Posted on 09/09/2017 7:15:36 PM PDT by marshmallow
Washington D.C., Sep 8, 2017 / 12:02 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Texas churches damaged by Hurricane Harvey filed a lawsuit against the Federal Emergency Management Agency, claiming they have been denied disaster relief grants due to their religious status.
“After the costliest and most devastating natural disaster in U.S. history, the government should come to the aid of all, not leave important parts of the community underwater,” said Diana Verm, counsel at Becket, a non-profit religious liberty law firm representing the churches.
“Hurricane Harvey didn’t cherry-pick its victims; FEMA shouldn’t cherry-pick who it helps.”
Hurricane Harvey, which ravaged the Texas coast in recent weeks, brought severe flooding to Southeast Texas, resulted in the deaths of over 60 persons, displaced 30,000, and damaged or destroyed homes throughout the region. It has reportedly caused billions of dollars of damage.
Becket filed a lawsuit against FEMA in a Houston federal court. In a complaint filed on Monday, three Texas churches – Harvest Family Church of Cypress, Tex., Hi-Way Tabernacle in Cleveland, Tex., and Rockport First Assembly of God in Rockport, Tex. – said that FEMA unlawfully denied them grants for disaster relief simply because of their religious status.
FEMA’s disaster relief policy states that “[f]acilities established or primarily used for political, athletic, religious, recreational, vocational, or academic training, conferences, or similar activities are not eligible” for grants.
(Excerpt) Read more at catholicworldreport.com ...
whats the betting the mosques got help ???
Better not to accept the “gifts” of mammon. Sounds bad, but it seems early for lawsuits.
Figures.
Headed for Clearwater, FEMA is going to be so sued.
“FEMA’s disaster relief policy states that “[f]acilities established or primarily used for political, athletic, religious, recreational, vocational, or academic training, conferences, or similar activities are not eligible” for grants.”
It seems to eliminate a large portion of “non-profits’, but not all. It does not seem to single out religious, but among the nonprofits not prohibited from FEMA grants are hospitals and..................Planned Parenthood; by my reading of who FEMA says is not eligible for grants.
Too funny. Incidentally, I ate at Popeyes this evening. They were advertising it all day on TV.
So the federal government is required to fund planned parenthood because ... uh... 4th amendment gives the right to abortions...
But it just NEVER fund churches because the first amendment says separation of church and state ( even though church services were held in the US capital building in the first 30 years of its existence)
We live in bizarro land and it’s time to set things right.
My neighborhood was flooded pretty bad a few years back. FEMA came around my place every damn day, trying to get me to sign up for free money. At first I politely declined, but after a few days, I would just tell them to get off my damn porch.
My neighbors who took the money thought I was being an idiot. But my house was up and running, fully repaired, in three weeks. They wound up delaying repairs for most of a year, living in hotels, waiting on that money. Then FEMA made them do ridiculous renovations, placing their houses atop ten foot high exposed foundations, that cannot be used for storage or even as a garage. They look like lighthouses.
Now they all want to know how I knew FEMA was such a bad deal. My attitude is, it’s the Federal government, how can it not be a bad deal?
Just tell the FEMA guy to get lost and fix your damn house (or church). If you can’t afford fix your house, you shouldn’t own a house.
Churches are tax exempt. it is hypocritical to expect the government to help when you never payed in.
...Churches are tax exempt.
it is hypocritical to expect the government to help when you never payed in
Agree, this is my take also
Same basic question I'd ask welfare leeches...
FEMA's not going to help rebuild schools?
[ Churches are tax exempt. it is hypocritical to expect the government to help when you never payed in. ]
It is my understanding that churches are non-profit, therefore there can be no tax on a non-existent profit.
The salaries of the Pastor and all employees pay income taxes, and of course the parishioners do also.
So all non-profits shouldn’t get FEMA funds?
Like the Red Cross?
Like Planned Parenthood?
“The salaries of the Pastor and all employees pay income taxes, and of course the parishioners do also”
Yes they do. They, as individuals, are eligible for Government assistance.
No they should not. Now if they wish to apply for an emergency loan from a government agency, that’s fine. But grants, no.
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion...
Pretty much means they’re exempt from taxing anyways. They enter a contract with the government when they apply for a “tax exempt” status.
Not draining the swamp and firing every Obama appointed or hired official shows every day. Talk was cheap Mr President.
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