Re: Hurricane Bertha

Jonathan Kirwan wrote:
On Thu, 17 Jul 2008 09:09:09 -0700, Joerg
<notthisjoergsch@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Jonathan Kirwan wrote:

[...]

This, I know: A church doesn't even need to file with the IRS in
order to secure the tax status of a 501(c)3. The IRS web page tries
to provide some reasons why a church might want to do so, but
recognizes there is no requirement for it. More, a bill signed into
law in 2000 by Clinton makes it very difficult for any local gov't
entity to regulate what a church decides to use its property for.
Quite different out here. Our building permit for an added facility was held up for years. A main obstacle was that we plan to provide a sport facility that can be used by anyone regardless of religion. It's for kids. The government doesn't seem to care, they just closed a skate board park for "liability reasons". Kids need some place to vent off their energy and if we don't provide it nobody will. Certainly not the local government which is kind of sad.

Out here (and I can provide court cases to read, if you like, which
cite the federal measure I mentioned), about the only thing that a
local gov't can do to control some particular construction project is
to show that it is in some fashion unsafe, engineering-wise. In some
extreme cases where there is a serious traffic change problem to a
very low traffic neighborhood, there is room for them to insist on
paying for appropriate flow changes for safety in the area (lights,
etc.) There are plenty of web sites discussing the changes in land
use permitted after Clinton signed the RELIGIOUS LIBERTY PROTECTION
ACT in 2000. Our state no longer can require much of any conformance,
though there are successes here and there to restrain them a bit. I'd
assumed this is the same circumstance pretty much elsewhere in the US,
now. But I could be wrong about it. State courts do what state
courts do, I suppose.

I spoke with the manager at a Methodist facility called Alder's Gate
here in Oregon, a few years ago, about this. He was talking about
some repairs they were doing and an expansion they were making (I'd
seen the work and asked about it.) I brought up the point about the
religious liberty act and asked him if it was true that the local
authorities couldn't really interfere, except for engineering and
safety issues and he said, "Yes," and then went on to explain some
details about their interactions with the county officials to confirm
that. So I have at least ONE, first person, informed story about this
besides the court cases I've also read.


At the end of the day all this boils down to who has the most clout. In politics clout equals money. The local authorities usually don't have any but if they overrun the budget they don't seem to have a worry in the sky because it's "only" taxpayer money. A church and most other organizations have a higher level of financial discipline and they can't run up tens of thousands in attorney fees to put up a fight.


Being a church is VERY GOOD MEDICINE for any business. Sadly, this
makes them VERY TEMPTING for people with... less than honerable
intentions.

BTW, Jon, well said.
On the point about the nugget of what it means to be Christian?
Thanks. I just wish I met a few more of them than I seem to.

I have closely watched your comments about your faith, when you are
kind enough to share it, and you express it with a rare natural
beauty. Even the humble, and only in appropriate conversational,
fashion by which you rarely speak about it contributes nicely.

I have been impressed.
Thanks, very kind. I try just to live it and not force faith on people. IMHO that and volunteer help are the only way.

That's what pleases me so much about it, Joerg. It's how it should
be, I think. Our world, our country, our communities would all be so
much better if more Christians felt like you do. I'm an atheist and
despite that personal defect I would be proud and honored for the
privilege to live and work together with such a community of
Christians.


WRT volunteering I am probably way behind you. Somewhere you mentioned north of 10,000 hours. I have quite a few years to go to reach that level. Whether someone working next to me is an atheist or of other religion doesn't matter much, at least not to me.

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

"gmail" domain blocked because of excessive spam.
Use another domain or send PM.
.

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