The Largest non-Government Property Owner in Victoria

Yes...mate apart a few child meddlin' payments...they are the world's most profitable company..I reckon if they raided their premises...child crimes would drop....

 

So, say a now dead leader of the 99th Melbourne Scouts committed multiple offences in the 1970s and 1980s what do you want to do? Force a sale of their scout hut, see the group fold and effectively punish the present and future young people who belong to the group? Yes, perpetrators should be held accountable to the highest degree possible, but not those who have no responsibility whatsoever.

I'll also add that in UK I was heavily involved in church building matters and can say that if you ever want to stir up a community, suggest selling off a church building. For one, the council received a 1000 signature 'save our church' petition when a plan to redevelop the site was under consideration. Had 5% of the 1000 attended the church, its redevelopment might not have been under consideration.

 

Youse can't take photos of Beelzebub .....

 

Must be a young pentecostal church. Just wait a few years and the bucks will be rolling in. Most businesses struggle in the first few years.

I can provide consultancy to your church. Y of 2.5 and staffing of 1.6? You do need some help.

 

Didn't realize there were so many lefties here wanting to destroy the church and religion in general. But after thinking about a bit i think you guys are right, get the church to sell everything and give that money to everyone. Some nursing homes, hospitals and schools will close and other social welfare programs will disappear but I'm sure the Government will be able to do all these things at a much more affordable and efficient manner.

 

One of the other things that frustrates me re NFPs is there’s way to many of them, to easy to become one, with minimal percentage of funds actually going towards the cause.

How many NFPs do we need all collecting for cancer research, when most of the funds don’t actually make it to fund research.

When you walk through a shopping center and get approached by one of two or more in a nice uniform working from an expensive looking pop-up, put the hard sell/guilt trip etc on, ask if they get paid for what their doing or volunteer, won’t provide a straight answer.

 

Of course, there's another way to look at this. For those worried about the seeming lack of tax paid by churches and other not for profit's, there is nothing stopping you from running one. Be warned though that you are probably grossly underestimating the governance and administration required to meet legal requirements.
Secondly, any money donated by wage earners has already been taxed through salary tax.
Thirdly, you do not have to donate a cent.
If your life hits the fan, please avoid those evil not for profits and their help.

 

But why should the largest land owner in Australia not pay stamp duty, land tax or CGT on the disposal?

 

Good question. If the money is being reinvested into a charity to help others, with a clear lack of intent to make money, then surely that's a good thing? I do think limiting executive salaries for not for profit's is something that should be considered. Then again, the temptation would be to do the same for public servants (effectively not for profit) and that would be an interesting show!

 

If I'm in a really bad mood, I give them the finger. Otherwise, if I don't ignore them entirely, like you I ask what the commission rate they are on. Never have received an answer to that apart from a glaring look.

Most of the time, the get the finger.

Totally irrelevant to this but the same approach I apply to such as the Mater Children's Hospital in Queensland who occasionally set up a begging booth around Canberra. They look flummoxed when I ask if they can provide me the numbers of children from Canberra who are treated in that hospital so I may consider donating.

 

There is a charitable aspect, but there is also a very large non-charitable aspect. if you read the article you will see that the church bought a very expensive property, a house, for a senior clergyman to live in. This is a personal asset basically. Also there is the religious side where a priest has taken vows of poverty.

Running a business such as the salvation army should be given concessions as they do good for the community. But the sanitarium is a good example, why should they be given concessions for profiting from weetbix when Kellogs don't get the same?

I am not sure about church buildings - they have a direct religious purpose.

 

I believe most of us don’t mind donating, it’s also a deduction for us, but only ~5% of funds donated to some actually going to the cause/research after administrative costs is just a rought.
They should be forced to amalgamate to reduce admin costs, or be thinned out, reduce NFP eligibility.
I think Joe Hockey wanted to do this but as usual...

Oh great, another one, as said there’s already way to many of them.

 

The abuse of children was appalling and if there’s compensation to be paid, I guess, so be it.

My personal experience with the Catholic church, however, was a positive one. After volunteering for several years with a small NFP I was asked to join their board. Quite surprised actually as I’m not Catholic or even Christian.

Perceptions about the wealth of religious organisations can be very misleading. The one I was involved with had millions in RE assets that have been passed down the generations and appreciated in a crazy way, however income wise I’m amazed how we were able to operate on such shoestring budgets. It’s not rare that at the end of a FY we were left with just a few thousand $, not even enough to maintain the crumbling buildings. A case of asset rich income poor I suppose.

Just before I left, we had to mortgage the RE and take on a loan to repair the property. A commercial project was started on the side to repay the loan. Some of you will gasp in horror about a NFP making business profits but for us it was either that or doing harakiri on the spot!

If it wasn’t for the work of volunteers, the (small and dwindling) government grants, the (small and dwindling) donations and our tax free status, we’d have closed down a long time ago and with it badly needed services.

I’m between two minds about the tax free issue, very much alike the old dilemma about throwing the baby with the bath water.

 

I am like you Truong, my family and i had positive experiences with the catholic church. My Family and i are Muslim (non practicing) and we grew up in the Middle East and the local church there was fantastic. They provided good affordable schooling, they helped the poor and helped everyone whether they were Muslim, christian or atheist. Even when the locals or the local Government would harass them or make their life difficult they would just carry on, i really admired them

I am not familiar about the Church and the abuse committed but if compensation needs to be paid then it should be paid, has it not been paid?

 

Right its time bring back colosseums...gladiators and lions. We can then watch church members to see if they get eaten... lets see if they are another Daniel....

 

Hail Sashus! (Roman Salute).

 

right that's it...its thumbs down at the next gladiator event for youse two ....

As Maximus says...unleash hell on my command.....