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Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church got $4.4 million in federal PPP funds
- Thread starter Loudninja
- Start date
He lives in a $10 million dollar mansion, in the most luxurious part of Houston. Tax the Churches. At least the ones helmed by televangelist grifters.
This was also the megachurch that, IIRC, was turning people away at the door during a major storm emergency a few years ago.
I don't really have a problem churches applying for and getting relief. In cities like mine, religious groups are often the front-line for food and housing relief in emergencies, and with churches being closed around us for about half the year, fundraising dried up completely. Especially with schools closed, churches and church run food pantries were some of the only places that people could get a hot meal, take shelter for a few hours, do laundry, or get clean clothes. Ideally I think most of us would want the government to provide this relief, and in some places it does, but it usually doesn't, and so non-profits like churches often fill the gap (or provide the bulk of unmet need) and it's one of those things where your ideological purity -- "SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE UBER ALLES!" -- is out of touch with the reality of people who need help and the groups helping them.
That said -- I have a problem with clearly profit-driven corporations run by eccentric multi-millionaire or billiionaires like JOel Osteen getting PPP funding.
I don't really have a problem churches applying for and getting relief. In cities like mine, religious groups are often the front-line for food and housing relief in emergencies, and with churches being closed around us for about half the year, fundraising dried up completely. Especially with schools closed, churches and church run food pantries were some of the only places that people could get a hot meal, take shelter for a few hours, do laundry, or get clean clothes. Ideally I think most of us would want the government to provide this relief, and in some places it does, but it usually doesn't, and so non-profits like churches often fill the gap (or provide the bulk of unmet need) and it's one of those things where your ideological purity -- "SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE UBER ALLES!" -- is out of touch with the reality of people who need help and the groups helping them.
That said -- I have a problem with clearly profit-driven corporations run by eccentric multi-millionaire or billiionaires like JOel Osteen getting PPP funding.
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I CAN FEEL THE HEALING POWER OF THE LORD COME TO ME IN THE FORM OF $4.4 MILLION FROM THE GOVERNMENT HALLELUJAH HAVE FAITH AND TITHE A $100 SEED OF GRACE AND PROVE YOUR FAITH IN JESUS THAT YOU TOO MAY BE GIVEN GOVERNMENT FUNDING
Must be nice being not only a big business corporate entity but also technically a religious organization so that you don't have to pay taxes, but can still benefit from all of the worst parts of capitalism and greed.
One of my coworkers goes to his church and defends the guy, and I absolutely judge him for it.
One of my coworkers goes to his church and defends the guy, and I absolutely judge him for it.
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My mother in law and sister in law used to go to this church when I first met my wife 4 years ago, my wife was always calling out the bs from it because she isn't religious, but I'm glad they both stopped going now and stopped giving them money, I just sent my wife the link to show her mum and her mum said "well 4.4 million is enough of peoples money to never need to donate to them again" hahaha seriously though fuck this dude, people like him are why my mother in laws small family business never got a PPP loan because the money ran out. Gotta love that separation of church and state, don't pay taxes but happily help themselves to the tax funded bailouts.
I can believe that but what I'm most perplexed by is that, with how wealthy they are, they didn't have savings or investments or whatever to get by for this first year of the pandemic.
That PPP money could've actually gone to people that needed it.
He lives in a $10 million dollar mansion, in the most luxurious part of Houston. Tax the Churches. At least the ones helmed by televangelist grifters.
Honestly they should just tax Churches that bring in over a certain amount of money in tithes. Megachurches being tax exempt are bullshit
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I mean, they are already flush with cash, grabbing up this loan money for themselves wouldn't be worth the potential pushback.
They still need to be taxed to all fuck.
The PPP money is for payroll and employee benefits. While they are personally flush with cash, why would they dip into their own personal money to pay their employees? It is a business after all, and the PPP is used to help businesses.
Honestly, I don't see much of an issue here and I'm an atheist that thinks that smiling fuck is slimy. But, if they qualify for a PPP, I don't see the issue. Either their employees get paid or they get laid off. Why should a business owner have to dip into their own personal money to pay their employees when the government is offering a lifeline?
The exploited workers deserve the PPP.
The higher-ups, like Osteen, deserve nothing. My reaction was more to him saying he's not taking any money from the loan. I'll typically give churches (not Scientology) the benefit of the doubt since they do sometimes provide public services and help those in need. The organizations should pay taxes though.
These TV pastors need to put out a Reasonable Doubt-like gospel album. They are bonafide hustlers.
Woops. I misread the article. I thought it said that the Osteen's payed themselves using the PPP funds. Nevermind.
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Then pay them has nothing to do with them getting funds they should not. These Mega churches has a shit ton of money to pay them.
Eh, if they qualify, they qualify. I'm not really that upset over this. Employees gotta get paid.
their employees need to eat and pay bills just like everybody else's
He's a millionaire. He can pay his employees. Hell, regular church donations probably paid his employees.
if it's a business it should be taxed
all the tax paying businesses that don't have an owner with a net worth of 60 million dollars and yearly contributions of 80 million dollars also have payroll and employees and have to scramble and get denied or delayed that PPP money while places like Lakewood get to grab another piece of the pie.
yup.
Lakewood is a massive corporation at this point.
Well, technically it's a "faith based organization." Listen, you're preaching to the choir about churches being taxed. But that's a separate subject. They qualify for the loan as a faith based organization, why would I be upset for them applying for a loan to pay their employees which they qualify for?
TIL Transistor is also a Houstonian.
Good to have you! I'll do my best not to whine and moan about the city in your general direction. :D
If Lakewood Church got the grant and said they didn't apply, they lied.
According to the Bible Joel Osteen espouses, when you lie to another person, you lie to God.
It's despicable that they got the loan but if they told the truth, it would have been more accurate.
According to the Bible Joel Osteen espouses, when you lie to another person, you lie to God.
It's despicable that they got the loan but if they told the truth, it would have been more accurate.