2014
03/22/2014 PA, Reading Third Day & Skillet Tour
03/23-24/14 WA, Seattle Vegetarians of Washington VegFest – TABLING
03/29/2014 IL, Hoffman Estates Winter Jam 2014 Tour Spectacular
03/30/2014 NY, New York City Veggie Pride Parade NYC
04/04/2014 FL, Pensacola Extraordinary Women Conference 2014
04/05/2014 TX, Austin Texas VegFest http://www.texasvegfest.com/eventinfo/
04/19/2014 TN, Nashville Earth Day Festival – TABLING - http://www.nashvilleearthday.org/
04/12/2013 TX, HoustonEarthDay Festival – TABLING - http://earthdayhouston.org/?page_id=2
04/27/2014 MO, St. Louis Earth Day Festival – TABLING - http://www.stlouisearthday.org/events/festival/
04/19-26/13 OH, Columbus Earth Day Festival – TABLING - http://earthdaycolumbus.org/
04/19/2014 CA, San Francisco Earth Day Festival – TABLING - http://www.earthdaysf.org/earth-day.html
04/13/2014 MI, Novi Michigan VegFest – TABLING - http://vegmichigan.org/activities/vegfest/
04/27/2014 CA, San Diego San Diego EarthWorks - TABLING
04/24/2014 OH, Cleveland Joyce Meyer Conference
05/03/2014 MD, Baltimore VegFest http://www.thehumaneleague.com/BaltimoreVegFest/index.htm
05/10-11/14 TX, Houston VegFest
05/15/2014 TX, Fort Worth Joyce Meyer Conference
05/31/2014 IL, Chicago Veggie Pride Parade
06/07/2014 WI, Madison Mad City Vegan Fest
06/08/2014 CA, Vancouver Canada VEG Expo 2014 – TABLING - http://www.vegexpo.ca/
06/27-30/14 DC, Washington Taking Action for Animals
07/2-6/2014 PA, Johnstown Vegetarian Summerfest 2014
07/5-6/2014 CO, Golden VegFest Colorado
07/10-13/14 CA, Los Angeles Animal Rights National Conference http://arconference.org/mission-structure.htm
08/9-10/2014 IL, Naperville VeggieFest Chicago
09/5-7/2014 Canada-Toronto Toronto Vegetarian Food Fair
09/27-28/14 OR, Portland Portland VegFest
3. Essay: Should Churches Be Tax-Exempt?
It is very difficult to find a church that does not serve the flesh, eggs, or the milk of nonhumans. It is almost as difficult to find a church that will permit members to give formal presentations on the ethics and benefits of plant-based diets. Most churches, when asked, refuse permission to distribute CVA literature on their premises. As private institutions, churches are free to silence dissent on diet, theology, and other issues. I think private institutions should be allowed to restrict membership and the views that are expressed on institutional property. That’s a reflection of the Constitutional right to freedom of association. However, should such institutions have tax-exempt status?
Institutions benefit from tax-exempt status mainly because 1) donations to the organization are tax-deductible, encouraging donations; 2) the federal tax rate for income from stocks, bonds, and other investments is much lower for tax-exempt organizations (2%) than for private citizens and for-profit corporations; 3) the institution does not need to pay property taxes.
The general public sponsors tax-exempt institutions, since reducing one entity’s tax invariably results in raising taxes for everyone else. Consequently, I think any entity that enjoys tax-exempt status should benefit the general public. Though I respect the right of private organizations to restrict free speech, I don’t regard such restriction as desirable for the general public, and therefore I think there are good reasons to deny tax-exempt status for such institutions.
Should organizations with open membership and respect for free speech still have tax-exempt status? I would be very concerned that governments, with political agendas of their own, would be biased in deciding whether or not a given institution merited tax-exempt status. Who, then, should be tax-exempt? I’ll explore that question next week.
Stephen R. Kaufman, M.D.
4. This Week’s Sermon from Rev. Frank and Mary Hoffman
You Shall Love Your Neighbor as Yourself
Your question and comments are welcome
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