NY City orders churches not to shelter homeless

[hermetic]

This is all over Canadian news, can't find much about it on US news sites yet.

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/World/2008/11/22/7501101-ap.html

"Twenty-two New York City churches have been ordered by the city to stop providing shelter to the homeless.

With temperatures below freezing Saturday, the churches had to follow a city rule requiring faith-based shelters to be open at least five days a week or not at all."

[Berry Cool]

1. Isaiah 58:7

"Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry; And bring the homeless poor into the house; When you see the naked, to cover him; And not to hide yourself from your own flesh?"

How are they supposed to obey this directive and keep to their mission?

[bobbolink]

18. I guess Civil Disobedience would be the only answer to that....

And, why is it only CHARITY that we seem to have an interest in?

[tsuki]

2. Do the "faith-based shelters" open receive money on the number

of beds filled from the city?

[Cassandra]

3. There's nothing in the Times about it.

And their headline is kind of inflammatory. Clearly, the churches cited don't have the staff to manage their programs and the city doesn't want to direct the homeless there but to other places. I'm wondering if the RW is going to seize on this and scream about the WAR on CHRISTMAS or Godless liberals or something.

[liberal N proud]

4. That sounds just a little fascist

Not allowed to take care of those in need.

Next they will deny anyone from feeding the hungary.

[Sanity Claws]

5. Daily News has an article on it

http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2008/11/21/2008-11-21_churches_forced_to_boot_homeless.html

We're having a terrible cold spell here. Yesterday, the high was only 32. It dropped into the 20s Friday and Saturday night.
I stopped into a couple of churches yesterday and saw many people sitting in them. I wonder how many were homeless, just looking for a place to keep warm.

[no_hypocrisy]

6. Isn't that interference by the state into church affairs and programs?

[USA_1]

7. Yes it is!!!

The government has no business telling those churches what to do.

[LiberalFighter]

9. They do if they were to receive government funding.

[no_hypocrisy]

11. I'm not so sure. For example, the Catholic charities receive gov't funding and are allowed

to discriminate on hiring Catholics only by way of protection of the Church's right to determine what is best for the Church.

[yy4me]

8. Along with almost everything else, have we also lost

our compassion? What a sad world. We make the rich richer and let the poor starve or freeze.
Most of us do what we can to help but the state prevails in this, I guess.

I am becoming so negative against all things governmental. Where is the sense of compassion and caring? AND why is the state involved in this church decision?

[bobbolink]

13. Yes, indeed. And where are the "progressives" with demanding adequate low-income housing

for everyone?

Do you hear about this on Olbermann, or Maddow? Do you read about it in the "progressive" blogs and magazines?

Do we speak much about it on DU?

NO..... so we really can't complain that much about the RW, can we?

WE MUST SET THE TONE.

If WE can't care enough to demand adequate low-income housing, then we can't complain about the lack of compassion for shelters.

It's that simple.

[MineralMan]

10. Those churches should

tell the city to go have intercourse with itself. Churches may operate as they choose and can simply say that these homeless are simply worshippers, attending overnight services. The city will have no legal way to obstruct the practice.

[stray cat]

12. Closed down because they are required to be open 5 days a week

with volunteers running the shelters at churches they usually are not open 5 days a week and the city shut them down because of it. I think 4 days is better than none.

[maryf]

14. Horrific

Quotes from the article clearly states the degree of bs and doublespeak the city is spouting:

"Patrick Markee of the Coalition for the Homeless non-profit advocacy group disputed the city figures showing an increase in beds. He said the city proposes to close down drop-in shelters overnight.

"That's a net loss," he said.

"However you cut it, there will be less shelter for the street homeless at a time when the economic downturn is causing more homelessness."

Janik said drop-in centres provide only "folding chairs," not beds.

"That's unacceptable and we think there are better programs and ways," she said."

How many have tried to sleep in folding chairs??

[hermetic]

15. Yes, thank you

for bringing those points to the fore. I figured all I could do with the quote limit was to show this article, FROM THE AP, around and hope more people get a chance to read it. And think about it.

[bobbolink]

17. Where is the "progressive" press and media on this???

[sarcasmo]

16. This is such a sad story.