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Church transforms vacant land into massive urban garden, donates 65K pounds of food to people in need (www.goodgoodgood.co)

submitted 11 months ago by Blaze@sopuli.xyz to c/goodnewseveryone@sh.itjust.works

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[-] pneumatron@sh.itjust.works 38 points 11 months ago

This is actually really cool. Cooler if maybe they can pay taxes next!

[-] RowRowRowYourBot@sh.itjust.works 11 points 11 months ago

Would you want a food bank to pay taxes?

[-] pneumatron@sh.itjust.works 20 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

This is a post about churches.

[-] RowRowRowYourBot@sh.itjust.works 7 points 11 months ago

I know. They are also functioning as a food bank. They are a non-profit acting in a charitable manner.

Do ypu think they should engage in less charity so they can pay taxes?

[-] PostaL@lemmy.world 15 points 11 months ago

Yes, they should not pay takes for money they can justify they used for charity.

Building mega-churches, having expensive cars and jets is not charity.

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[-] SkyezOpen@lemmy.world 12 points 11 months ago

I dunno about other churches but I'm pretty sure the one I grew up in gave away donated food. Paying taxes wouldn't impact that at all.

[-] RowRowRowYourBot@sh.itjust.works 4 points 11 months ago

They do other charitable work that isn’t handing out donated food. There is of course expenses associated with storing and giving out that food as well.

[-] SkyezOpen@lemmy.world 7 points 11 months ago

You'll be furious to know that the workers are almost entirely volunteers as well. The cost to the church directly is negligible. And I'm still sure whatever other charitable work they do would not be significantly impacted by paying taxes. If anything, the money generated could do infinitely more good in expanding welfare programs. Charity is a band aid, not a solution.

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[-] tarrox1992@lemm.ee 11 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

If they operated full time as a food bank and didn't proselytize to the people they are helping, then they shouldn't pay taxes. If they preach and try to convert people to their religion during their service, then I'm going to bet they try to do that to the people they feed. Preying upon people in their weakest moments is not a good thing to do, but it's all I've ever seen Christians do

Edit: "Marianists emphasized the power of small communities to “renew Christianity” following the French Revolution." If this is their emphasis, then they should definitely be paying taxes.

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[-] pneumatron@sh.itjust.works 10 points 11 months ago

I'm not sure what point you're trying to make. Churches should pay taxes that's all. Don't complicate it. Why would paying taxes force them to engage in less charity? Are you saying they're incapable of doing both?

[-] Soulg@ani.social 5 points 11 months ago

The whole basis of the no taxing thing was because of the charity. I'm fine with small churches who do a lot of good for their community being exempt, the problem are the mega churches who make mountains of money and do nothing good with it.

[-] Tar_alcaran@sh.itjust.works 5 points 11 months ago

I'm not. They can register as a tax-exempt charity and do the paperwork like all the other tax-exempt charities.

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[-] Wanpieserino@lemm.ee 9 points 11 months ago

These taxes can be used to support food banks. So the church would receive subsidies.

Tax and transfers. Income inequality is 0,26 in my country and 0,41 in yours. Even china is down to 0,35.

Charity doesn't seem to work. Taxes do work.

I don't need to feel good about doing something nice for someone else. I just pay taxes and the person doing something nice gets paid to do it.

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[-] Bronzebeard@lemm.ee 6 points 11 months ago

Then they can file like every other nonprotand prove it through their finances, instead of the idiotic rubber stamp they get - including those megachurch abominations that drive lambos onto the stage of their sermons and own multiple private jets.

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[-] AllPintsNorth@lemm.ee 17 points 11 months ago

Yes! They can deduct anything they donate from their taxes!

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[-] Nalivai@lemmy.world 14 points 11 months ago

I would like a for-profit organisation that is occasionally gives food on their conditions to pay taxes.

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[-] HotsauceHurricane@lemmy.one 34 points 11 months ago

This is doing church right.

[-] MintyFresh@lemmy.world 7 points 11 months ago

There's so much good that some churches do. The Methodist near me has a permanent trans flag and a sign saying all are welcome. Do all sorts of good deeds. If you're looking for community and a place to put your charity, either your money or your labor, you could do much worse. It's an established functional thing, actually dedicated to good deeds and love.

Such churches do exist, and if your a product of western society, as I suspect anyone reading this is, it's the closest thing to heritage and a sort of tribal inclusion you're likely to get. A thing I think all humans crave on some level.

Then the Catholics, mega churches etc out there giving it all a bad name. Just hateful with a side of systematic sexual abuse. My point being maybe just don't turn your nose up at the mere thought of it. There's so much goodness about if you only reach out and grab it.

[-] ccunix@sh.itjust.works 6 points 11 months ago

Sadly churches are filled with people and people are fallible. The larger the church the more likely problems occur visibly.

[-] HotsauceHurricane@lemmy.one 6 points 11 months ago

I had a priest as a kid who was always saying that god doesn’t hate & neither should you. I remember during one sermon he was talking about Harry Potter(during height of anti Harry Potter bullshit) & how love was a major theme in the book we should all pay attention too.

He was cool.

[-] Tar_alcaran@sh.itjust.works 9 points 11 months ago

how love was a major theme in the book

Well, unless you're gay. Or trans. Or not white.

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[-] falynns@lemmy.world 25 points 11 months ago

Maybe start paying taxes, on that and all other land they've confiscated.

[-] Angry_Autist@lemmy.world 6 points 11 months ago

Churches aren't tax free because they are churches, they are tax free bc they are charities, just like every other charity out there

Frustrating af that hardly any of you understand this.

[-] Bronzebeard@lemm.ee 11 points 11 months ago

You're the one who's wrong here. All other 501c3 nonprofits have to show their books and prove it. Churches get a rubber stamp.

Stop spreading this lie of yours

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[-] AllPintsNorth@lemm.ee 7 points 11 months ago

That’s just wrong. Churches are tax free because they are churches.

Don’t believe me? Go look up a church’s 990… oh, wait… you can’t. Because they don’t have to file them because they are “special” in the eyes of the law. Not just a run of the mill charity.

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[-] OpenStars@piefed.social 7 points 11 months ago

That's so awesome!:-)

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