Is it Just Me or Is There a Decline of Philantropy Work from Churches?

[AnonSan]

I remember back in the 90's seeing other churches helping the poor and needy through their non-profit organizations and other host fundraisers in the community to help the community.

 

I cannot say much from my end as the church I grew up in doesn't follow mainstream Christianity- even though their branches are found worldwide. My family's church of origin never ran soup kitchens, can food drives, funded shelters, or made any donations to hospitals and assisting living facilities. Instead, the church's organization puts their funding into missionary work in Europe and Asia. By missionary work, I mean converting non-Christians worldwide. Their resources and members are stationed primarily to proselytize and spreading the gospel by passing out free Bible and pamphlets at minimum. Those who went above and beyond have attracted refugees from Syria to eventually convert and join the church.  We do help out the needy, but the needy community only refers to active church members from low-income households. None of the church's tithes and donations ever went to the public, so the financial resources are only circulated within the organization. 

 

Sure, Covid pandemic did pause the community outreach, which was understandable. But as everything started to open back up, I experience more church members trying to tell people to come to service more than restarting their public fundraisers. So, to hear my church how generous they are, yet they remain exclusive to their own always bugged me. Their generosity is limited based on someone's commitment to our church's lifestyle that only then they will be taken care of. The Catholic Church puts them to shame as my former Catholic co-workers and my husband's family have always helped out others regardless of their background. 

 

 

[♦ Fuego ♦]

I rarely saw it through my time in church. There was one time that stood out when my pastor convinced a handful of local congregations to worship together on Easter, then gather the offering and give it to a local charity. My own church gave me food when I was jobless and living on my dad's property. In the 90s, they mostly seemed concerned with politics and making change that way. In my last congregation, they were strong on missions and helping the poor start businesses based on ethics which they called godly principles. But then they started a building program which diverted their energy into that. I'd previously been through a huge drawn-out building program with tons of emotional manipulation to squeeze money out of the congregation, so I had enough. 

[☆ moxieflux66 ☆]

1 hour ago, AnonSan said:

I remember back in the 90's seeing other churches helping the poor and needy through their non-profit organizations and other host fundraisers in the community to help the community.

 

I cannot say much from my end as the church I grew up in doesn't follow mainstream Christianity- even though their branches are found worldwide. My family's church of origin never ran soup kitchens, can food drives, funded shelters, or made any donations to hospitals and assisting living facilities. Instead, the church's organization puts their funding into missionary work in Europe and Asia. By missionary work, I mean converting non-Christians worldwide. Their resources and members are stationed primarily to proselytize and spreading the gospel by passing out free Bible and pamphlets at minimum. Those who went above and beyond have attracted refugees from Syria to eventually convert and join the church.  We do help out the needy, but the needy community only refers to active church members from low-income households. None of the church's tithes and donations ever went to the public, so the financial resources are only circulated within the organization. 

 

Sure, Covid pandemic did pause the community outreach, which was understandable. But as everything started to open back up, I experience more church members trying to tell people to come to service more than restarting their public fundraisers. So, to hear my church how generous they are, yet they remain exclusive to their own always bugged me. Their generosity is limited based on someone's commitment to our church's lifestyle that only then they will be taken care of. The Catholic Church puts them to shame as my former Catholic co-workers and my husband's family have always helped out others regardless of their background. 

 

 

Wouldn't it be great to put that money to better use, like everything you just said? Something concrete? My brother's house was getting foreclosed on and what did my christian sister send him?? A bible!! No, can't eat it, drink it, run your car on it, pay your bills with it. But I guess if you have a wood stove.....

[Casualfanboy16]

2 minutes ago, moxieflux66 said:

A bible!! No, can't eat it, drink it, run your car on it, pay your bills with it. But I guess if you have a wood stove.....

Anything can be food if you're brave enough. Or y'know, you could always just use it as TP.

[older]

When I see the mega-churches being built in our area I wonder how many hungry or sick kids could be helped by the millions they are spending on these buildings. A news story I read just today reports that the Church of Pedophilia (a.k.a. Catholic Church) in Oakland, CA. spent $175 million on a new building and then declared bankruptcy in order to avoid paying out claims to the 330 abuse victims that have filed against the church. Not to mention that the diocese owns 2000 pieces of land appraised at a value of more than $3 billion. Chapter 11 bankruptcy allows them to keep all their stuff and make it extremely difficult for anyone to get what they are owed. 

 

Here's a link to the story:

 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/nov/12/sex-abuse-catholic-church-bankruptcy-oakland-califonia

[☆ moxieflux66 ☆]

1 minute ago, older said:

When I see the mega-churches being built in our area I wonder how many hungry or sick kids could be helped by the millions they are spending on these buildings. A news story I read just today reports that the Church of Pedophilia (a.k.a. Catholic Church) in Oakland, CA. spent $175 million on a new building and then declared bankruptcy in order to avoid paying out claims to the 330 abuse victims that have filed against the church. Not to mention that the diocese owns 2000 pieces of land appraised at a value of more than $3 billion. Chapter 11 bankruptcy allows them to keep all their stuff and make it extremely difficult for anyone to get what they are owed. 

 

Here's a link to the story:

 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/nov/12/sex-abuse-catholic-church-bankruptcy-oakland-califonia

How is this shit not a criminal enterprise??? Why don't we have an outrage button for comments? Imagine if they just paid taxes! 

[AnonSan]

21 hours ago, Casualfanboy16 said:

Anything can be food if you're brave enough. Or y'know, you could always just use it as TP.

 

In the 1970s, the United States shipped 20,000 Bibles to a mill in Romania where they recycled them into toilet paper due to a shortage (web source: hungarianhistory.com/lib/hunspir/hsp60.htm): 

 

"...In granting MFN [Most Favored Nation] status to Romania, we chose to overlook the bulldozing of churches and synagogues. We overlooked the despicable action of the Romanian Government in converting a gift of American Bibles into toilet paper." (Senator David Durenberger, Minnesota, Congressional Record July 15, 1987, p. S 9988)

 

 

"It was Senator Ribicoff who negotiated and worked to see to it that those 20,000 Bibles could be delivered. He spent countless weeks and months on that negotiation. Not one church received one of those Bibles, they disappeared in Romania but they reappeared. Some time later, packs of toiletpaper turned up in Romania with remnants of printed text, clearly visible on the surface...The Romanian Government pulped the Bibles we sent and turned them into toiletpaper. This is not an unconfirmed anecdote, incredible as it sounds. I have seen one of these Bibles and a sample of the toiletpaper and the essence of this incident was independently confirmed..." (Senator Christopher J. Dodd, D., Connecticut Congressional Record June 26, 1987, p. 8793)

[Casualfanboy16]

19 minutes ago, AnonSan said:

 

In the 1970s, the United States shipped 20,000 Bibles to a mill in Romania where they recycled them into toilet paper due to a shortage (web source: hungarianhistory.com/lib/hunspir/hsp60.htm

 

"...In granting MFN [Most Favored Nation] status to Romania, we chose to overlook the bulldozing of churches and synagogues. We overlooked the despicable action of the Romanian Government in converting a gift of American Bibles into toilet paper." (Senator David Durenberger, Minnesota, Congressional Record July 15, 1987, p. S 9988)

 

 

"It was Senator Ribicoff who negotiated and worked to see to it that those 20,000 Bibles could be delivered. He spent countless weeks and months on that negotiation. Not one church received one of those Bibles, they disappeared in Romania but they reappeared. Some time later, packs of toiletpaper turned up in Romania with remnants of printed text, clearly visible on the surface...The Romanian Government pulped the Bibles we sent and turned them into toiletpaper. This is not an unconfirmed anecdote, incredible as it sounds. I have seen one of these Bibles and a sample of the toiletpaper and the essence of this incident was independently confirmed..." (Senator Christopher J. Dodd, D., Connecticut Congressional Record June 26, 1987, p. 8793)

That is the funniest shit I've ever read lmaooooo

[TheRedneckProfessor]

2 hours ago, AnonSan said:

 

In the 1970s, the United States shipped 20,000 Bibles to a mill in Romania where they recycled them into toilet paper due to a shortage

There has never been a situation in which the phrase "holy shit" was more appropriate. 

[◊ Weezer ◊]

On 11/12/2023 at 7:04 PM, AnonSan said:

 

I remember back in the 90's seeing other churches helping the poor and needy through their non-profit organizations and other host fundraisers in the community to help the community.

 

Some branches of the Mennonites are still pretty active in charity programs.  And Churchs of Christ have been active through the years in having children's homes, foster care, adoption and family counseling programs.  And some have clothing for the poor and needy families.  A good way to get rid of the old clothes you no longer want.  And of course, the foster care and adoption families are only members of the church.

[older]

43 minutes ago, TheRedneckProfessor said:

There has never been a situation in which the phrase "holy shit" was more appropriate. 

This deserves more than one laugh emoji.