--- In [email protected], "Dr. Pete" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > I don't see how Vedic City can get out of this one. > You can call a yagya "a peace producing technology" > which certainly is true. But the very same "peace > producing technology" is also viewed as a religious > activity in another culture. This is going to be very > interesting. I'm sure the powers-to-be in Vedic City > will handle the situation with as much sensitivity as > the TMO has demonstrated in the past! > -Peter >
So it is your view that TM is a religious activity for all who practice it? > --- svambhu <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > http://desmoinesregister.com/life/stories/c5351764/23979185.html > > > > Maharishi Vedic City tax use stirs opposition > > The city is trying to ease concerns that a peace > > project in line for revenue is actually a religious > > activity. > > By MARK SIEBERT > > Register Staff Writer > > 04/05/2004 > > > > > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------ > > > > Maharishi Vedic City, Ia. - On a hill at the edge of > > Iowa's newest city, a closely watched housing > > project is taking shape. > > > > City leaders of Maharishi Vedic City want to bring > > in 500 special meditators - called pandits - and > > house them here as part of an effort to bring about > > world peace. > > > > Non-meditators in Jefferson County generally take a > > live-and-let-live attitude about such utopian > > pursuits. > > > > Already, this young city has designated Sanskrit as > > its official city language, adopted a new currency > > and outlawed the sale of non-organic food. Yawn. > > > > But reaction to the pandit project has been > > different: Petitions have been circulated, > > legislators notified, attorneys consulted. > > > > All because some Jefferson County residents worry > > that the pennies they pay for a countywide sales tax > > might go to support these pandits - which critics > > claim are Hindu priests. > > > > "We're trying to take "God" out of the Pledge of > > Allegiance," said Stephen Burgmeier, chairman of the > > Jefferson County Board of Supervisors, "and their > > intent is to take tax dollars and pay for what in > > the Christian religion would be called monks." > > > > Maharishi Vedic City officials deny the pandit > > project is in any way religious, and they're trying > > to find ways to allay the concerns raised about > > money being used directly for the project. > > > > Maureen Wynne, the city's attorney, said a decision > > had not been reached on how to use the sales-tax > > proceeds. She expects the money will be used for > > infrastructure, such as streets or sewers. > > > > "It's not a religious pursuit to support peace," > > Wynne said. "But I think we're certainly sensitive > > to that point." > > > > There is another issue simmering under the surface: > > Every municipality in the county, from Batavia to > > Lockridge, has agreed to give most of its sales-tax > > proceeds to help pay for the new $4.5 million county > > law enforcement center - except Maharishi Vedic > > City. It doesn't plan to give any. > > > > The money isn't much. The first monthly cut of > > sales-tax proceeds to the city arrived at the end of > > February - a check for all of $383.57. > > > > But folks in Jefferson County are still concerned. > > > > Followers of the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and his brand > > of meditation came to Fairfield in the mid-1970s to > > establish a university on the old Parsons College > > campus. In 2001, meditators founded their own city > > northwest of town. > > > > The city population is now about 200, according to > > city officials. With the arrival of 500 pandits > > (pronounced pundits), the population would jump 21/2 > > times. > > > > "We're really excited about it," Wynne said. "It > > should be a great cultural attraction for everyone." > > > > Pandits are meditators who, in addition to > > practicing Transcendental Meditation and yogic > > flying, also practice advanced peace-promoting > > technologies, according to the city's Web site. Sort > > of professional peace creators. > > > > The pandits would be brought to Iowa from India and > > housed in three-story buildings with room for 264 > > pandits and six acharyas (teachers). The ultimate > > goal is to bring 8,000 pandits - to help achieve > > lasting peace. > > > > To that end, Maharishi Vedic City residents voted in > > September to adopt the local-option sales tax. All > > the money is to be used to"support peace-creating > > experts and facilities for those experts," according > > to the official ballot. > > > > County supervisors reluctantly approved the > > proposal, since the resolution didn't mention any > > religious activities. > > > > But Kai Dr�hl says there's little doubt. > > > > "If you look at what they're actually doing in > > detail, this is really religious activity," said > > Dr�hl, a former professor at Maharishi University of > > Management. > > > > Dr�hl said pandits perform Hindu religious > > ceremonies, including worshipping the Vedic god > > Shiva. Such a ceremony, he said, includes > > invocations and the pouring of liquid offerings over > > a phallic-shaped stone called a "Shiva linga." > > > > Dr�hl, along with pastors from several area > > churches, helped organize a petition drive against > > Maharishi Vedic City's sales-tax plan. The city's > > literature, they point out, uses terms such as "His > > Holiness" and "His Majesty" when referring to those > > in the movement backing the project. > > > > County supervisors said their lawyer told them they > > had to ratify the sales-tax proposal. But a county > > taxpayer could sue if money goes to the pandits, > > saying it amounts to government-sponsored religious > > activity. > > > > Burgmeier, the county supervisor, said he doesn't > > want to dictate how Maharishi Vedic City spends its > > money. Residents can choose not to give part of > > their proceeds to pay for the law enforcement > > center. > > > > "It would have been nice and clean if they would > > have done that, but I do believe in allowing > > jurisdictions to self-govern," Burgmeier said. > > > > As long as the use is legal, he added. > > > > Wynne, the city's lawyer, said ground is already > > being cleared for the buildings that will hold the > > pandits. They could start arriving in Iowa by the > > end of the summer, she said, and start promoting > > harmony and world peace. > > > > > > > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------ > > > > A tax for peace > > > > MAHARISHI VEDIC CITY: The city, four miles northwest > > of Fairfield, was incorporated in 2001 as Vedic > > City. Residents last year added the word "Maharishi" > > to the name. > > > > SALES TAX: In September, Maharishi Vedic City > > residents voted to impose a 1 percent local-option > > sales tax for five years. > > > > PROCEEDS: According to the official ballot, the > > specific purpose for the proceeds is "100% to > > support peace-creating experts and facilities for > > those experts for the purpose of creating peace, > > prevention of crime, and freedom from problems and > > in favor of the life of the people of the city and > > of all the people on Earth." > > > > -- > > > > > > > __________________________________ > Do you Yahoo!? > Yahoo! Finance Tax Center - File online. File on time. > http://taxes.yahoo.com/filing.html ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> <!-- SpaceID=1705171145 loc=TM noad --> --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> To subscribe, send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Or go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ and click 'Join This Group!' Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
