my daughter's preschool shares a building with a church, and once a week, that church has a farmers market type thing where they give fresh vegetables and food to folks in the community who need it. if that is the stuff American churches primarily did, things would be way more chill.
Anyways that's what they're SUPPOSED to be doing hence why they're exempt from taxes. But we conveniently forget about that part ("we" as in the hypocrite "christians" ruining this country with their bullshit")
Don't say stuff like that now it'll be taken away
they do that here too every wednesday the line up goes around the block…it’s not getting easier, but i would starve first, i know kids and mothers and seniors need it 😢
Churches in Springfield, Ohio are working very hard to protect our Haitians neighbors. Giving sanctuary, delivering food, etc. I’m an atheist but this is what Jesus supposedly preached. I’ll stand with them any day.
My perception is small, local churches are supporting humanity, not so much the ghastly mega churches.
Yes, indeed. Some schools have food pantry’s for their students. There will be more food give away because of the price of food. Basic foods are expensive too.
If only they wouldn't preach their horrible toxic religion!
Sadly many churches are just thinly veiled campaign outlets for the GOP, Epstein’s Donald Trump party.
I highly recommend this timely book to every American. For a searing insider look from an author with the experience, the background, and even the love of what he believes his church should be: a deep, honest, and painful reckoning with what it has become: www.harperacademic.com/book/9780063...
Every church does this and more You need to get out more Go to church Interface with live human beings You need better friends
That was before the advent of the prosperity gospel, pushed by scam artists that call themselves pastors.
you mean like actually act like Christians? that’d be novel
Meanwhile the church I used to live next door too held a BIG fundraiser during COVID. Giant thermometer sign and everything. They raised $50,000. Turns out it was for landscaping at the church. :-(
Should be more, but Some Karen would complain about seeing an 🍆
Absofuckinglutely 🧌
We need strong, intelligent action. Hating haters won't help. The only things that count now are things that help. Better ends are achieved by better people. You are one of them! Be yourself! This 5* book will help. FREE. Why? Because you are more important than the $ www.fearlesspuppy.info/newbook
I really wonder how people who feed the needy digest prison camps, extortion, and hate peddling.
Lots of us don't. Fwiw, history Church folks have been at the forefront of EVERY social justice movement of the past 300 years. From anti-slavery to trade unions to extending the franchise to homeless shelters to education to health care to environmentalism and LGBTQ rights. Love means love.
Glad to hear it. Hope you can help us past this latest social justice decline.
Hey! That's MY line: "Progressive Christians have been part of every social justice movement in this country since before we were a separate country"!!!
True. My church does this. AND I believe my government should do as much or more for families & children, WITH MY TAX MONEY, than my church does.
Many do. Here's a map of the places in New York City that distribute food. Most are churches. www.cityharvest.org/food-map/
like - what if every massive American church used their money and resources to share food and health and childcare with their communities? and that's just what they did? i know i'm being an idealistic lib right now but it wouldn't be hard.
The church my mother in law attended would help financially struggling people who needed to do community service. They just had to attend service. The parish was a sweet man who 'retired' when the congregation kept pushing him to be political during service.
I love that I work for an agency of a church that does that! They established a food pantry and clothing closet in 1978, but no one even knows of the Moravian church. We help with crisis financial assistance in our community.. weird right? Want to support our mission, we need it now more than ever!
Things like this are exactly why I maintain my position that there *is* enough money to do all my wild socialist ideas. We just need to actually put it to that use.
That's literally the justification for churches being tax exempt. They are expected to do charitable works and community service.
Is that in the law or the moral code? If law would you quote it for me? This is why I ask: Our Lady of Perpetual Exemption
Not a law. Also doesn't mention feeding anyone. What'd I miss?
Apparently classes in reading comprehension.
You know regulations federal agencies declare aren't laws passed by congress, right? It also doesn't REQUIRE any religion to actually DO anything.
From Robert: "That's literally the justification for churches being tax exempt. They are expected to do charitable works and community service." So, that's not literally the law on why they are tax exempt. My reading comprehension on the constitution is pretty good.
Finally, in the IRS regulatory notice, it clearly says this isn't the law of the land. See, I actually read the law beforehand, I read the regulatory powers granted to federal agencies law, I understand the difference, and I'm still waiting on a law that requires any religion to do anything at all.
1. Prior to Trump 2.0, federal agencies were empowered to pass regulations with the full weight of law. For the simple fact that Congress could not possibly keep up with the need. 2. Nobody said it did or expected it to. I said it was an expectation. It was a justification given. In writing.
It is in fact not empowered to do so, as they are not statues passed by congress. They are an executive branch and cannot pass new law. Where are all the 2A guys who understand the ATF isn't congress?
The actual simple fact, recently overruled by the supreme cucks, WAS that the federal agencies had the expertise to know better than dumbass lawyers and even stupider political appointees/elected idiots sitting on the bench. That was the 'Chevron deference'. Now gone, Loper vs Relentless.
You’re being willfully obtuse. It means you know that you’re wrong and are just arguing to waste time. It means you’re an oxygen thief who won’t wast any more of my time. Bye!
Ah, how The Truth Hurts. Means I post facts you don't fancy as they show you're an uneducated buffoon on the internet. What else is new. By the way, the above from Monkey is a really great example of passive aggressive misdirection. 🙄
I’m sorry, did you miss paragraph one on page two or did you fail to understand this is the IRS guidance that determines the implementation of the laws related to non-profit status ENACTED by CONGRESS…
And still undefeated.
Well except for where we used logic and accurate knowledge of the law to debunk this theory, totally 100% got us.
I think there is an argument for churches to do this more no doubt, but a lot of this comes down to how denominations are structured. There is a reason there are no Catholic or Orthodox mega churches. In the sense of a pastor with a TV bigger than most people’s houses asking for donations.
"what if Christians just followed the new testament teachings" is a question I ask myself constantly as a leftist atheist who group up a conservative baptist 😮💨
you and me both.
*grew, smh
Because the New Testament, the teachings of their religious namesake, doesn't give them the tools to be dominating and hateful. Doesn't let them pretend they are superior. The NT destroys their justification for slavery, being misogynist, and so forth.
An American Utopia but about churches. 👀
lol yes you basically read my mind on this one
A ton of churches do this, you just don’t hear about it because they’re not on TV
A ton of churches do this _and_ still contribute to all the same problems you hear about megachurches. These are not mutually exclusive. The Vatican does a lot of good too. They're still covering for child molesters across the world. Epstein had philanthropic endeavors too. So does Musk. Etc.
Correct. Philanthropy for billionaires and corporations including churches are just reputation laundering.
Churches in San Francisco provide for the hungry, the homeless, the undocumented, those facing addiction, etc.
If you went to church, you would know that is what they do.
If it was the ONLY thing they did we would all be better off.
Love this idea! 👍
The catholic hospital in my city sponsors a place where the homeless can get something to eat twice a day it's called the st,johns breadline...even the worst religious organizations can do something worthwhile.
I have a church like that in my neighborhood and I love it
Methodist churches do this. That and Habitat for Humanity are their jam.
Every church in my Community has food pantries it’s a blessing
Well, you see, that's an actual church. I understand the confusion. The hateful folks like the gratitude we give actual churches, so they wear the same labels, and vogue the same flair. It's always good to ignore the signs out front, and walk around back to see what's loaded on the trucks.
Amen brother
What a wonderful idea.
Charity is one way religion weeds its way into governance.
You need to get 'em on some liberation theology, that's the good shit.
More do stuff like this than you might think. They just aren't loudmouths about it.
This
That's kinda what my church does. And many other churches (of multiple denominations) in my community do. Visit your local secular food bank or homeless shelter and you'll find it was started by a church, and virtually all front line volunteers are there because their faith says to love people.
My church did this all the time. A lot of churches do.
The Presbyterian church near me & a few others are like this & do work with homeless & LGBTQ etc (and they don't tell people how to vote).
The prosperity gospel put it's boot on the neck of a lot of this
It’s historical, they come by it naturally. Calvinsim the higher the person’s status the higher they are in the eyes of God or was that women’s hair, ala Marge Simpson, I never can remember.
The prosperity gospel comes directly out of Calvinism.
Yeah I know I was trying to be funny about the hair, it's a Southern thing.
So we were closer to God in the 80's, with the big hair, I guess. But punk rockers who wear liberty spikes are even closer...
Gwen Chamblin comes to mind. There's a doc about her "The Way Down: God, Greed and the Cult of Gwen Shamblin". Of course a fraudster. Died in a plane crash that her husband was piloting.
Any more it's pretty rare to see a church of any type using their tidings the way JC would have appreciated it!
No, it isn't rare.
So few of them actually do things like that, that when someone posts about it, I’m pleasantly surprised.
Actually a lot of them do things like that. They mostly don't receive or seek publicity.
Since that's one of the primary places to get food and shelter, not sure what you want them to do. Most churches are empty 5 days a week.
What happens there for the other six days? Bigotry, fairy tales, and christian nationalism?
Hi Michael - Agreed. I've been blessed to be part of a congregation that has made peacemaking, social justice, and protecting the planet the cornerstones of everything they/we do, for over 150 years. My husband and I were the first same-gender couple to be married there in 1990.
It would definitely be better if churches focused on good works rather than politics.
Good works and politics are inseparable
Absolutely!
That is wonderful! How much of there tax free income goes to that? Ideally they would be more than a social club that spends a small percentage of income to help those in need. (Yes, many do exactly that, but more should.)
Our church’s food bank feeds 80 families a month, twice a month. Mostly young Latino families with little kids & older people & a few homeless. It’s a big ministry, lots of volunteers. Donations come from church members, Publix & county food bank.
Our church has a community garden, and we partner with a local food pantry to tend and harvest the veggies.
And SCOTUS recently ruled that the churches can now hold political rallies and raise (launder dark money?) political campaign contributions… and still pay not taxes.
Their tax-exempt status would make more sense....
The Methodist church that ran my son’s daycare was awesome for stuff like that, very chill. But the church couldn’t stay funded and its congregation was small and older, so the city UMC decided to shut it all down a couple of months ago. It seems like it’s hard for a good church to stay open.
"What if we all took care of each other instead of fucking each other over all the time" Imagine...
Yet most churches only take and don’t give back to the community and that is the problem with most churches.
Definitions, data, source(s).
On what do you base your claim that "most" churches don't give back to the community? Where did you get this information? It is the opposite of my experience, but I've been in progressive churches most of my life.
Can you show me evidence of the contrary if you have any source other than your personal feelings that this is incorrect? Or does this just get proven since you have no idea of churches you haven’t personally been a part of to justify your thoughts on the matter?
I can't document my personal experience and neither can anyone else. Of course there are churches, especially conservative ones, who don't do community service outside of their own members. I know they exist, even though I have mostly been in the progressive Christian church.
I have decades of experience with a wide variety of denominations & congregations, & direct experience with dozens of congregations in my own denomination (Episcopal) All but a handful have service programs helping their neighbors & communities. What do you know about churches you haven't been to?
So many churches have lost sight of what it says in their own Bible…Jesus said “if you do something unto the least of these our brethren, you do it unto to me” Would they let Jesus starve and deport him because of the color of his skin?
Magafolk definitely would react that way if they met the middle eastern Jesus today, instead of worshipping the stylized blond Jesus with the aquiline nose
teaching true Christianity, not BS politics
Totally. You could compost that rotten pumpkin though.
Check the people actually doing the growing and donating, I'm sure you won't find even one maga.
Our churches rotate free dinner for anyone who wants to go. It's a great resource for the hungry and beings the community together. I go once in a while. It's really nice. I don't go to church but I feel good about the ones in town.
You find generosity in mainline Protestant and social justice Catholics. They believe the teachings on love thy neighbor. Conservative churches believe everyone is responsible for themselves alone, and even charity is "depriving" them of "bettering themselves". Pick your neighbors wisely.
Feed the poor, shelter the homeless, love your neighbor as yourself…..it’s just not that hard.
We used to hand out a palm card the size of an index card that showed which days of the week each local church was offering a free meal or food pantry. It was coordinated so that there was someone serving free food every day. Sometimes there was a noon meal at one place & dinner at another place.
A few ruin it for EVERYONE!
Thank you.
“I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.” Mahatma Gandhi
Woow ,, thats fantastic and very good idea 💡
“But if God didn’t want the Pastor to have 3 Lamborghinis, a yacht, and 3 jets he would smote him!”
And if churches were required to file the same tax documentation as all other non profits, folks could actually review them to decide which churches best reflected their values through charity instead of, like most, operating like a country club.
Religious orgs should operate any charitable arms as separate entities, under the exact same requirements as every other charitable entity. The abuses of claiming “because we’re a religion, everything we do should be automatically considered charitable”, are rampant. Honest reckoning is overdue.
