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Government Will Help Churches Pay Pastor Salaries

calamity

calamity

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Wow! So much for that old separation of church and state thing.

Economic Relief For Churches Raises Debate Over Church-State Separation : Coronavirus Live Updates : NPR

In a development that could challenge the Constitution's prohibition of any law "respecting an establishment of religion," the federal government will soon provide money directly to U.S. churches to help them pay pastor salaries and utility bills.

A key part of the $2 trillion economic relief legislation enacted last month includes about $350 billion for the Small Business Administration to extend loans to small businesses facing financial difficulties as a result of the coronavirus shutdown orders. Churches and other faith-based organizations, classified as "businesses," qualify for aid under the program, even if they have an exclusively religious orientation.
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This is a really really bad idea.
 
As far as I am concerned, they are tax exempt so they can get a job like the rest of us and pay taxes. The last thing we need is more religion at this point.
 
Vadinho said:
As far as I am concerned, they are tax exempt so they can get a job like the rest of us and pay taxes. The last thing we need is more religion at this point.
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I disagree with you about religion and I'm a regular church goer myself.

But this is the worst idea I've heard in several days.
 
cpwill said:
It's the same Small Business Loan that every small organization has access to. :roll:


I'll take "Hysterics" for $300, Alex.
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I'm not totally against it. I do see it as a bailout for non-contributors, which means we should help undocumented workers too.
 
cpwill said:
It's the same Small Business Loan that every small organization has access to. :roll:


I'll take "Hysterics" for $300, Alex.
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So then you can show the taxes that these church "businesses" pay just like other businesses?
 
Vadinho said:
As far as I am concerned, they are tax exempt so they can get a job like the rest of us and pay taxes. The last thing we need is more religion at this point.
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Well, that homophobic bigot pastor in LA died as a result of holding religion.
 
hang on.

tithing comes before anything else.
 
d0gbreath said:
I'm not totally against it. I do see it as a bailout for non-contributors, which means we should help undocumented workers too.
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If you want to kick out non-profit entities from small business action :shrug: I understand that.

But the purpose of the program is to keep Americans employed. Americans' work at non-profits as well as profits, at small businesses as well as businesses.
 
SheWolf said:
It doesn’t seem right to me, and they shouldn’t be favoring a religion over another
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They aren't. The Headline is about Christian Churches because ewwwwww, Christians :roll:
 
cpwill said:
They aren't. The Headline is about Christian Churches because ewwwwww, Christians :roll:
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This is a lame reactionary post. Do you realize your own victim complex combined with your history of bashing other religious groups on this forum? You're so arrogant about your faith.
 
Who cares? The idea is to keep the economy limping along. I don't give a crap if preachers are getting paid aside from actual workers, that's not the point.
 
SheWolf said:
This is a lame reactionary post.
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....No, I am pointing out that you have made a false assumption. Small Business Loans to keep people on payroll are available to all organizations, regardless of their religious association. It is not - as you were tee'd up to assume from the NPR piece - specific to Christians.

NPR chose to focus in on the eeeeevil Christians because that's what triggers it. Culturally, they'd be fine with (for example) keeping people on the books of a Muslim charity organization.
 
calamity said:
Wow! So much for that old separation of church and state thing.

Economic Relief For Churches Raises Debate Over Church-State Separation : Coronavirus Live Updates : NPR



This is a really really bad idea.
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And? They are or are similar to 501c3's much like the rest of us who work in 501c3's. They do good work and are integral partners in social programs aimed at the vulnerable and special populations. And they are feeling the pain or are worried about the donation and grant cycles like we are.
 
cpwill said:
....No, I am pointing out that you have made a false assumption.
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Look who is talking.

Do you realize your own victim complex combined with your history of bashing other religious groups on this forum?
 
cpwill said:
It's the same Small Business Loan that every small organization has access to. :roll:


I'll take "Hysterics" for $300, Alex.
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More like .....................

I'll take "Hysterics" for 2.2 trillion, Alex.
 
SheWolf said:
Look who is talking.
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Yes. The person who is correct. These loans-that-become-grants to cover payroll are available institutions of all religious backgrounds, not just Christians.

your own victim complex... your history of bashing other religious groups...
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:roll:

iu
 
cpwill said:
If you want to kick out non-profit entities from small business action :shrug: I understand that.

But the purpose of the program is to keep Americans employed. Americans' work at non-profits as well as profits, at small businesses as well as businesses.
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People really don't understand what it's like in the non-profit side of things and how religious entities fall into the work much of the non-profit world engages in. Secular liberals and left-wingers really need to understand that while we don't always get along (we can get into turf wars like anyone else), we still value the work they do for the poor, refugees, racial and ethnic minorities, various areas of the disability community, and so forth.

In our community, there was a lack of resources available for people down on their luck who temporarily just needed like a few, simple things. So a church in our area started connecting with public and private entities to create a really good voucher system for basic needs. We're talking like a taxi voucher, gas voucher, and so on. They also take food donations and give them to members of the community.

So when we get a family or an individual that has fallen on tough times, or has a weak support network and something fell through, we have another resource to give them. We can hand them one of those voucher cards.

Now there are other options for things out there, like secular food pantries and such, but like, not all resources are created equal and not all service providers can provide all necessary services for people to survive.
 
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cpwill said:
Yes. The person who is correct. These loans-that-become-grants to cover payroll are available institutions of all religious backgrounds, not just Christians.



:roll:

iu
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You're the one crying about "evil Christians" and "muslims" and "ewwww Christians."

I didn't write any of that stuff. You did.

I didn't call Christians evil. This is why you're unbearable to talk to most of the time.
 
SheWolf said:
You're the one crying about "evil Christians" and "muslims" and "ewwww Christians."

I didn't write any of that stuff. You did.

I didn't call Christians evil. This is why you're unbearable to talk to most of the time.
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:roll: Need attention, wolf?
 
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