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The Church Needs To Stop Taking Government Money
Acton Institute ^ | 7/25/2014 | Elise Hilton

Posted on 07/25/2014 8:28:22 AM PDT by markomalley

Phil Lawler at CatholicCulture.org voices what should be obvious: that by taking federal money and grants, the Catholic Church has put herself in a very awkward place. Money from the government always comes with strings attached, and those strings have tied the hands of too many  Catholics.

Earlier this week, President Obama handed down an executive order that requires the cutting off of government funds from “any organizations that discriminate against homosexual or ‘transgendered’ persons. This executive order is not aimed solely at the Catholic Church; many others will lose federal contracts.” The U.S. Catholic bishops have opposed this move, but since Obama did this as executive “fiat” it is hardly something one can legally oppose. That’s okay, says Lawler.

So how can the Church respond? That’s easy. Stop taking federal contracts. President Obama doesn’t want help from the Catholic Church. Say it’s a deal; don’t give him any.

What would that mean, practically speaking? It would mean things would get really messy, especially in terms of health care, human services, and services to the poor.

Let’s just take one major issue: those children flooding over the southern border. The US bishops’ office of Migration and Refugee Services (MRS) estimates that about 90,000 unaccompanied minors will arrive in the US this year—up from an average of under 7,000 in previous years. The federal government is already straining to provide shelter for these children while their cases are processed. Imagine the chaos that would ensue if “the largest resettlement agency in the United States”—the bishops’ MRS office—withdrew from that effort.

But you might ask: What would happen to all those vulnerable children, if the US bishops didn’t help? It’s a good question. Whatever one might think about how and why the young migrants are pouring across the border, the fact remains that something must be done with them. Could the Church help to give them temporary shelter and support, while we wait for their cases to percolate through the immigration machinery?

And when we ask that question, we bump into an inconvenient truth about the bishops’ Migration and Refugee Services. The last latest annual report from the MRS shows a total budget of just under $71 million, of which nearly $66 million—or nearly 93%—came from federal grants and contracts. For every dollar MRS raised in private donations, more than $1,000 came directly from Uncle Sam.

The budgets for these programs provided by the Church would indeed shrink, but if that’s what Obama wants, maybe that’s exactly what he should get. As the Rev. Robert Sirico has pointed out, “There’s the threat that he who drinks the king’s wine sings the king’s song.” The Church needs to step away from the federal wine casks; it’s clearly soured.

Read “Obama’s executive order and the danger of reliance on federal contracts” at CatholicCulture.org.


TOPICS: Catholic; Current Events; Religion & Politics
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To: sitetest

Many of the hospitals will shed their Catholic identity, the way Catholic Healthcare West became Dignity Health (so they could commit abortions without interference.) Others will defy the bishops, and some of the the bishops will wink wink their approval.

The colleges will go along with the forced faggotry in defiance of the bishops, and some of the the bishops will wink wink their approval.

Some dioceses will go along with the forced faggotry. Most of those will produce an avalanche of words to deceive the few Catholics who object to the faggotry. They will label those objectors as uncharitable and bigoted, the way they label those who object to their attempts to dissolve the border.


21 posted on 07/25/2014 10:56:20 AM PDT by Jeff Chandler (Conservatism is the political disposition of grown-ups.)
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To: DManA
>>All these churches should have a little faith that God will provide.<<

I agree. I’ve been thinking about that on several levels lately. Whether it’s churches, Christian singing groups or individuals, or whatever they have all fallen into the worldly “contract” business. I listen to a Christian station that plays gospel music. It’s the same songs over and over and it makes me wonder if it’s because of the royalties demanded by the groups or individuals. If it is I would suggest that the Biblical admonition “verily they have their reward” would apply rather than being blessed by God and rewarded in heaven.

22 posted on 07/25/2014 12:10:23 PM PDT by CynicalBear (For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ)
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To: PGR88
.


Any church taking money from the Government is making a deal with the devil.


Yep ... and (sadly) that includes ALL IRS 501-C3 tax-exempt churches in America.

Don't blame me ... I'm just the messenger.

Questions ?

 photo IRS-950_zpsa5223654.jpg

Muster up the COURAGE to do the "free" IRS download of "Pamplet P1828" which specifies the legal details of your tax-exempt church's sertitude to it's U.S. Government Masters.

Heck, I'll even do you the favor of providing the internet link:

IRS Legal Obligations of Tax-Exempt Christian Churches and Pastors" - (click)



 photo IRS--211H_zps9a42d760.jpg

 photo IRS--211D_zps76d54b3c.jpg

 photo IRS-940_zps073562f1.jpg

 photo IRS-830_zpsec27dc18.jpg .




IRS & Church Marriage vs. "Render Unto Caesar" ...

IRS & Church Marriage vs. "Render Unto Caesar" - (click)



America's Spiritual Revival and Healing - The Obstacle ...

.America's Spiritual Revival and Healing - The Obstacle ... - (click)




Pro-Life Victory vs. "Render Unto Caesar" ...

Pro-Life Victory vs. "Render Unto Caesar" - (click)




Tea Party Christians and "Render Unto Caesar" ...

Tea Party Christians and "Render Unto Caesar" - (click)



 photo IRS--211Y_zps47974838.jpg

 photo IRS--211J_zpsa0fe62e2.jpg .

23 posted on 07/25/2014 2:19:44 PM PDT by Patton@Bastogne (.)
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To: markomalley

ALL CHURCHES, white, black, red and yellow, Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Mormon, or Pagan, must stop taking any federal money, or they should be counted among the federal whoredom!

IF they take the money, whatever stand they take, must be discounted, because they owe a favor to the federal government, and could never threaten that money train!


24 posted on 07/25/2014 2:29:00 PM PDT by Terry L Smith
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To: xzins

**The Church Needs To Stop Taking Government Money**

Every church everywhere!

BTTT!


25 posted on 07/25/2014 5:05:30 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: Tax-chick; GregB; Berlin_Freeper; SumProVita; narses; bboop; SevenofNine; Ronaldus Magnus; tiki; ...

Ping!


26 posted on 07/25/2014 5:15:37 PM PDT by NYer ("You are a puff of smoke that appears briefly and then disappears." James 4:14)
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To: markomalley

The great whore of rev 17 is riding the beast which is the government.


27 posted on 07/25/2014 5:43:33 PM PDT by ravenwolf
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To: markomalley

Money from the government always comes with strings attached, and those strings have tied the hands of too many Catholics. >>

then why lobby for school vouchers?


28 posted on 07/25/2014 6:13:58 PM PDT by Coleus
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To: Jeff Chandler
Dear Jeff Chandler,

You may be right.

But I'm not sure withdrawal from the “public square” is the right approach, either. We have, over the past century, abandoned, one by one, all our institutions as the left has encroached upon them. As the left has made its long march through our institutions, we have given ground over and over, hoping that the left will leave us be in the space that is left to us.

My own view, not particularly well-formulated, is that we need to fight to take back the institutions that we created and tell the left to go back to Hell whence it came.

Thus, my view, regarding these issues, is to sue the Hell out of the federal government by questioning the very premise of the idea of government regulation of religious organizations. In western civilization, it was understood that Church preceded state ontologically, and the ultimate reason that the Church was tax-free was that the inferior cannot exert authority (in this case, the power to tax) over the superior.

We need to re-assert this argument, and make the case that the First Amendment is first and foremost, when it deals with religion, about the recognition that the Church ontologically comes before the state and the state has no power over it.


sitetest

29 posted on 07/25/2014 6:51:56 PM PDT by sitetest (If Roe is not overturned, no unborn child will ever be protected in law.)
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To: sitetest

I don’t see that kind of courage among Catholic clergy; it is rare. I also don’t see that the bishops are on the right side of the culture wars. A few are, but most of them are Progressives and give only lip service to the Faith.


30 posted on 07/25/2014 7:07:58 PM PDT by Jeff Chandler (Conservatism is the political disposition of grown-ups.)
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To: Jeff Chandler
Dear Jeff Chandler,

I'm not under any delusion that the bishops will do anything but “lead from the rear.” It will be up to the laity.


sitetest

31 posted on 07/25/2014 8:52:10 PM PDT by sitetest (If Roe is not overturned, no unborn child will ever be protected in law.)
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To: markomalley

Acton Institute needs more publicity.


32 posted on 07/25/2014 9:15:25 PM PDT by iowamark (I must study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy)
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To: sitetest
It will be up to the laity.

I'm up to the task. How about you?

33 posted on 07/25/2014 9:22:51 PM PDT by Jeff Chandler (Conservatism is the political disposition of grown-ups.)
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To: Jeff Chandler
Dear Jeff Chandler,

I'll let you know when I figure out exactly what the task is.

;-)


sitetest

34 posted on 07/25/2014 9:43:56 PM PDT by sitetest (If Roe is not overturned, no unborn child will ever be protected in law.)
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To: markomalley

I very much agree with this. The Church will grow spiritually strong without Federal money!


35 posted on 07/26/2014 9:05:23 AM PDT by SumProVita (Cogito, ergo....Sum Pro Vita - Modified Descartes)
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To: CynicalBear; DManA

>>All these churches should have a little faith that God will provide.<<

_________________________

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!


36 posted on 07/26/2014 9:07:43 AM PDT by SumProVita (Cogito, ergo....Sum Pro Vita - Modified Descartes)
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