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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsReligious Right Using Hurricane Tragedies To Grab Public Funds For Churches
In between Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, Trump took the time to plant a tweet bomb under the First Amendment. Churches in Texas should be entitled to reimbursement from FEMA Relief Funds for helping victims of Hurricane Harvey (just like others), he twittered.
If it seems a little hasty to start arguing about money before the streets are dry, thats because, well, were talking big money here, and not just disaster money. The thing about todays religious right is it is really focused on the bottom lineand the First Amendment is starting to look like roadkill on the path to the ultimate payday.
The demand for FEMA relief for houses of worship sounded innocuous at first. In view of the devastating news from Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Mississippi, and the ongoing recovery process in Texas and Florida, who could object to helping out churches, especially those that offered aid to hurricane and flood refugees, in their own hour of need? The funny thing is that it seemed some churches couldnt wait to be denied federal money. Even as the floodwaters from Harvey flowed through the streets, three Texas churches filed a federal lawsuit on September 4, alleging that FEMAs policy of excluding houses of worship from disaster-relief grants is unfair and unconstitutional.
One plaintiff, Assembly of God Church, in Rockport, Texas, is the beneficiary of a fundraising campaign on GoFundMe. Whats more heartbreaking is to have wind storm insurance, it would costs [sic] the church over $15,000 a year, explains AshLee Frazier, the daughter of the churchs pastor, Bruce Frazier, on the churchs GoFundMe page. In a small community like Rockport thats simple [sic] not affordable.
http://www.nationalmemo.com/religious-right-using-hurricane-tragedies-leverage-public-funds-churches/
I say Bullshit, I don't support the Assembly of God or the Hi-Way Tabernacle and there anti-human being attacks
Iliyah
(25,111 posts)"is the desire for material wealth or gain, ignoring the realm of the spiritual".
RWer's religion is a sham and conning their believers is an evil art form.
defacto7
(13,485 posts)Some use them for their own promotion just as some non-profit organizations do. But democratic governments are chosen by the people to work for the support of it's people (or it used to be that way). Non-profit organizations can be regulated. Churches are trusted just... "because". This is absolutely absurd to think dime a dozen, "anybody can be one" churches are of a higher level of trust than the rest of us human beings. Greed is ingrained in our nature especially when we're in a clan mentality and a god or religion has never changed that.
We must take care of each other, but trust without oversight is disaster. We should trust an organization with public funds and public purpose only if we are guarding against the demons in our nature.
sinkingfeeling
(51,457 posts)rebuilding of any church nor to paying for their insurance.