[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular]I was looking up legalities this morning and ran across an interesting statement on church incorporation. I am curious how many people here know whether their church is incorporated or not, and why/why not.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular]From http://hushmoney.org/incorporate-facts.htm :
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[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular]Rome persecuted the Christians not for Who they worshipped. Rome had hundreds of deities, and they could care less who or what you worshipped, as long as you were "licit" (licensed). [/FONT][FONT=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular]
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[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular]The church was persecuted not because they worshipped Jesus Christ, but because of the manner in which they functioned -- an ecclesia. The church was declared to be "illicit," and held in a state of "civil disobedience," because of their refusal to incorporate. [/FONT]
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[/FONT][FONT=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular]Why did the church refuse incorporation? Largely because they knew that it would destroy their testimony that Jesus Christ is "Lord" and "Sovereign." [/FONT]
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Under Roman civil law, "Caesar is sovereign over the corporation," and "the corporation is a creature of the State." The early church willingly suffered for its refusal to accept "State privileges and benefits."[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular]Because that for his name’s sake they went forth, taking nothing of the Gentiles. (3 John 7)
[/FONT] Feel free to take this discussion in various directions.
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular]From http://hushmoney.org/incorporate-facts.htm :
[/FONT][FONT=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular]
[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular]Rome persecuted the Christians not for Who they worshipped. Rome had hundreds of deities, and they could care less who or what you worshipped, as long as you were "licit" (licensed). [/FONT][FONT=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular]
[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular]The church was persecuted not because they worshipped Jesus Christ, but because of the manner in which they functioned -- an ecclesia. The church was declared to be "illicit," and held in a state of "civil disobedience," because of their refusal to incorporate. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular]
[/FONT][FONT=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular]Why did the church refuse incorporation? Largely because they knew that it would destroy their testimony that Jesus Christ is "Lord" and "Sovereign." [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular]
Under Roman civil law, "Caesar is sovereign over the corporation," and "the corporation is a creature of the State." The early church willingly suffered for its refusal to accept "State privileges and benefits."[/FONT]
[/FONT] Feel free to take this discussion in various directions.
