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Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!tektronix!uw-beaver!tikal!cholula!persci!bill
From: bill@persci.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.politics,net.religion
Subject: Re: "Tax Supported" Churches.
Message-ID: <425@persci.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 7-Oct-85 16:13:03 EDT
Article-I.D.: persci.425
Posted: Mon Oct  7 16:13:03 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 9-Oct-85 06:19:25 EDT
References: <5945@cbscc.UUCP> <569@k.cs.cmu.edu.ARPA> <421@persci.UUCP> <780@cybvax0.UUCP>
Reply-To: bill@persci.UUCP (William Swan)
Organization: Summation Inc, Woodinville WA
Lines: 77
Xref: linus net.politics:10703 net.religion:7524
Summary: 

In article <780@cybvax0.UUCP> mrh@cybvax0.UUCP (Mike Huybensz) writes:
>> >Does it cost the government money to fight fires, maintain the streets,
>> >patrol neighborhoods to discourage blatant criminality, and pick up the
>> >garbage?  Obviously it does.
>> >Do churches benefit from these services to the same extent secular
>> >organizations do?  Obviously they do.
>> >Do churches pay for them?  Obviously they don't.
OK, Mike, here's a simple little example.

I used to be a member of a church in a little rural town called Ben Lomond
in California. 

This church helped support the local volunteer fire department. This church
paid for its own garbage pick-up (I don't know how you do it back there on
the other coast, but here each facility pays directly). This church pays its
own gas, electric, and water bills. This church *never* committed a crime,
blatant or otherwise. I would rather suspect that it doesn't provide a very 
big burden on the community (I won't go into any details on the groups,
like AA, that use the facilities, the only such facilities in town! for next
to nothing).

This church recently had to expand their facilities, due to a growing
congregation. This meant a *LOT* of money in taxes ("fees", etc) to get the
plans "approved" and the building "inspected".

Now..

Back in the winter of 1981-82 Ben Lomond and surrounding communities received
some heavy rains (some areas reported 160 inches from Nov to Mar). The first
day of the flood I watched the local river rise from a little stream you could
wade through, up to 40 feet deep (with 10 more till our neighbors flooded, and
another 5 till ours went!). The river stopped there, we were lucky.

Other people weren't. A day or two later there was a massive landslide just
north of town. A number of people died (including the daughter of a friend).
Many were left homeless. The slides kept happening. More people were left 
homeless. Roads were being closed right and left by slides (one community I
had lived in nearby had to ferry across a reservoir to get in and out).

The church puts out a call for help! Within an hour, the hall was converted
into a disaster relief center manned by volunteer church members. Those of
us more fortunate donated clothes, blankets, food, shelter, etc etc. Soon
the whole community was involved, digging people out. The next day money
started to arrive from nearby churches, and by the end of the week it poured
in from all over the country, to be distributed to help people get back on
their feet to keep going.

Some churches across the country sent volunteers to help dig out houses
(the Mennonites apparently have teams that do nothing else but.. this is
their witness.)

Eventually, the Guard arrives, to pass out water (the water system finally
failed), and to do a little more digging.

FEMA finally arrives on the scene, with grand promises about how this great
government of ours would save everybody and rebuild the valley. People stood
in line for hours to face a bureaucrat, to fill out their forms. Then the
wait for the money while the forms were "processed"... and the wait..
and more waiting..  

Now it is Summer 1982. Very few people have received any money from FEMA.
Many had their entire claims "disallowed". The church has helped many people
to get going again. Some members are out (unpaid volunteer effort) helping
people to rebuild damaged homes. The relief center is being dismantled, with
non-perishable and useful supplies going into storage (supported by the 
church). Plans are laid for future such emergencies.

Summer 1983: I move away from the valley. The church is prepared for more
emergencies (and in fact, some lesser ones happened the preceding winter,
and the church was in action). Few people have yet received any assistance
from FEMA, who, of course is long gone. There is a lot of bitterness about
the government's lack of aid.

Now I ask you: who provided the real service to whom?

-- 
William Swan  {ihnp4,decvax,allegra,...}!uw-beaver!tikal!persci!bill