A phantom plague': America's Bible Belt played down the pandemic and even cashed in. Now dozens of p

A phantom plague': America's Bible Belt played down the pandemic and even cashed in. Now dozens of pastors are dead

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/...zhp2QHlOdhF5rDSb_lliPEU1ANSKBhg2md86nxfQiKOlw

Dozens of pastors across the Bible Belt have succumbed to coronavirus after churches and televangelists played down the pandemic and actively encouraged churchgoers to flout self-distancing guidelines.

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I feel like this story might fit better under chatter or world events. Not really a political angle here

 

politics and religion is usually a common touchy sub group

 

So what's your political take on this event?

 

just more kooky irresponsible people who won't believe in science.

 

I just heard on NPR that the Paycheck Protection Act is also lending money to churches that have employees. Why am I bailing out churches?

 

Judge not, lest ye be judged..... I do believe in science. I have never even remotely been referred to as irresponsible. And kooky?? Well, there was an old story once about a pot and a kettle... Stop me if you heard this one.....

 

Probably the same reason the program is bailing out institutions of higher learning. The epitome of financial mismanagement..... Churches are not being bailed out. The church secretary needs a living wage just as anybody's employee needs sustenance. Many churches also harbor daycare facilities that typically house a dozen or so low wage earners that desperately need to live right now as well...... I swear you guys would make the Pope a villain if it fit your agenda.

 

Couple of points here... I asked because I had no idea whether or not church employees like janitors and church secretaries pay taxes on their incomes. I went to the IRS webpage and found that they are required to pay income tax and therefore churches should qualify the PPP like any other business.

Another point is that State institutions like universities do not qualify for the PPP. It is possible that some small colleges or private education entities might qualify but there is no way that a State University is going to see any money under this act.

I was raised in the Catholic church and went to Catholic school. I can assure you that the Pope and the entire Catholic organization are all criminals. I feel lucky to have escaped my Catholic education with my virginity intact. Many of my fellow adolescent classmates weren't so fortunate. If that isn't the definition of a criminal organization, what is? It wasn't my agenda to molest children and I refuse to forgive those that made it their agenda.

 

I am sorry. I was sure I had seen a news piece where Harvard had taken a PPL grant/loan and was being pressured to return the monies. And from there, my assumptions were drawn.

It hurts me that you were subjected to something this inhuman. Unfortunately, people (including people that wear the cloth) are imperfect. I have seen it play over and over with coaches, teachers and other institutional leaders. The only fitting recompense for these people is to be unceremoniously neutered. There is no excuse acceptable to ruining a young life...... Fortunately my experience in the church has been a positive one. Particularly where it concerns children. I am sorry you were subjected to that.

 

I heard something about Harvard or some other school getting and returning money as well. I'm not sure how they even managed to qualify given the less than 500 employee limits. I know in some cases, banks just processed applications for their largest customers. I don't know the Harvard story. It may not have been the PPP under which they got money. Something else to research.

I'm aware that people are imperfect. I don't believe that perfection was called for in these thousands upon thousands of abuse cases. I would have settled for accountability and responsible leadership rather than cover-ups and denials. What we got was decades of children being sexually abused by the very people telling us that we needed to be forgiven for our sins. I could forgive an individual if he tried to make amends but I can't forgive an institution that was only looking out for itself. Then we find out that many of these priests were abusing nuns as well. I guarantee you that when the nuns brought the abuse to the church authorities, it was also covered up. Some things are just unforgivable. I guess I was fortunate to be a skinny homely little kid. It probably saved me.

 

The Churches are also actively involved in the cover ups, moving priests to other churches after they get caught. Unforgivable.

 

Did I mention that many of the people related to my grandparents were priests and nuns? I guess they would also be related to me but by the time I came along, most of the people of my grandparents generation that were affiliated with the Catholic Church were gone. My grandparents made sure that I went to Catholic School and were devout Catholics until they died. I'm pretty steeped in Catholicism and I feel that I have the right to level disdain on the organization from the inside. I am not an outsider simply knocking a religion I was never part of.