Massachusetts Disclosure Legislation

The House of Representatives of the General Court (legislature) of Massachusetts defeated yesterday [147-3] the proposed legislation requiring churches and other religious organizations to report annually financial matters to Commonwealth officials. The Boston Globe report is  Here. A number of MOJ'ers have addressed this issue in the past, including yours truly in an August post.

At that time I made a comparison between Old England and New England. To reiterate the points I made on that occasion, I conclude this post with a portion of the screenplay from the film version of "A Man for All Seasons"-- the dialogue is between the Chancellor, Cardinal Wolsey and Sir/Saint Thomas More:

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Then, clearly all we have to do is to approach His Holiness and ask him.

Wolsey                   

I think we might influence the decision of His Holiness.
 

More                   

By argument?

Wolsey                   

Argument certainly. And pressure.

More                   

Pressure, applied to the Church? The Church has its church property.

Wolsey                   

Pressure!

RJA sj