Spending millions on holiday shows and advertising instead of actually feeding and housing people is also disqualifying. (TikTok screencap)
It’s sad that, even at the good churches, God still refuses up to 3 miracles just to make sure they remember who’s boss.
God has blessed them with good parking spaces.
This is literally completely in line with the behavior of Yahweh in the Old Testament
Companies and large retail stores have these donation boxes for individuals to donate food into. I thought: why won't the companies donate themselves? The French have a good idea with legislating restaurants to donate unserved food to the homeless.
But more importantly taxing people so a proper universal social security net exists. Donations and charities are symptom treatment (and very inefficient treatment at that), while proper social security is treatment on a structural level.
Came here to see this.
So sick of seeing Mackenzie Scott articles. She shouldn't even be able to donate billions of dollars. She should be paying some fucking taxes.
Shes basicslly the only billionare currently donating her fortune away. Ideally that fortune would never have existed, but at least shes largely doing that herself.
Hopefully you save some vitrol for the billionares shattering the planet and not just for the one who actually, somewhat agrees that they have too much money and are doing something about it.
Hopefully you save some vitrol for the billionares shattering the planet and not just for the one who actually, somewhat agrees that they have too much money and are doing something about it.
I hate them all equally, but I reserve special vitriol for those who performatively donate it in order to generate favorable news headlines, whether it's your favorite pop star, a celebrity athlete, or a wizened beloved investment oracle.
They're all parasites and shouldn't exist.
The dumbest possible take.
Yeah, or take of person whocknows what are billionaries charities for.
They don't donate it themselves, because it's all a scam to get customers to subsidize their charitable tax deductions. Same reason Taco Bell always asks if you want to round up.
NEVER do that shit. Donate yourself, directly, if you actually want to.
I used to think this too, and it's going around because it's excellent and plausible outrage bait.
...But as of now, that is not how it works. They are simply a collection point for the nonprofit / charity / whatever, and cannot use customers' donations to offset their own taxes.
I agree though, folks should just donate straight to good causes, but these "round up" campaigns actually generate a lot of money for charity organizations, and villainizing them is counter productive.
A few articles about this:
https://taxpolicycenter.org/taxvox/who-gets-tax-benefit-those-checkout-donations-0
All that said: Yes, scumbag corpos should be strongarmed to pay their damn taxes, and those taxes should go to the public good instead of warships and corruption!
Same for the lightning conductors on churches. Have some damn faith!
Those are legal minimums
A church with miracles would be exempt from that.
Render unto Caesar the parking spots which are Caesar's.
that was a fun read! tickled my "fuck you you damn whited sepulchres" gland
Honestly, sensible.
The best part is (in my experience) come Sunday those spots will be filled, most often not by handicapped people.
Where's the meme? All I see is a screenshot of some dude at a restaurant?
A screenshot with a caption is an example of a meme.
No it isn't.
(Don't send me definitions)
Yes it is.
(I won't since you'll just keep denying objective reality anyway)
It's nice to know this qualifies as a valid post in /memes
How about I blow your mind even more... Memes don't even need to be an image at all.
Oh my god, are you suggesting a meme can be an IDEA?!
Are they like genes? But inherited socially?!
(I know what a meme is in the strictest sense, but it's not what any modern person conceptualises as a meme though)
> Post a meme.
> It's not even an actual image.
> PicardFacepalm.jpeg
> Fuuuuuuuuuuuu...
> But is it still a meme?
> Philosoraptor.bmp
> Don't let your memes be dreams.
He’s got a roll of tape, and the words on the cup are all backwards.
Coffee break from a bunch of paint masking at the local church when he had this funny insight and used the selfie cam without flipping the image. :D
I wonder if the video added anything to the text or if Tiktok is just twitter with mandatory face reveals.
Walk in to any church thats actin' right and you can get help volunteering somewhere. Every church ive been a part of has had things like food banks, outreach events, volunteering groups that do just about everything, oh and want to know a sweet secret? Most churches DO have mortgage/rent assistance. The church i go to right now will give anyone 300$/month, for any reason, as long as you actually need it, but you dont really have to verify anything, but for that you do have to be a "member" of the church, and to become a member, you have to come at least once, thats it, just show up once, or twice maybe someplaces.
That's lovely there's still churches like that, which actually do measurable things to protect their communities, and give to one another freely without pretense.
These are the kind of groups that capitalists systematically dismantled and replaced with profiteering megachurches.
If you wanted to game the system...
This part makes me kinda sad though. I know Lemmy doesn't have a huge reach but it can't help but taste a little sour that everything you said sounded awesome until it ends with a "jus between you an me pal" nudge-nudge about how to take advantage of freely given generosity and communal resources. That's called being a scumbag.
Like the people who got kicked out from my local foodbank line because they were trying to get free ingredients for their restaurant.
Such behavior sabotages the struggling remnants of genuine humanity left in this world.
you have been upgraded to MEGA CHURCH
These are the kind of groups that capitalists systematically dismantled and replaced with profiteering megachurches.
I wanted to say something about this because it dont think this has ever happened? Can you give me an example?
People dont go to churches or give money to churches that they believe are profiteering. Ill concede that some large church's have bad leadership who are greedy, no doubt. But if the congregation assumes something of the like, tithing and attendance is likely going to dry up.
Ok... going to back up, because what you said could be true maybe about the catholic church? or a different denomination maybe? What im talking about is non-denominational churches specifically.
I wanted to say something about this because it dont think this has ever happened? Can you give me an example?
Sure! I'll be transparent with you, I could probably stand to memorize my history a little bit more, BUT...this is going a little bit far back.
There's actually a REALLY GOOD pair of podcast episodes by "Behind the Bastards" called "How the Rich Ate Christianity."
Part 1: https://youtu.be/gyHd6wEC4IE
Part 2: https://youtu.be/LL8s7N0TU-c
It does a very good job of detailing how churches back in the day just didn't have the sorry reputation they have today among the general public.
The rich-n-powerful of the time actually considered Christians to be pesky bleeding-heart socialists that hurt their plans for maximum wealth extraction. Churches were busy feeding their communities and protesting landlords and stuff, rather than worshiping work.
So the fatcats got together and worked to supplant churches of MANY denominations by sneaking in pro-capitalism doctrine in exchange for financial support, for instance. It's where we started hearing this absolutely bananas idea that God shows His love and approval by making one wealthy. (?!?!?!?)
As well as "preaching" about individualism instead of community and looking out for ones' neighbors.
Along with lots of other weird nonsense like I heard in my non-denom circles growing up, like :
"Oh, the 'eye of a needle' was actually some kind of weird gate in the city walls that camels had to awkwardly pass through, so uh, it's not impossible to enter the Kingdom of Heaven and be wealthy, just uh, difficult! Yeah! You have to be worthy of handling the wealth! But you can be rich, yes!"
(Zero anthropologic / archeological / literary / theological / historical support for this notion.)
So that's what I meant about good churches doing God's work getting "replaced" with profit-friendly religiously-flavored feelgood self-help seminar campuses.
I hope that helps explain where I was pulling that from! :)
Man, Id much rather have this conversation in person. But!
...bananas idea that God shows His love and approval by making one wealthy.
Things can get twisted, mainly because people are involved, and people can twist things for an agenda.
Ya see, wealth can be a by product of living rightly for God. Wealth isnt guaranteed to everyone that is a Christian or a good person. And also, having wealth isnt a sure sign that someone follows God, or is a good person even.
I believe, that if a person lives by Christian principles in work and business that they can be more likely to succeed. Being honest, frugal, diligent, respectful etc. Having such qualities can surely increase someone's potential successfullness.
I have notes, but the "property gospel" is "on the money". To turn a phrase.
Eck... yeah, I had to delete that last part now... you got me (rightfully) feeling convicted... I didn't need to add that... so, thanks. That was my earthly flesh self saying that, I wouldnt even actually do that in RL. I probably subconsciously thought that would make me look cool around here.
Hey, that takes a lot of strength, and I greatly admire and respect you for it. You've got a good heart and I can tell you didn't mean any harm by it. Thank you for considering my words with the best intentions. (I'm REALLY sorry if I came off harsh earlier!)
You are very cool. :)
I struggle with that right there with you, and I pray we both find the strength to be His light in dark places when it matters the most.
I wish you and yours a blessed Christmas/Holiday Season and New Year.
Stay safe out there! :)
Thank you so much friend! It isnt common to get such a glowing review around here :). Really put a smile on my face. 😁. (You didnt come off too harsh ;)
And amen let us be His shining light of love! Humbly and meekly of course.
I also hope you and those you love are safe and all get along lovely this season, keep politics off the table ;).
Whoa this is weird. I might know the guy in this photo. What is this from? I pulled my my old coworker’s Facebook page and it looks a lot like him, right down to the grey in the beard.
Horseshoe theory is bullshit, but I genuinely can't tell if the original context of this screenshot was some anti-woke Evangelical shit, or smug Reddit atheism
I think it's a joke and you don't need to be too far any any particular direction to chuckle at it.
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A collection of some classic Lemmy memes for your enjoyment