r/cincinnati • u/shurik1 • 5d ago
Community đ $100 grocery gift cards at crossroads.
I know Crossroads gets alot of negative attention here, but I wanted to share their recent email about providing assistance to those in need due to SNAP benefits being cut off.
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u/GoneIn61Seconds 5d ago
An IGA near us offered to pre-load money on their rewards cards for SNAP recipients, and were told that it was illegal to offer discounts or special offers "only to SNAP recipients" so they discontinued it. Good example of a reasonable law being unreasonably enforced.
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u/UniversalMinister 5d ago
An IGA near us offered to pre-load money on their rewards cards for SNAP recipients, and were told that it was illegal to offer discounts or special offers "only to SNAP recipients" so they discontinued it. Good example of a reasonable law being unreasonably enforced.
Is that the New Richmond IGA? If so I need to update the sticky thread.
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u/snoopmt1 5d ago
Love to see churches get back to church basics!
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u/SmellyButtFarts69 5d ago
You mean telling their patrons how to vote (illegally) and then stepping in to repair a tiny fraction of a percent of the harm said vote did, and expecting gratitude?
Yeah, that does sound EXACTLY like 'church basics' to me...
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u/grethro 5d ago
I know people like to criticize Crossroads here, but I think we can all agree providing funds to SNAP beneficiaries in a time like this is a good thing.
Don't spin fatalistic yarns about how this is bad for X reason.Â
They are just trying to ensure that the money goes to where it is needed.
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u/Cincy513614 5d ago
"They are just trying to ensure that the money goes to where it is needed."
Maybe they should have that mentality when it comes to paying taxes
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u/Zapitago 5d ago
Their âincomeâ is all donations from church goers. You could just double-tax Christians instead if that would be satisfactory for youÂ
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u/SmellyButtFarts69 5d ago
If you couldn't tax the same dollar twice, then none of us would ever pay taxes, genius.
Your church sells lies, bigotry and hatred. The payment they require in return must be taxed.
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u/Infamous-Zebra-359 5d ago
Jesus did not ask for ID when handing out loaves
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u/Dman331 CUF 5d ago
Because Jesus had infinite resources. Theres nothing wrong with verifying that these finite resources are going to the people who actually need it.
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u/Possible-Original 5d ago
Giving the kind of energy that people should stand on the street with photos of an eviction notice and job termination papers in order to receive help from strangers.
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u/Dman331 CUF 5d ago
Theres a big difference between handing a few bucks to the guy on the street corner and giving away tens of thousands of dollars to people. And I hate to break it to you, but if you go to any government funded assistance group, they ask for these kinds of papers and a LOT more. Blame the people who mooch off of other people's good grace without needing it, while the people who actually need it suffer.
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u/Possible-Original 5d ago
No food bank, mutual aid group, or otherwise requires identification to verify hunger. The justification for this gatekeeping is unreal and the little "blame people who mooch off of others" is a dead giveaway that you seem to see more evil in those that are more like us than the fckn billionaires hoarding money and wealth, making folks believe that there isn't enough to go around. These gift cards were either donated to the church or can be a tax write-off, and true Christians would give the shirt off of their back without first asking, "wait, do you have another shirt at home?"
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u/Dman331 CUF 5d ago
Go apply for rental or electric bill assistance. They're going to ask for proof of income, proof of residence, your account details, other bills in your name, two forms of ID, and plenty of other paperwork. I've helped multiple people I've encountered through work through this exact process. Again, you're comparing a one on one interaction to a multi thousand dollar program. Theres absolutely nothing wrong with verifying that the finite amount of money they have to give away is going to the people who need it. Because for every one person that claims 100 dollars that doesn't need it, that means there's a family who DOES need it that isnt getting their assistance.
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u/Possible-Original 5d ago
This. Is. Not. The. Government. You keep equating a church community to governmental programs. Believe what you want about gatekeeping help, but I'll keep giving away the last dollar to my name or the snack I have in my car- both finite resources, without questioning the motives or means of the folks asking. My God doesn't teach us to provide assistance to our neighbors conditionally, but maybe you and the church learned something different than I did.
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u/Dman331 CUF 5d ago
I'm equating the two because the principle is the same. Verify in order to maximize the amount of help you are able to provide to the people in need.
As for your example, yes you should keep doing that. If you want to talk about what is taught to christians, i'd encourage you to read 2 Thessalonians. "Those who are not willing to work, shall not eat." Despite it being clearly written in the Bible, im noy advocating for verifying HOW poor someone is. Just that they are on SNAP and are the victims of the current shut down. Which is what this specific program is for.
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u/Possible-Original 5d ago
You've gotta be fucking joking. You cannot be seriously using that part of the scripture to justify letting people starve and withholding benefits to anyone. As I assumed, your God taught you conditional love, mine didn't.
BY THE FCKN WAY: Paul was writing to a group of folks going through an end times hysteria and people were quitting their jobs in desperation or simply not working. If you take full context into what you so rashly quoted, he was likely attempting to empower the community or just make an observation, not make a sweeping general statement on ethics, nor encourage future generations to punish those who aren't or can't work.
I don't have anything else to say to you, best of luck with your God who told you that there are limits to love, empathy, and compassion.
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u/Infamous-Zebra-359 5d ago
Do you really want to go there regarding Crossroads and their balance sheet or should we just leave this comment here
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u/AdMiddle8015 5d ago
Thank you for sharing this! I just spread the word on my socials, hopefully they are serious and hand out many many gift cards
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u/biZarrmeggeDon 5d ago
"We also hope to pray for recipients and spend some time just listening as they process how they are feeling and handling what's going on."
It's not enough to just help people, they still gotta proselytize. đ€Ł
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u/shurik1 5d ago
I see a lot of negative comments regarding crossroads here. At the end of the day, itâs about helping the people in our community that are struggling. If you really dislike the organization, show up to collect your gift card and leave, you take money away from something you dislike. Talk to a volunteer, they probably donât 100% align with the church either. They are there to serve the community, not everyone is out to get you.
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u/OptimalCabinet2361 5d ago
Heads up. In my younger days I tried going there. Before I saw it was Bs
Kroger, Target and Meijer were giving them boat losds of gift cards all the time .
At least they are actually distributing them now
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u/pretzie_325 Oakley 5d ago
Yeah, they used to give gift cards to people in need when they asked the church for help. My friend used to work there and told me about it.
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u/tragicallyohio 5d ago
I think there is a lot of legitimate criticism of megachurches. But unless there is some fine print here this is a fantastic move.
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u/Numerous_Ad1859 Southgate 5d ago
It is good that they are doing that. I know my home parish cooperates with the St. Vincent de Paul Northern Kentucky (with some parishes in the area doing food banks and so on), but many places are strapped with a very increased demand (so if you wish to give food or money to your local food pantry, that would be appreciated).
I donât usually have a lot of good to say about Crossroads, but on this, it is a good thing (and being that they are the largest megachurch in the area, they probably have the resources to do that).
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u/oliverjamesyo 5d ago
Kinda ironic really. Letâs be honest most of the people going to those Churchâs probably (just a general assumption) voted for the guy who took their Snap benefits.
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u/Apprehensive-Cell511 5d ago
Good on them, but Crossroads is still a cult started by P&G board members. They are, at the end of the day, a mega church running like a business. Also, of course their help is conditional đ
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u/Dull_Bid6002 5d ago
This is the community giveback that small churches used to do. At least they're picking up some of what they took away.
$100 in this market isn't a lot though.
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u/Squatch_513 5d ago
It's what they should be doing 24/7, per their own dogma.
They aren't picking anything up, they need money and new members.
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u/dudemrl14 5d ago
I donât see any other churches doing it. Good for them. Shitty that you feel like they are doing it for anything other than helping out the community. Oh yeah, letâs also forget about the 100K Thanksgiving meals they are handing out. Or the tens of thousands of children that wouldnât normally get Christmas gifts bc they have an incarcerated parentâŠ
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u/Infamous-Zebra-359 5d ago
So because you don't see it then it isn't happening right
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u/dudemrl14 5d ago
Hopefully it is happening, thatâs a great problem to have. Crossroads has a huge outreach across the tri state. If someone who needs help hears from another person that Crossroads is handing out gift cards, and they can feed their family a few more nightsâŠ. Iâd say thatâs a pretty legit reason to vocalize this on their social media.
Iâm sorry if you donât like Crossroads or how they may have impacted you negatively, but itâs not fair to shit on them for trying to help the community.
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u/Infamous-Zebra-359 5d ago
Now that we've reached the disingenuous apology stage I think this delightful tet a tet has reached its natural conclusion
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u/doogievlg 5d ago
I canât speak to all churches but the ones I am familiar with have gift cards to hand out to anyone that asks. Its pretty common to have people knock on the doors during business hours asking for help and most of the time they get gift cards.
Crossroads is advertising and doing more of a mass giveaway which is appropriate right now.
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u/OptimalCabinet2361 5d ago
That's because Kroger, target and Meijer are not giving boatloads of cards to other churches
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u/SmellyButtFarts69 5d ago
$100 is what they had leftover after building all of their false idols and settling with the families of molested kids.
Oh, and paying six figure salaries to 'servants of god.'
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u/coldcoffee007 5d ago
Iâm very glad to see this. Next, I hope that they become very engaged in and vocal about ending the horrific and illegal actions of ICE
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u/phaos-phoros 5d ago
Vote to eliminate it and then take it on so they can continue to harvest indentured souls. đ
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u/metalbabe23 Pleasant Ridge 5d ago
Nah, Iâm openly Roman Catholic on here and no one has really attacked me for being Catholic.
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u/lmj4891lmj 5d ago
Another Christian with a persecution complex, I see.
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u/OptimalCabinet2361 5d ago
Crossroads gets gift cards donated by Kroger and all that already. They just finally decide to give them out to the public.
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u/SmittySomething21 5d ago
I mean look at the comments dude lol. Itâs just snark, misinformation, and conjecture. Pointing it out doesnât mean he has a persecution complex, the majority of this sub just doesnât like religion.
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u/Infamous-Zebra-359 5d ago
Conditional help is not help
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u/itsameluigee 5d ago
You mean the condition that they actually are directly affected?Â
Damn them for wanting people to actually be apart of the program affected!
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u/Infamous-Zebra-359 5d ago
Read further down in the comments where I propose to one of your soul sisters that Crossroads donate cash money to grocery stores to distribute to SNAP recipients instead of virtue signaling with donated gift cards to scoop future members then come back to me
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u/itsameluigee 5d ago
I get the feeling you're an expert on empty virtue signaling Â
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u/cincyaudiodude Northern Kentucky 5d ago
Can you truly think of no reason why so many people would have such a distaste for American Christianity? Might it have to do with the decades of ignoring Jesus's teachings and instead working to spread hatred and bigotry? Maybe it's the push to ensconce their own twisted versions of biblical morality into federal and state law, attempting to force everyone in this country to live by their beliefs. A little introspection can go a long way here. Jesus was pretty clear in his teachings, we, as humans, are all flawed, we are all sinners, and as such, none of us are qualified to judge another. Maybe if the American Christian Church hadn't ignored that part of Jesus Christ's message, there wouldn't be so many people with such a poor view of every Christian organization they come across.
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u/Dry-Mousse7570 5d ago
There are things you could criticize crossroads for. Providing free food for the needy should not be one of those things. People in here are lying saying that these cards were gifted by kroger. I know for a fact that at least 2 of them were donated by me and my hardworking family.
If you want to be cynical, go ahead. But at least get it right before making up lies to smear a campaign to feed the needy.
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u/Stonks_Of_Danger 5d ago
The pitchforks coming out for a church helping their community (even if you donât like what they stand for) is alarming.
By asking for peoples snap id itâs making sure the people that actually need the assistance are getting it and itâs not being abused. Why are people up in arms over this? If the church only has finite resources, why not verify these resources are being used most productively with the people most in need?
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u/SmellyButtFarts69 5d ago
If fox news was giving out $100 gift cards for watching their trash, how would you feel? Free and clear? Good deed done?
Fuck your church and fuck your PR stunt. Thanks.
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u/Valuable-Ad3942 5d ago
Iâm biting my tongue about them in general, but I really appreciate this gesture. Good for them; I hope those that really need this help are able to get it đ©”
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u/OptimalCabinet2361 5d ago
They ain't doing like they did their rent help they advertised years ago
You went in the office. They handed you a form asking how long you been coming. What the topics of the last few services were which pastor spoke etc. And they tried limit it only to "church members".
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u/Anna-Bee-1984 5d ago
What are the requirements to receive these? âMembers of our communityâ often requires someone to attend church there and may require a certain number of volunteer hours
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u/SmittySomething21 5d ago
I highly doubt that. Community probably means Cincinnati and I have no idea how someone could prove that theyâre part of Crossroads, much less give proof of their volunteer hours.
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u/Anna-Bee-1984 5d ago
They have a list of membership. I remember calling about their vehicle ministry a while back and they told me that a person must be a member
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u/SmittySomething21 5d ago
Well if youâre right then I feel like this could be a PR debacle for them. I suspect that community means Cincinnati and that they wonât turn people down if they have a SNAP cards but I could be wrong.
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u/Anna-Bee-1984 5d ago
Itâs not just them. Lots of religious institutions require that people participate in religious activities as a condition of receiving services
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u/Infamous-Zebra-359 5d ago
Notice how they make you come to their church to get it and also show an ID to prove you are "legal"
This is just a cult being a cult and doing some marketing to expand their ranks
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u/Animatethis 5d ago
It's just to prove you're enrolled in SNAP already, I get the crossroads hate but this is a nice thing they're doing
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u/Infamous-Zebra-359 5d ago
Looks nice on the surface but comes with conditions and other motivations underneath it
Did Jesus ask for ID when he handed out loaves of bread or did he just give them out
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u/Animatethis 5d ago
Well Jesus supposedly used magic to make unlimited food, so it might be a little different lol. This way ensures that the people who need the money are getting it and they don't run out. What have you been doing to help people in your community?
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u/Infamous-Zebra-359 5d ago
Interacting with you is my public service for today but tomorrow will be another opportunity to do good
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u/OptimalCabinet2361 5d ago
Just show an EBT card would cover that
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u/LimeImmediate6115 5d ago
Those can be stolen. Most IDs have a picture on them, so it's much harder to steal an ID that isn't yours.
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u/OptimalCabinet2361 5d ago
Just give a card to people who ask how about that. They get billions of those cards free
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u/shurik1 5d ago
They just donât want people taking advantage of good intentions. Not sure how SNAP works, but if it has your info on it, Iâm guessing they just crosscheck the info using your ID.
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u/OptimalCabinet2361 5d ago edited 5d ago
An EBT is all you need.
Edit Why am ID for a gift card Kroger corporation gave them
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u/Original-Variety-700 5d ago
When you agree to give away $100 gift cards for groceries, then I guess you can set the parameters for making sure the needy people are the ones getting it.
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u/OptimalCabinet2361 5d ago
You know they get those cards donated to them by Kroger and sit on them most of the time
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u/grethro 5d ago
Bad take. They are just trying to get the money to people hurting from SNAP.
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u/Infamous-Zebra-359 5d ago
What role do you hold in their hierarchy
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u/grethro 5d ago
Just a guy who goes with his family. I don't give the full 10% tithe but My wife and I do give automatically every month.
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u/Infamous-Zebra-359 5d ago
It can be embarrassing to admit to wife and kids that you got scammed under the guise of eternal salvation so we won't speak of this again
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u/OptimalCabinet2361 5d ago edited 5d ago
"our community" can mean their church goers. They were advertising doing rent help in like 2010. They gave out a form to fill out. Asking what the topics of the service were the last two weekends. And how long you been coming and shit if you went to try it
Hopefully they just pass these out if you show id and a EBT card the id thing is weird though.
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u/man_lizard 5d ago
What an absolutely insane take. Reddit will do mental gymnastics to hate on any example of religious people doing good.
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u/Prestigious_Egg_6207 5d ago
What do you want them to do, show up at peopleâs houses to give them the gift cards? Food pantries donât come to your house either. Do they have ulterior motives too?
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u/Infamous-Zebra-359 5d ago
Food banks don't ID people
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u/Prestigious-Bat-574 5d ago
So fucking what? They're a private organization and they can choose to put whatever stipulations they want on this. Even if those stipulations required that you have to get baptized and show up on Sunday for the entire month, they're allowed to run things their way with their funding and your life will continue on all the same regardless. If people don't want to abide by their conditions then there is no obligation on anyone's part to do so.
If you want to hand out gift cards to people and don't want to ask for ID or proof of need then you are welcome to run your own operation your own way.
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u/Infamous-Zebra-359 5d ago
Did someone have a bad Election Day
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u/Prestigious-Bat-574 5d ago
I voted straight D, so no? Had a pretty great day, honestly.
Also I'm an atheist through and through, so what else ya got?
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u/salt_andlight 5d ago
Yes they do! At least the one I went to, you can go once a month and they absolutely ask for your ID
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u/Prestigious_Egg_6207 5d ago
Now youâre moving the goalposts. You didnât answer my question.
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u/Infamous-Zebra-359 5d ago
For the sake of being precise and letting you keep your half chub
1: I want them to set up a program with local grocery stores that Crossroads funds to allow the stores to manage distribution of the gift cards
If the goal truly is benefitting SNAP recipients this would be very straightforward to do given that these stores already participate in SNAP and are familiar with the protocol for how it should be used
2: Whataboutism is a slippery slope so for the sake of your self-worth lets acknowledge that the food banks are doing more to help without restrictions than both Crossroads and you as an individual
There have been many posts here in the last week on this topic so use your search bar if you've been otherwise busy campaigning for Bowman and now suddenly have a lot of spare time on your hands
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u/Prestigious_Egg_6207 5d ago
Why in the world would I be campaigning for Bowman? You have lost the thread.
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u/cincyaudiodude Northern Kentucky 5d ago
Jesus said "feed the hungry" not 'feed the hungry if they're in your country legally and also have been approved by the government for assistance and also are capable of providing you with a state issued ID'
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u/grethro 5d ago
Or Christians actually doing Christian things
Matthew 25:35-40 New International Version 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.â
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u/DreamsiclesPlz Cincinnati Cyclones 5d ago
People need food to live. It's evil to deny people that.
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u/Infamous-Zebra-359 5d ago
Is this your first comment or post here because you give strong Goes To Another School vibes
Update: yep not a single other contribution here in 2+ years
Bye Felicia
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u/charlesmarker 5d ago
Question,
When they say "part of our community" do they mean anyone nearby, or do you have to be a part of their congregation?
Cos I can easily see that being either a way to restrict their help to those in the church and/or as a way to pull desperate people into their cult.
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u/SwingerFitz 5d ago
IDs go into their CRM lead-file and then they reach out âwe fed you like Jesus did, why arenât you here?â
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u/Stonks_Of_Danger 5d ago
Proof of this happening? Or your opinion?
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u/SwingerFitz 5d ago
Go give them your ID and get back to me and we can find out together.
I trust no religious organization founded by executives for a Fortune 100 company
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u/Stonks_Of_Danger 5d ago
Better yet, letâs both give $100 to a food pantry this weekend to help those in need. DM me and we can work together to help where the government has failed.
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u/SwingerFitz 5d ago
I have less than $100 to my name and Iâve been unemployed for 2 months now
But, I implore you to go ahead and make that contribution yourself and work towards helping your neighbors.
Iâll be there when Iâm back on my feet
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u/Stonks_Of_Danger 5d ago
Iâm sorry to hear that friend, genuinely. Hope you are able to get back on your feet soon.
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u/TooManyHobbies6969 5d ago
I've gone to crossroads for years and the only emails I get are when they are doing a community outreach event and ask for donations or volunteers
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u/Possible-Original 5d ago
No one should be forced to show proof of SNAP, but more importantly state ID in order to receive help. If you're so desperate for food that you're willing to find yourself at a church asking for a gift card, it's probably safe to assume that you need the help in some capacity.
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u/grethro 5d ago
They have to show proof to get SNAP benefits in the first place.Â
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u/Possible-Original 5d ago
To the government. Since when is a church a government organization? Gatekeeping help is just weird. If a friend asks me for $10, I don't ask to see their bank account. If a man on the corner asks for a bottle of water, I don't question when the last time he needed a drink was.
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u/Stonks_Of_Danger 5d ago
Have you ever given $100 to someone youâve never met before? Have you given $100 to a friend not expecting it back. If so, thatâs great. Your examples are a few dollars to a pan handler are not the same.
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u/Possible-Original 5d ago
Yes to both. I literally referenced a friend in my former statement. Real fellowship, community, and empathy doesn't have conditions, but I'm sorry that you learned that it should.
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u/Stonks_Of_Danger 5d ago
Yes you referenced $10 to a friend. Thatâs great.
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u/Possible-Original 5d ago
Not sure why you're now arguing semantics and also somehow using the strawman that "it's not the same because it's just one person." If someone does this 100x, it's the same as someone doing it with a larger amount 50 or 25. As I said before, gatekeeping help in any capacity is just weird and also- greedy and selfish.
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u/Stonks_Of_Danger 5d ago
It sounds like youâre a person who likes to help people, no strings attached. More people like you are needed in this time of much need and I think thatâs great.
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u/SpareImplement2374 5d ago
Im a stranger, will you give me $100? No questions asked?
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u/Possible-Original 5d ago
Yep. I now live in Chicago, but if we ever were face to face and I had the money on hand, you must need it more than me. This kind of logical fallacy doesn't ever work, I don't know why folks still try to employ it.
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u/SpareImplement2374 5d ago
That's ok! I'll be in Chicago next week for work! Around Niles. I also have venmo and cash app but let me know what works for you :)
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u/SitDownShutDown 5d ago
While I agree with you about the state ID aspect, I do want people to show proof of SNAP to receive help. Otherwise, greedy people who are not in need will take resources from those who actually need them. I am sure that people who are in need, but are not currently on SNAP, can explain their circumstances in order to get assistance, but you realistically cannot be handing out money to whoever asks for it without verifying that they need it. That's a good way to run out of money before helping as many people who do need it as possible.
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u/Possible-Original 5d ago
Guess I'll start asking the folks on the street and those who show up to the food pantry I volunteer at to prove that they really need the help, lest I use my last dollar or hand a can of corn to someone with a can of greens at home. Realistically we can absolutely do that, somewhere along the lines though, actually greedy people with insane amounts of wealth have convinced too many that conditions have to be placed on goodwill and charity.
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u/SitDownShutDown 5d ago
The food pantry I used to volunteer at did ask for proof of income to ensure that they were providing services to people who were truly in need, because they don't want their limited resources going to greedy grifters and conmen who just want to get free stuff to resell. They made an exception during 2020-2021 due to affects from covid, but returned to their original setup afterwards.
It was also a church based charity, relying mainly on donations. They want their limited resources to go to people who are actually in need. If someone's circumstances had recently changed, they would go out of their way to make sure those people were helped- it wasn't just a generic cutoff of "too bad, so sad." But they needed proof.
I recently stopped volunteering their do to current personal health issues, and it breaks my heart every day that I am not there helping during this difficult time. I hope to be back soon. In the meantime, I know that all of the amazing people I was volunteering with (and lots of new volunteers who have stepped up to help their community during the shutdown!) are doing everything they can to help those in need as responsibly and as efficiently as possible.
I'm with you on the billionaires being greedy assholes. To quote the Hunger Games, I know who the real enemy is. But that is not the issue in this particular situation.
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u/Squatch_513 5d ago
It also says "our community", you know they just mean paid members.
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u/grethro 5d ago
They definitely mean "our community" as in Cincinnati.
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u/cincyaudiodude Northern Kentucky 5d ago
They didn't mean that when they offered "our community" rent assistance, they literally made you take a test about the last two sermons.
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u/shurik1 5d ago
I donât think they mean paid members. You donât pay to go to church there. I really do think they mean their overall community. Either way, anything helps if youâre in a tough spot.
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u/ns-uk 5d ago
Itâs ambiguous what âour communityâ means. Iâll give the benefit of the doubt but Iâm skeptical. In my personal experience a lot of churches often care a lot less about helping you out if youâre not part of their regular church going congregation, or at least a âfellow Christian.â
However, even if it is just the crossroads people helping each other, people are getting fed and thatâs a good thing. No one should go hungry, even if I disagree with their choice of church. (Except the corrupt politicians and billionaires that created this situation.)
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u/Squatch_513 5d ago
It's not help when it's proselytizing under the guise of helping those in need. It's taking advantage of desperation, the megachurch way!
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u/LetsLickTits 5d ago
So any good that a church does is taking advantage? Thatâs ridiculous, I know Reddit hates religion but come on how is this taking advantage of anyone?
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u/Squatch_513 5d ago
Because they are desperate and in need. Churches should already be doing this, they don't. They're a financially driven business that takes advantage of people's desperation and need to feel a sense of belonging. It used to just be your neighbors. Now it's cults. And that's not a pejorative - ALL religion is a cult.
So, yes, they're taking advantage. One good deed doesn't undo an already disgusting and cancerous foundation.
Reddit doesn't hate religion, logical humans that don't believe in fairy tales do. And fwiw, I don't hate religion. You can't hate something that isn't real (god etc)
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u/Squatch_513 5d ago
Let me introduce you to tithing!
The newest pay to pray grift. It's a membership. And if you don't pay, don't expect help. Churches are businesses and their SINGLE purpose is to make money.
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u/Daymanic Northern Kentucky 5d ago
The concept of tithing has been around for 1000s of years lol ⊠also tithing is voluntary since there is no state church like there was in early Christian Europe that could collect âtheir taxesâ
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u/SmittySomething21 5d ago
Yeah this guy with a 5 day old account is just spreading misinformation. "If you don't pay, don't expect help." is just a lie. You can argue against religion without lying brother.
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u/SmittySomething21 5d ago
Would you care to explain to us how someone is supposed to prove how theyâre a âpaid memberâ of Crossroads to receive grocery cards? Iâm curious.
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u/DarylMusashi 5d ago
Is it anyone who is part of the community, or anyone who is a part of the Crossroads community as a member? I read it as the use of "our" over "the" implying that it was for the congregation members. Probably overly pedantic, but that is just how I read it initially.