This pandemic is calling us to make emergency exceptions to many strongly held beliefs.
Pastors aren't holding worship services.
Conservative small business owners are applying for loans/grants from the government.
And now, to intensify it all, I learn recently that the small business grant part of the CARES act applies to all non-profit organizations, including churches!
Well.
Without knowing if there are any fine print strings attached, I think the same logic applies to churches that I've thought apply to small businesses: the government has (rightly) caused this economic stoppage, so they need to reimburse the companies they've hurt.
Just as the government has asked all assemblies to cease, including churches, so it should reimburse drastically reduced revenue, charitable donations, and offerings for businesses and non-profits resulting from their action. This isn't welfare, or taking a handout as a lazy indigent. It is the gov't buying your property from you to put in that highway, instead of simply seizing it with no payment. It is the gov't driving a truck through your garage door, and paying for the repairs.
But doesn't this violate the separation of church and state, or sphere sovereignty?
Doesn't seem so to me, as long as the regulations aren't unreasonable. Churches would have to keep people on their payroll, and use the money to pay them and pay rent/mortgages, just like other businesses - that's the whole point. In my understanding, they then don't have to pay the loan back. We should also be reasonably certain that the government didn't do this deliberately, to get their hands in more pies. I'm not a conspiracy theorist to think that, in this case.
I totally understand not applying for funding. But I don't think it violates Scripture to accept the state's help in this instance, either.
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