Thousands of Catholic churches received PPP loans: report

[yortsed snacilbuper]

"It's quite possible that if most churches take advantage of PPP loans, it could easily capture one third of the entire $350 billion allocation,"

the decision to apply for and receive PPP funds is one of the most important issues the church will face in this decade.

It will set a precedent for the future and may, in time, hinder the mission of the church when the strings attached to government funds are not consistent with Scripture.

Lawmakers are currently working on the next round of coronavirus relief legislation, but there are sharp divides between the parties over where the money should be focused.

link

[montanacowboy]

1. WTF?

How in the hell do they qualify for this?

[Beartracks]

3. Staff on payroll. n/t

[msongs]

4. the vatican is filthy rich, it should pay for all the churches who tithe and send it money nt

[judeling]

7. I am not a Fan of the Church

But the thought that they are filthy rich is a fantasy. They were rich once upon a time. But that was long ago.

Those parishes asking for support are directly responsible for the help of some of the poorest among us and in turn serve those communities.

[Chainfire]

10. If the Church is in financial trouble

Perhaps they could sell off a little of their real estate holdings.

[judeling]

13. They have been.

But the ones worth the real money are essentially museums.

But even when they try and sell off they get nothing but community push back and the politicians find it easy to limit the use and so lower the price or right out forbid it. In rural areas there is almost no demand.

[demosincebirth]

8. You speak before you put your brain in gear

[Laffy Kat]

5. I do not want my tax dollars dispersed to churches.

I guess that's too bad for me.

[Talitha]

6. And from what I understand, they don't pay taxes?

This is BS.

[BigmanPigman]

9. Hear hear!

[Igel]

11. They don't.

The money gets used one of two ways.

1. As a loan. Probably not so much here. You don't pay taxes on your loans, do you?
2. It goes for employee pay. Employees pay taxes. (But I'm not clear on whether this counts as earned income in the same way as normal employer-provided pay.)

So either it's taxed the same amount as loans to for-profit companies (which is to say, at 0%) or it's taxed at the same rate as the funds going to for-profit company's employees.

If it's to help the *people* then it's to help the *people*. Church employees aren't 3/5 of a person just because they type and organize offices or run a choir for a church and not something else. It's the same with small businesses versus small storefronts of large companies--if it's to help the people, why is it that the 5 employees at Joe's Sub Emporium (with 1 location) are more meritorious of help and of greater respect than MegaCorp Subs employees, maybe there are 5 employees but there are 1500 locations?

[leftyladyfrommo]

12. Seems like everyone got drenched in money except

the people who really needed it.