Your church is not one of them.

[wnylib]

36. The finances of the churches that I know are not secret.

Last edited Mon Jun 24, 2024, 07:56 AM - Edit history (1)

But, I have nothing against financial rules or laws for non profits that would cut back on frauds. There is already a legal provision for revoking a church's non profit status if it becomes openly political in endorsing candidates. But, as we see with RW Trump supporting churches, when a church supports a party or candidate who is powerful or has powerful, rich backers, the law does not get enforced.

There is a problem with non religious non profits, too, that spend over 50 cents of every dollar donated on salaries and perqs for their administrators.

Way back in the early 1970s, when I was much younger, a friend's mother told me about a bad experience that she had with the Red Cross after her Ohio town had been nearly demolished by a tornado. Donations in money and goods had been sent to the Red Cross for disaster relief. But she said that the Red Cross set up tables where survivors had to pay for the donated items, sometimes at higher than market prices.

Meantime, the Salvation Army showed up with donated food and with blankets and tents that were either donated or bought from donated money. They gave them out freely, no charge. SA volunteers helped people set up the tents, prepare food, and search for people not yet accounted for.

In 1985, a huge supercell system spawned 44 tornadoes over a 10 hour period, from Ohio through Pennsylvania to NY and southern Ontario, Canada. They ranged in strength from F1 to F5. 90 deaths and almost 900 injuries. When it was over, before first responders could reach remote small villages, caravans of PA Amish buggies arrived with food, blankets, and first aid. Some stayed to help clear debris and find missing persons. When areas were cleared, they came back with lumber and tools to help rebuild.

I could never live an Amish lifestyle or accept many of their beliefs and customs. But, it is also a cornerstone of their beliefs that they are obligated to help anyone in need. I've gotta respect that part of their beliefs. I can't condemn the good things that some people do even when I disagree with them about almost everything else.

I always donate to Salvation Army fundraising drives, even though I could never accept some of their beliefs. And, at our local summer farmer's market, I always buy most of my produce from an Amish booth because the quality is good and the prices are lower than other vendors. (I avoid their baked goods because they use lard.)