TagraNar
Either me brain ain't working or you aren't making a lick of sense. Yes, a person can donate as much as they like with the sole intent being to donate. But, for the person wishing to advance and learn more about their faith, they must pay up. It's not a donation, it's a fee and a cost.
I'll be as simple as possible: If advance is not required then it is of one's own will to advance.
The payments are not required if one does not want to pay them. As long as you can maintain the status of Scientologist without paying a dime it is all donation.*
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For instance, let's talk about advancement in society as far as certain rituals; marriage is an easy one. You have to pay for marriage. It is required you pay for the liscense, and expected you pay for the priest. Therefore it is a good or service; isn't that enough to remove tax exempt status? Actually, I'd have to look it up.
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Marriage is not inherently necessary to advance in society. A person can start up a business without being married and can advance through that.
A business requires a liscense as well actually. Regardless.
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The license, if I'm not mistaken, is a government license, not necessarily a religious one.
It actually acts as both. You can be pronounced married of course by anyone, therefore without some kind of showing that you went through the ceremony it's pretty pointless to even have the status. I could, at this moment,
claim to have married you. Does that mean it's recognized by anyone? No.
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And, as the government is not a religion, it does not play by the same rules. I am not completely aware of all of the expenses in getting married, but not all of it is because of the priest and the religious ceremony. I find it very likely that a priest could perform such a ceremony without any sort of payment, if he so chooses. I don't think you'll find the same sentiment within Scientology.
I am almost sure one of out however many priests in scientology
might perform a service for free even if they are encouraged not to because that's general human nature; someone's always going to be a softee. Even with that said, in most cases you are expect to pay the priest, oh, and to be a priest to begin with requires a liscense and schooling, some of which is more expensive than the local state uni. None of it's free. None of it.
The only flaw that lies in scientology that people can attack is the inability to openly study the religion. It is not required, to my knowledge, that you advance at any point; just encouraged. The other flaws about people dying and whatnot are problematic, but some of those cases are pretty old too.