(Albany, OR) The internet prank group The Phone Losers of America (PLA) has been awarded religion status in the US after a 2-year-long court battle. Brad Carter, the ‘Pope’ of the PLA, delivered a well-worded response to initial challenges last April and this week judges delivered a final verdict approving the PLA full religious status, including tax exempt status and 5 free meals at Chic-Fil-A. The full doctrine has not yet been released as “the PLA bible is still being written”, according to Carter. “I didn’t want to start writing (the bible) until I knew what the court would rule. Now it’s time to get to work writing, I guess.”
This is the first time such a group has been awarded full religion status, but not the first time such a group has seeked special exemptions from federal government oversight. In 2015, a similar group of prank phone call enthusiasts attempted to secede from the US government to form a Prank Call Nation, but the courts ruled that they did not meet the minimum requirements to do so.
“Our plans don’t stop here” Carter added. “I have since founded World of Prank Calls to take the movement globally.” Carter declined to elaborate on that statement. For tithers and donors to the PLA, the religious status automatically made the organization a 501(c) (3) charity, so any money donated is tax exempt and therefore tax deductible. The PLA Prophet of Profit, SteveDave, could not be reached for comment.
