Public funding for places of worship

[Skids]

Victorian government donates $400,000 of taxpayer money for the construction of a new mosque

“Do state governments normally give $400,000 to help build houses of worship?” James Morrow, opinion editor at the Daily Telegraph tweeted.

“There’s only 466 Muslims in Bendigo,” Avi Yemini of TR News said. “That’s almost $1,000 per head. Cost of appeasement.”

So, the Victorian government don’t have the funds or resources to ensure innocent civilians at a fun run aren’t maimed and murdered by Islamic terrorists, but somehow have hundreds of thousands of dollars to throw at the construction of a new mega-mosque?

https://caldronpool.com/victorian-gover ... ew-mosque/

[David]

“Do state governments normally give $400,000 to help build houses of worship?” James Morrow, opinion editor at the Daily Telegraph tweeted.

Oh gee, I dunno. Could the answer possibly be yes?

https://sydneyanglicans.net/news/sixty- ... ent-grants

Sydney Anglican Parishes Are among many not-for-profit and community organisations that have benefited from the latest round of community Building partnership (CBP) grants, with 61 parish projects successfully obtaining grants totalling over $1.2 million.

The CBP, administered by the NSW Government, provides funds towards the purchase or maintenance of capital works that provide community services, including the work of many churches.

The most recent round of CBP grants in NSW (where The Daily Telegraph is published, meaning its opinion editor might conceivably be aware of the existence of such grants, if he ever does some research in-between whingeing on Twitter about PC gone mad) are listed here:

https://www.nsw.gov.au/improving-nsw/pr ... ip-grants/

Some 2018 highlights (I only got up to electorates starting with M):

Uniting Church in Australia Property Trust [NSW] on behalf of The Mustard Seed Faith Community: Restore Church Steeple: $35,000.00
Castle Hill Community Church: Refurbishment of Auditorium Flooring: $40,000.00
Anglican Church Property Trust Diocese of Sydney: Church Hall Air Conditioning: $61,325.00
Anglican Church Property Trust Diocese of Sydney: Christ Church Gladesville - Roof Restoration: $62,535.00
Greek Orthodox Church & Parish of St Demetrios Queanbeyan: St Demetrios Community Hall Upgrades: $75,000.00
Church of Christ Fairfield: Pergola Supported on Reinforced Concrete Slab for Community Recreational: $97,650.00

Obviously these are mostly renovations, whereas the construction of an entire building from scratch will require far greater funds. But let's at least stop pretending that state government funding for houses of worship is somehow unusual.

[roar]

It's not unusual but it is ridiculous that the government provides funding for churches/mosques/synagogues.

[watt price tully]

Stupid thread & the Mods should pull it. The only reason it's up here is because of Skids's dislike of Muslims - end of story. He thought he found something like a 'gotchya' moment but as usual it backfired when basic cursory research by David shows how stupid the thread is.

[stui magpie]

It's not unusual but it is ridiculous that the government provides funding for churches/mosques/synagogues.

Completely agree. Places of worship don't need to be fancy or expensive and shouldn't get any government funding.

Case in point, this little weatherboard church up in Toc which I got married in.

https://www.churchesaustralia.org/list- ... ing-church

Built around 1890, still standing and smaller than the rumpus room in my house.

[Skids]

Stupid thread & the Mods should pull it. The only reason it's up here is because of Skids's dislike of Muslims - end of story. He thought he found something like a 'gotchya' moment but as usual it backfired when basic cursory research by David shows how stupid the thread is.

Stupid?

They gave $1.2 million to 61 churches and 30% of that to build ONE mosque.

Wonder how much christian churches get granted in Islamic countries?

[luvdids]

Stupid thread & the Mods should pull it. The only reason it's up here is because of Skids's dislike of Muslims - end of story. He thought he found something like a 'gotchya' moment but as usual it backfired when basic cursory research by David shows how stupid the thread is.

Stupid?

They gave $1.2 million to 61 churches and 30% of that to build ONE mosque.

Wonder how much christian churches get granted in Islamic countries?

Was the $1.2 million for the churches to be built?? Or for renovations? How much did the original structure cost to be built?? Or do those facts not suit your agenda?

To answer your question, yes, stupid.

[Wokko]

Taxes shouldn't be used to fund religious buildings, either the building or renovating. I'd begrudgingly accept its use to help fix heritage buildings, but $400,000 on a mosque in a town with less than 500 Muslims is obscene.

Imgaine if that was to fund a Scientology centre in Melbourne, people are only defending this because they see Muslims as a persecuted minority.

[David]

[David]

Taxes shouldn't be used to fund religious buildings, either the building or renovating. I'd begrudgingly accept its use to help fix heritage buildings, but $400,000 on a mosque in a town with less than 500 Muslims is obscene.

Imgaine if that was to fund a Scientology centre in Melbourne, people are only defending this because they see Muslims as a persecuted minority.

Imagine that!

https://www.smh.com.au/education/public ... q2ye7.html

Schools associated with the Church of Scientology are receiving more government funding per student than hundreds of Australian public schools, new data has revealed, despite benefiting from generous private donations and hundreds of thousands of dollars in school fees.

The Athena and Yarralinda schools receive a combined amount of up to $475,000 in recurrent public funding every year to educate fewer than 60 students.

[Wokko]

So do you support that funding David?

[David]

It's a tricky one. I'm sympathetic to those who oppose government religious school funding on principle and understand how it can be seen as a vital part of separation of church and state (and I certainly opposed the chaplain program for that reason), but I do also see the benefit of government funding for community projects, many of which have traditionally been affiliated with religious groups. Clearly, this mosque is not just about the mosque itself, but about building a community hub for the region's Muslim population, who may otherwise not have that. So I can imagine there are plenty of community benefits here.

So I'm happy to sit on the fence on this one and listen to general arguments for either side. But one thing I do take a firm view on is that the issue shouldn't be selectively exploited with malign political intent, as it has been here.

[watt price tully]

It's a tricky one. I'm sympathetic to those who oppose government religious school funding on principle and understand how it can be seen as a vital part of separation of church and state (and I certainly opposed the chaplain program for that reason), but I do also see the benefit of government funding for community projects, many of which have traditionally been affiliated with religious groups. Clearly, this mosque is not just about the mosque itself, but about building a community hub for the region's Muslim population, who may otherwise not have that. So I can imagine there are plenty of community benefits here.

So I'm happy to sit on the fence on this one and listen to general arguments for either side. But one thing I do take a firm view on is that the issue shouldn't be selectively exploited with malign political intent, as it has been here.

On that basis shut the stupid thread down or put it as money for religious buifdlings.

It's also stupid to say just 500 muslims and therefore,... there are regional pople who are muslim who have had nowjhere to worship. There are Muslims in towns near and far from Bendigo who will use the service, in fact there under Skids's bed as we speak.

The Mosque will also be used for community groups as well not just for prayer.

[David]

^ Fair call. Done.

[Skids]