December 3, 1998 | Read Time: 1 minute
A Texas court is being asked to decide whether the state can require organizations to proclaim a belief in a “supreme being” in order to qualify for the state’s tax exemption for religious groups.
The Texas chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union believes the answer is No. In a lawsuit it filed last month in behalf of the Ethical Culture Fellowship, the Texas A.C.L.U. charges that the state violated the group’s right to religious freedom by turning down its request for a tax exemption.
The Austin fellowship group describes itself as a “humanistic religion.” While it does not promote belief in a god, the organization says, it holds ceremonies that are religious in nature, including Sunday-morning meetings, weddings, and funerals.
According to court documents, the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts denied the group’s request for a tax exemption in May, saying that the “beliefs and teachings of the movement do not include worship of a Supreme Being.” After subsequent letters that awarded and then denied the tax exemption, the state suggested that the group register as a charity under federal law in order to qualify for a state tax exemption.
But Michael Bhalla, a spokesman for the fellowship group, says a federal-registration requirement — as well as any other requirement that goes beyond what more traditional churches and synagogues must do — is unfair. “Any barrier, even if it were only one dollar, is still an encumbrance placed on us and not on anyone else,” he says.
