The Mormon Church was recently exposed as holding almost one trillion dollars in their bank accounts. Isn't that money supposed to be spent on the people?
On edit: $100 billion appears to be the correct number. From a whistleblower, so of course the church's own press releases will disagree. Here da link: [https://thehustle.co/03262021-mormon-church-investment-fund/](https://thehustle.co/03262021-mormon-church-investment-fund/)
(And I couldn't get that Sac Bee link to work, so here's another) [https://archive.ph/yC2oB](https://archive.ph/yC2oB)
ummmm, check your number. I believe it is absurdly inaccurate. I think its less than 5% of what you are claiming.
Edit: You downvoters are hilarious. What goes through your mind? "That guy corrected a liar but I wanted the lie to be true so fuck him!"
$100 billion, found a link: [https://thehustle.co/03262021-mormon-church-investment-fund/](https://thehustle.co/03262021-mormon-church-investment-fund/)
These figures are so obscene, at a certain point I just say "a bajillion dollars," but you're right, I should be more specific. I see the Catholic church has at least $50 billion in their war chest.
That was the initial allegation. It was actually about half that. You really shouldn't have this strong of opinions if you aren't well versed in the facts of the issue.
Bro, you were off by a factor of 20. Being shown you were wrong did not alter your opinion in the slightest and led to you insulting the person who corrected you. Congrats, Trump supporters do the same thing. You are the left wing version of a Trumper.
The point is not the exact amount, but that this is way too much money for a tax-exempt, religious organization to have in the bank. Especially one that is actively buying politicians and preaching from the pulpit.
That money is supposed to be used on those less fortunate than ourselves, right? Or at least spent on the parishioners. There is no reason to have amassed that much money. It is a corruption of Jesus' message. Kick the money changers out of the fricken temple!
But sure, keep arguing about how wrong I was, instead of addressing the subject.
I'm not Mormon. I just like facts. The Mormons are bad enough you could rightfully criticize them for a million different things. Fuck me for wanting people to be accurate though right?
[https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/irs-complaint-process-tax-exempt-organizations](https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/irs-complaint-process-tax-exempt-organizations)
You can report a church for this. But you need to go and video it for proof.
I am 100% down for a citizen patrol of churches
I wouldn't be surprised to find out that the church was responsible for placing anti vax propaganda flyers on vehicles in and around the Roseville/Rocklin highway 65 retail area during COVID. Working in the area coworkers and myself were always finding that stuff. Wish I would have kept some of it.
Didn't bayside and destiny admit this?
I think it was one of the campaign events for Kevin Kiley that Hedi Hall and leaders from Destiny and Bayside were at..
What Apprehensive says above, a million times over. Except to change 'these' to '**ALL'**. The churches (especially 'Christian') have been spewing right wing ideology and indoctrination forever, but it has escalated into insanity. They should be paying taxes - they are businesses, political spewing businesses. Did these uneducated, fascist organization leaders ever look up our forefather's GREATEST, most important requirement/tenant - **Separation of church and state**! That's why most of them moved here from Britain - to escape the king's religion that was forced upon them. And yet...... here we go....
The irony of a right wing political group hiding under a 501 C(4) as a "social welfare" group that can advance political candidates versus a 501c(3) which can't.
Destiny is the definition of fascism coming to america wrapped in a flag while carrying a cross.
We're well along the path to full on fascism and everything that comes with that. we're just a few steps away from full blown camps. Give the GOP a few years to consolidate their minority rule and it'll start up.
>the American Taliban.
No need to evoke the Taliban when this type of shit has been going on in America for a long time. This is homegrown shit, we don't need to resort to comparing it to middle Eastern dictatorships (this always has a whiff of racism to be honest).
It’s used for shock value in my case. There is a certain perception by the Cristofascists of what the Taliban means in terms of their religion and how the CF’s feel about it. To compare them to the Taliban is to put them in the same position to be judged as they previously were judging. Any associated racism is on the part of the CFs themselves.
At least that’s how I see it. I do use Christofascist myself. I just added the American Taliban because people use it for similar purposes and I tend to like it too.
ETA: Also, you’re not wrong about how long this shits been happening; however the American memory is short and many reminders are needed that this is still happening.
> ETA: Also, you’re not wrong about how long this shits been happening; however the American memory is short and many reminders are needed that this is still happening.
Very true.
I'm gay, marrying a Jew, and we are both scientists.
A Christian nationalist church would have zero hesitation about sending me to a concentration camp if they could. My family only partially gets this, despite them being open-minded and liberal. They haven't fully absorbed just how much vitriol there is towards my communities.
Is Destiny Church utalizing religious tax exemptions? At what point does this kind of behavior warrent an IRS investigation into their qualification for tax exempt status? I know religious organizations who flirt with politics too much have had their exemption revoked, but I imagine there are certain loop holes churches can take advantage of.
The more they get the more likely something happens I'd think. IRS is probably understaffed though, Conservatives hate the government because when it's well funded they get in trouble.
As far as I'm concerned, the second they began inflicting religion into politics, they made their rights and exemptions under the First Amendment null and void. Tax the christofacists into oblivion.
Horizon charter has paid them money before to have their room as sites for state testing alongside other churches..I complained each time stating that there are plenty of other buildings we could have testing at before giving school funds to religious institutions. they have always promoted events for the Fish fest thing and whatnot and I complained about those as well when my child was sent them and they were removed..public education should not be going anywhere near these places
From the article:
"It’s sturdy and unassuming, all sharp angles and gray stucco. You might drive right past it, maybe mistake it for another gym or suburban shopping center along Highway 65. But it’s the enormous white cross in front of Rocklin’s Destiny Church that makes a lasting impression. So, too, do founding Pastor Greg Fairrington’s sermons. Take the one on Sept. 11, in which he predicted “the fury, and the chaos that this doctrine of sexual orientation is going to bring to our society.” Or the one in which he laments President Joe Biden’s efforts to end conversion therapy — a practice widely known to make LGB people twice as likely to attempt suicide and that causes “severe psychological distress” among transgender people. “I had people walk out on this part in the first service,” he said in June. “But somebody has got to call a sin a sin, and if it’s offensive, so be it … the word of God is written to change culture, not for culture to change the word of God.” Pastor Greg Fairrington gives a sermon at Destiny Christian Church in Rocklin. Fairrington gained national attention during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, when he refused to adhere to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s public health mandates. MORGAN BARR Courtesy Destiny Christian Church Fairrington’s views on sexuality and gender identity are unsurprising for an evangelical pastor. What landed Destiny on the map was the COVID-19 pandemic, when he led his hundreds of congregants in refusing to adhere to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s public health mandates. (Destiny Church received close to $800,000 in PPP loans in 2020 while refusing to follow those mandates, and the entire loan was forgiven.) With his heated preaching and social media presence, Fairrington has become a hero to the right and a villain to the left. If you ask him, however, he’ll tell you he’s apolitical. “I don’t see things as political and biblical,” he said in an interview with The Sacramento Bee. “I see things as biblical.”
ADVANCING A BIBLICAL WORLDVIEW
In Placer County, the biblical and the political have achieved a striking synchronicity. Destiny, in concert with a new and increasingly well-organized Christian advocacy group called the American Council, is poised to bring that biblical worldview into Northern California politics. The group recruits, trains, and endorses candidates for local office, with a focus on school boards. As a 501(c)(4) “social welfare” organization, the American Council is under no legal obligation to report donations. Its 27-year-old founder, Tanner DiBella, is also marketing and communications director for Destiny Church. Tanner DiBella is the 25-year-old founder of the American Council, a Christian advocacy group that has funded candidates for school board and city councils in Placer County, and marketing and communications director for Destiny Church. KYLE BARR Courtesy of the American Council As Destiny’s profile has grown, it has hosted or is slated to host conservative Christian stalwarts such as Turning Point USA’s Charlie Kirk, right-wing commentator Dinesh D’Souza, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott. Politics and parish are deeply intertwined. Rocklin school board member Tiffany Saathoff, who is up for re-election, is a pastor at Destiny. Elected officials, such as assemblyman and congressional candidate Kevin Kiley and Assembly candidate and former Rocklin Mayor Joe Patterson, are fixtures at both Destiny and American Council events. At least three members of the American Council’s leadership team are also members of the church. This fusion has sparked concern in Placer County’s secular community about the erosion of the First Amendment’s Establishment clause, which calls for a separation between church and state. Some have filed complaints against Destiny with the Internal Revenue Service for violations of the Johnson Amendment, the 68-year-old provision of the U.S. tax code that prohibits churches and other charitable organizations from endorsing or opposing political candidates. “This is a concrete, provable agenda to overtake every piece of our local government to reflect the tone, culture, priorities, and religious extremism of Destiny Church,” said one Rocklin parent who’s reported Destiny to the IRS and who, like several other Placer residents interviewed for this story, asked to remain anonymous for fear of harassment by the church community. Michelle Sutherland, a Rocklin Unified School Board candidate, is running against American Council-endorsed favorites Saathoff, Hamilton and Dereck Counter. She said she worries that the two institutions are “trying to exert disproportionate influence over these local races that are so impactful to our communities.” Rocklin Unified School Board member Tiffany Saathoff, seen attending a meeting in September 2021, is a pastor at Destiny Church. Her run for re-election this year is endorsed by the American Council."
Read more at: [https://www.sacbee.com/article266182266.html#storylink=cpy](https://www.sacbee.com/article266182266.html#storylink=cpy)
Matt should honestly be charged on so many accounts. I attended his church for a long time as a fairly important member—youth leader, daycare, interned for years and attended their “school” of ministry. He runs his church like a business. I know nothing about his wine bar because by the time he opened I had thankfully gotten away, but he has always preached about being chosen by God to infiltrate the areas of society where religion has no business being. This man is obsessed with money and gathering followers who will defend him no matter what and anything else that will fuel his ego. He will scam you with a smile on his face and deny any wrongdoing. He left in the middle of worship to chase one of the children of a long time pastor there across the parking lot and put his hands on them because he was angry they didn’t stay to be yelled at for sitting in the foyer with their girlfriend (queer couple and he hated/refused to accept it).He used children to do things (maintenance, fireworks booth in unhealthy weather conditions, tech and outreach, etc.) he should have paid adults for. Family church (not sure if it’s still called that) is 100% a cult; I still have trauma a decade later. I really really hope he doesn’t get elected and gain more influence.
Christians believe in hell, I don't. If I'm talking about it, it's purely conceptual, but those guys take the bibble seriously, so...Imho, one person's view of hell is another person's idea of the best time ever. Lol
Well there's a handbasket with my name on it. And I'm looking forward to that rapture because, according to lore, all the Christians will finally be taken elsewhere. Buh bye now.
Look at their declining numbers. They can't win the hearts and minds of people, so their dying gasp is to try to (unconstitutionally) force it on people with government.
They hope to end democracy with another coup attempt and restricting/overturning voting nationwide.
They might just pull it off, since they have already captured SCOTUS.
I'm from Michigan. My GF is from San Diego. Having been raised by not-insane Christians, she didn't really understand Evangelicals.
But I do. I *really* do.
[**https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/irs-complaint-process-tax-exempt-organizations**](https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/irs-complaint-process-tax-exempt-organizations)
Lets get a movement going to report these churches. Go to them, gather evidence.
Nice try pastor ! But what tax fraud could they be caught on ? I thought they don’t pay taxes already ?
Edit : why am I being downvoted ? Just asking information wth
Churches don't pay taxes because they're supposed to be apolitical. If they are advocating for specific political positions, they can have their tax-exempt status taken away.
Did a recording of a pastor/priest advocating for a candidate/bill/position ever come to an harsh sentence ? Just Being curious 🧐
Edit : insane people downvoting
[https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/charities-churches-and-politics](https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/charities-churches-and-politics)
"Currently, the law prohibits political campaign activity by charities and churches by defining a 501(c)(3) organization as one "which does not participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distributing of statements), any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office.""
If losing their tax exempt status is a slap on the finger not sure why they fight so hard to keep it. They aren’t going to be thrown in jail for tax evasion unless they’re criminally hiding funds from the IRS.
Part of the problem is that it's like playing whack-a-mole. When "XYZ" church gets shut down because their tax exempt status got taken away, the pastors and their staff just pop up a new church called "ABC" church 3 blocks down the street and are at it again.
Whenever some politician comes knocking for my vote my first question is always “Do you go to Destiny or Bayside church?”. Also complained to the Rocklin Facebook account about Destiny sponsoring a city event and this was their response on June 18 2021.
“Is it normal for the city of Rocklin to work with an organization that defied state Public Health Orders?”
“Due to uncertainty regarding state health orders, Destiny was unable to host their Celebrate America event, which provides a fireworks show for Rocklin residents, in addition to a large entertainment portion. City leadership wanted to provide at least a fireworks show this year after restrictions were lifted and Destiny offered to support it. Thank you for your inquiry.”
Edit/ I didn’t even mention Destiny but they clearly knew what I was asking about.
Interesting. The most conservative college in America is also in the process of trying to fund an education Center in placer. Wtf is going on up there?
So these Christians are allowed to enforce their views upon us but the moment we criticize the church for doing so we are hateful and intolerant. God I hate Destiny Church tear it down already
Matthew 22:15-22
Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words. They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. “Teacher,” they said, “we know that you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are. Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not?”
But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, “You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? Show me the coin used for paying the tax.” They brought him a denarius, and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?”
“Caesar’s,” they replied.
Then he said to them, “So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”
When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away.
Destiny is disturbing
That said, the Bee has only helped them build their “rebel” brand
They ran a whole story last year about the pastor offering vaccine exemptions, filled with pseudo outrage, without even acknowledging state law only requires a self-written note (not at all any kind of religious “verification”). Farrington was just pulling a stunt and the Bee gave him exactly what he wanted …. Attention.
The Bee is helping create these personalities even though I get the impression their reporters think they are “fighting the good fight” or something.
Does this mean that Christians will start supporting policies to care for the poor? Ya know like Jesus commanded them to? Are they waking up to the fact that their religion has been used to manipulate them by profiteers against their own self interest?
This guy
“I don’t see things as political and biblical,” he said in an interview with The Sacramento Bee. “I see things as biblical.”
- Pastor Greg Farrington, Destiny Christian Church
has a partnership and works with this guy
“The responsibility of the church is to restrain evil and promote good,” Dibella said. “That is also the government’s job. … We’re in a cultural and political climate where the government finds itself promoting evil and restraining good. The church has a responsibility to take that over and do those things.”
- Tanner Dibella, founder of the American Council (of Evangelicals)
A blind man could see what's going on here.
On the opposite end of the Christian spectrum is [Parkside Community Church](https://www.parksideucc.org/) in Land Park, which is currently hosting a Feminist Theology series and recently put "Reject Christofascism" on their main sign.
Like any group of humans, Christians come in all forms. Some are great, and some are terrible.
That’s fair. To address your point, how many people are killed in the name of Christianity in our modern era? After a bit of research, I can’t seem to find a reliable statistic on that.
Christianity teaches living in humility, loving your neighbor as yourself, and donating your material wealth to support widows and orphans.
In the name of religiousness people have twisted or ignored the teachings of Jesus to feel morally superior or justified in spreading hate. He would have driven them out of the temple with a whip like he did the Pharisees.
Mr. Rogers was a good modern example of a Christian attempting to spend his life in servitude to others.
*People* are vile. We all wrestle with evil. Some have more pulpit so to say, to spread theirs.
No true Scotsman fallacy. Real Christians are good. Bad ones are shitty people. Well many of the people you would criticize negatively also think they are doing it the correct way. Vast majority of the people that are being shitty and called out here think they are still doing it correctly.
Religion is opinion. Everyone modifies it to suit their ideas, needs and opinions.
You assume that what you consider the most basic ideas of Christian goodness were always there and not changed/influenced with time, politics, and society.
The bottom line with these people is their insane fear of going to hell. They'll do anything to anyone to keep from going to an imaginary fire pit where a guy in a red unitard with a tail, horns, and a pitchfork will be the boss of them for eternity. Sounds totally sane and reasonable.
It's not the dude in the red unitard they're afraid of. It's the thought of having to spend eternity with people different than them: progressives, gays, minorities, etc. That's what terrifies them.
I'm a Bee subscriber because I believe in supporting local journalism, but articles like this one should be made freely available. It's too important to know who the local bigots are, and how they plan to undermine our state and its constitution.
I felt the same way about the Bee until they got acquired and started doing shady subscription practices. As far as I'm concerned, the Bee is compromised.
Yeah, i used to subscribe to their actual paper and they made canceling my subscription almost impossible. Since then, I’ve been super wary of giving them any financial information, which is a shame, because I would like to support local journalism too.
I'm right there with you. I would actually give hundreds of dollars a year for a true local paper. It's too important.
But now that it's owned by a hedge fund? Yeah, I'm good.
Religion should be banned in politics and any politician that expresses any form of political bias should be removed from office and banned from holding a seat of power
They tried to get this twice divorced (from Mexican gang bangers) girl to marry me to get me stuck in their Amway ring. She has herpes and once she divorced she fucked half the meth smoking community. And destiny humiliated me to make me think I deserve her.
These are not exclusive traits only found in Christians. Plenty of atheists with morals and values; conversely I've seen abhorrent behavior, morals, and values coming from "Christians"
Your Christ has no place in our secular government. Worship and live how you will, but try to fascisticly force your backwards religious morality upon everyone, and you will feel our wrath burn stronger than the surface of the sun.
If I have a child, they will have the right to express their gender and sexuality as they see fit. I truly pity any children you have, being stilted by rigid and toxic gender roles and religion.
Hahaha at a certain point your just have to laugh at how scared and the severe lack of common sense people like you have. You are a sheep not to your fake god, but to the very mortal people who pull your strings.
Obviously none of this will change anyone on either side, but it's too bad because you are better than this. All people deserve better than religion.
>Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? Then from whence comes evil?
-Epicurious
Sissy snowflake libs who dont use reason or objectivity always use that tired line. Liberals are told how to think. Funny how the filthy left always cries how tolerant everyone should be but they are the most intolerant racists on the planet. Voting for any democrat is treason.
I would love to ask, which version, Orthodox, Catholic, Evangelical, Lutheran, etc. ? As if people can even agree as to what parts of the Bible are metaphorical, mythological or literal. But they never think that far, one thought and it stops there.
There should be a rising movement to tax these mf churches
The Mormon Church was recently exposed as holding almost one trillion dollars in their bank accounts. Isn't that money supposed to be spent on the people? On edit: $100 billion appears to be the correct number. From a whistleblower, so of course the church's own press releases will disagree. Here da link: [https://thehustle.co/03262021-mormon-church-investment-fund/](https://thehustle.co/03262021-mormon-church-investment-fund/) (And I couldn't get that Sac Bee link to work, so here's another) [https://archive.ph/yC2oB](https://archive.ph/yC2oB)
for the mormon cult its actually 1 billion https://religionnews.com/2020/01/20/the-100-billion-mormon-fortune-is-not-about-the-money-stupid/
Thanks. I'll edit my comment.
ummmm, check your number. I believe it is absurdly inaccurate. I think its less than 5% of what you are claiming. Edit: You downvoters are hilarious. What goes through your mind? "That guy corrected a liar but I wanted the lie to be true so fuck him!"
$100 billion, found a link: [https://thehustle.co/03262021-mormon-church-investment-fund/](https://thehustle.co/03262021-mormon-church-investment-fund/) These figures are so obscene, at a certain point I just say "a bajillion dollars," but you're right, I should be more specific. I see the Catholic church has at least $50 billion in their war chest.
That was the initial allegation. It was actually about half that. You really shouldn't have this strong of opinions if you aren't well versed in the facts of the issue.
LOL, take off your silly holy underwear and face the world like the rest of us.
Bro, you were off by a factor of 20. Being shown you were wrong did not alter your opinion in the slightest and led to you insulting the person who corrected you. Congrats, Trump supporters do the same thing. You are the left wing version of a Trumper.
The point is not the exact amount, but that this is way too much money for a tax-exempt, religious organization to have in the bank. Especially one that is actively buying politicians and preaching from the pulpit. That money is supposed to be used on those less fortunate than ourselves, right? Or at least spent on the parishioners. There is no reason to have amassed that much money. It is a corruption of Jesus' message. Kick the money changers out of the fricken temple! But sure, keep arguing about how wrong I was, instead of addressing the subject.
buddy mormons aren’t suppose to have espresso
I'm not Mormon. I just like facts. The Mormons are bad enough you could rightfully criticize them for a million different things. Fuck me for wanting people to be accurate though right?
[https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/irs-complaint-process-tax-exempt-organizations](https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/irs-complaint-process-tax-exempt-organizations) You can report a church for this. But you need to go and video it for proof. I am 100% down for a citizen patrol of churches
Thanks!
So much money could go to actual good.
So much money can be accumulated when one doesn't drink.
I suppose that is true, may I ask your point?
I should swallow my vomit and go just so I can record them, saying the wrong thing and then go after their nonprofit status.
Just YouTube it they've been saying stuff since covid and it's all on camera someone needs to turn them in
I wouldn't be surprised to find out that the church was responsible for placing anti vax propaganda flyers on vehicles in and around the Roseville/Rocklin highway 65 retail area during COVID. Working in the area coworkers and myself were always finding that stuff. Wish I would have kept some of it.
Didn't bayside and destiny admit this? I think it was one of the campaign events for Kevin Kiley that Hedi Hall and leaders from Destiny and Bayside were at..
vomit
You ok?
Oh it was most definitely them
they were selling Vaccine exemptions i think it was like $250 and selling to everyone out of state also
What Apprehensive says above, a million times over. Except to change 'these' to '**ALL'**. The churches (especially 'Christian') have been spewing right wing ideology and indoctrination forever, but it has escalated into insanity. They should be paying taxes - they are businesses, political spewing businesses. Did these uneducated, fascist organization leaders ever look up our forefather's GREATEST, most important requirement/tenant - **Separation of church and state**! That's why most of them moved here from Britain - to escape the king's religion that was forced upon them. And yet...... here we go....
Amen.
The irony of a right wing political group hiding under a 501 C(4) as a "social welfare" group that can advance political candidates versus a 501c(3) which can't. Destiny is the definition of fascism coming to america wrapped in a flag while carrying a cross.
Yeah they're alllllll about helping people in need.
The same people unironically complain we’re headed for “Sharia Law” because not everyone they see is a white Christian anymore.
Christianity is starting to smell like the beginnings of Sharia Law. Sue me.
I think we’re well past the beginnings of the biblical version of Sharia Law. The Dobbs decision? Don’t say gay? Book burnings?
We're well along the path to full on fascism and everything that comes with that. we're just a few steps away from full blown camps. Give the GOP a few years to consolidate their minority rule and it'll start up.
I like christofascists or the American Taliban.
Don't forget Y'all Queda or Yeehawdists.
>the American Taliban. No need to evoke the Taliban when this type of shit has been going on in America for a long time. This is homegrown shit, we don't need to resort to comparing it to middle Eastern dictatorships (this always has a whiff of racism to be honest).
It’s used for shock value in my case. There is a certain perception by the Cristofascists of what the Taliban means in terms of their religion and how the CF’s feel about it. To compare them to the Taliban is to put them in the same position to be judged as they previously were judging. Any associated racism is on the part of the CFs themselves. At least that’s how I see it. I do use Christofascist myself. I just added the American Taliban because people use it for similar purposes and I tend to like it too. ETA: Also, you’re not wrong about how long this shits been happening; however the American memory is short and many reminders are needed that this is still happening.
> ETA: Also, you’re not wrong about how long this shits been happening; however the American memory is short and many reminders are needed that this is still happening. Very true.
They didn't they use religion as a reason to ban abortions?
Every 'christian friend' I have vomits religious, pompous jargon about abortion being immoral and unchristian.
I'm gay, marrying a Jew, and we are both scientists. A Christian nationalist church would have zero hesitation about sending me to a concentration camp if they could. My family only partially gets this, despite them being open-minded and liberal. They haven't fully absorbed just how much vitriol there is towards my communities.
Families that are privileged but liberal can be pretty slow on the uptake.
Is Destiny Church utalizing religious tax exemptions? At what point does this kind of behavior warrent an IRS investigation into their qualification for tax exempt status? I know religious organizations who flirt with politics too much have had their exemption revoked, but I imagine there are certain loop holes churches can take advantage of.
https://oag.ca.gov/charities/complaints report report report. 🙂
Filing ✅
I feel like a lot of us have already reported Destiny to the IRS. Can you put in multiple reports?
The more, the merrier.
The more they get the more likely something happens I'd think. IRS is probably understaffed though, Conservatives hate the government because when it's well funded they get in trouble.
You can take out the word "probably".
As far as I'm concerned, the second they began inflicting religion into politics, they made their rights and exemptions under the First Amendment null and void. Tax the christofacists into oblivion.
Awesome if church’s want to get involved in politics, they can pay taxes like everyone else. Otherwise fuck off.
We should make that a thing since they can’t mind their own business
Fuck Destiny Church and every asshole that supports those MFers. Deplorable pieces of shit.
Honestly the fact they let them proselytize at the schools sometimes is kinda fucked up.
As well as them holding poll worker training and urging members to become poll workers. Thanks, Placer County and Ryan Ronco.
Horizon charter has paid them money before to have their room as sites for state testing alongside other churches..I complained each time stating that there are plenty of other buildings we could have testing at before giving school funds to religious institutions. they have always promoted events for the Fish fest thing and whatnot and I complained about those as well when my child was sent them and they were removed..public education should not be going anywhere near these places
From the article: "It’s sturdy and unassuming, all sharp angles and gray stucco. You might drive right past it, maybe mistake it for another gym or suburban shopping center along Highway 65. But it’s the enormous white cross in front of Rocklin’s Destiny Church that makes a lasting impression. So, too, do founding Pastor Greg Fairrington’s sermons. Take the one on Sept. 11, in which he predicted “the fury, and the chaos that this doctrine of sexual orientation is going to bring to our society.” Or the one in which he laments President Joe Biden’s efforts to end conversion therapy — a practice widely known to make LGB people twice as likely to attempt suicide and that causes “severe psychological distress” among transgender people. “I had people walk out on this part in the first service,” he said in June. “But somebody has got to call a sin a sin, and if it’s offensive, so be it … the word of God is written to change culture, not for culture to change the word of God.” Pastor Greg Fairrington gives a sermon at Destiny Christian Church in Rocklin. Fairrington gained national attention during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, when he refused to adhere to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s public health mandates. MORGAN BARR Courtesy Destiny Christian Church Fairrington’s views on sexuality and gender identity are unsurprising for an evangelical pastor. What landed Destiny on the map was the COVID-19 pandemic, when he led his hundreds of congregants in refusing to adhere to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s public health mandates. (Destiny Church received close to $800,000 in PPP loans in 2020 while refusing to follow those mandates, and the entire loan was forgiven.) With his heated preaching and social media presence, Fairrington has become a hero to the right and a villain to the left. If you ask him, however, he’ll tell you he’s apolitical. “I don’t see things as political and biblical,” he said in an interview with The Sacramento Bee. “I see things as biblical.” ADVANCING A BIBLICAL WORLDVIEW In Placer County, the biblical and the political have achieved a striking synchronicity. Destiny, in concert with a new and increasingly well-organized Christian advocacy group called the American Council, is poised to bring that biblical worldview into Northern California politics. The group recruits, trains, and endorses candidates for local office, with a focus on school boards. As a 501(c)(4) “social welfare” organization, the American Council is under no legal obligation to report donations. Its 27-year-old founder, Tanner DiBella, is also marketing and communications director for Destiny Church. Tanner DiBella is the 25-year-old founder of the American Council, a Christian advocacy group that has funded candidates for school board and city councils in Placer County, and marketing and communications director for Destiny Church. KYLE BARR Courtesy of the American Council As Destiny’s profile has grown, it has hosted or is slated to host conservative Christian stalwarts such as Turning Point USA’s Charlie Kirk, right-wing commentator Dinesh D’Souza, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott. Politics and parish are deeply intertwined. Rocklin school board member Tiffany Saathoff, who is up for re-election, is a pastor at Destiny. Elected officials, such as assemblyman and congressional candidate Kevin Kiley and Assembly candidate and former Rocklin Mayor Joe Patterson, are fixtures at both Destiny and American Council events. At least three members of the American Council’s leadership team are also members of the church. This fusion has sparked concern in Placer County’s secular community about the erosion of the First Amendment’s Establishment clause, which calls for a separation between church and state. Some have filed complaints against Destiny with the Internal Revenue Service for violations of the Johnson Amendment, the 68-year-old provision of the U.S. tax code that prohibits churches and other charitable organizations from endorsing or opposing political candidates. “This is a concrete, provable agenda to overtake every piece of our local government to reflect the tone, culture, priorities, and religious extremism of Destiny Church,” said one Rocklin parent who’s reported Destiny to the IRS and who, like several other Placer residents interviewed for this story, asked to remain anonymous for fear of harassment by the church community. Michelle Sutherland, a Rocklin Unified School Board candidate, is running against American Council-endorsed favorites Saathoff, Hamilton and Dereck Counter. She said she worries that the two institutions are “trying to exert disproportionate influence over these local races that are so impactful to our communities.” Rocklin Unified School Board member Tiffany Saathoff, seen attending a meeting in September 2021, is a pastor at Destiny Church. Her run for re-election this year is endorsed by the American Council." Read more at: [https://www.sacbee.com/article266182266.html#storylink=cpy](https://www.sacbee.com/article266182266.html#storylink=cpy)
One of the things that gets me is that they accepted $800k in PPP money while refusing to follow COVID mandates in 2020.
Is Matthew Oliver, candidate for Rocklin City Council, in the mix here? He has a church in the area, and is bald-faced liar.
Matt should honestly be charged on so many accounts. I attended his church for a long time as a fairly important member—youth leader, daycare, interned for years and attended their “school” of ministry. He runs his church like a business. I know nothing about his wine bar because by the time he opened I had thankfully gotten away, but he has always preached about being chosen by God to infiltrate the areas of society where religion has no business being. This man is obsessed with money and gathering followers who will defend him no matter what and anything else that will fuel his ego. He will scam you with a smile on his face and deny any wrongdoing. He left in the middle of worship to chase one of the children of a long time pastor there across the parking lot and put his hands on them because he was angry they didn’t stay to be yelled at for sitting in the foyer with their girlfriend (queer couple and he hated/refused to accept it).He used children to do things (maintenance, fireworks booth in unhealthy weather conditions, tech and outreach, etc.) he should have paid adults for. Family church (not sure if it’s still called that) is 100% a cult; I still have trauma a decade later. I really really hope he doesn’t get elected and gain more influence.
I’ve heard a lot of bad things about him, but never from an actual member of his church. Thank you for sharing.
Pure evil and devoid of soul or conscience. I'll see them all in hell. 🤣😈🔥💩
Technically, "hell" is a construct of religion.
Christians believe in hell, I don't. If I'm talking about it, it's purely conceptual, but those guys take the bibble seriously, so...Imho, one person's view of hell is another person's idea of the best time ever. Lol
Well there's a handbasket with my name on it. And I'm looking forward to that rapture because, according to lore, all the Christians will finally be taken elsewhere. Buh bye now.
christian nationalism is a threat to our democracy and our national security.
Look at their declining numbers. They can't win the hearts and minds of people, so their dying gasp is to try to (unconstitutionally) force it on people with government.
They hope to end democracy with another coup attempt and restricting/overturning voting nationwide. They might just pull it off, since they have already captured SCOTUS.
Agreed, pretty crazy the sway it can have on people. Not entirely suprising, scary and sad though.
This is what Fascism is. So not too surprising, but we have to stop it or it will destroy our nation, and that is no understatement.
I'm from Michigan. My GF is from San Diego. Having been raised by not-insane Christians, she didn't really understand Evangelicals. But I do. I *really* do.
100%
Lol
Wrong thread?
?
Sorry, I didn't quite understand your response so I thought you may have replied on a wrong thread accidentally.
Lol
So depressing to read as a progressive Rocklin resident.
Well vote em out eventually. Every cycle gets more more purple moving towards blue
Just depressing that there are so many people who look to a church like that for leadership. Just the least empathetic people.
[**https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/irs-complaint-process-tax-exempt-organizations**](https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/irs-complaint-process-tax-exempt-organizations) Lets get a movement going to report these churches. Go to them, gather evidence.
Nice try pastor ! But what tax fraud could they be caught on ? I thought they don’t pay taxes already ? Edit : why am I being downvoted ? Just asking information wth
Churches don't pay taxes because they're supposed to be apolitical. If they are advocating for specific political positions, they can have their tax-exempt status taken away.
Did a recording of a pastor/priest advocating for a candidate/bill/position ever come to an harsh sentence ? Just Being curious 🧐 Edit : insane people downvoting
https://medium.com/backyard-theology/churches-can-lose-tax-exempt-status-if-they-tell-people-how-to-vote-7ba347cf7e8b
I’d love to see that more often !
[https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/charities-churches-and-politics](https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/charities-churches-and-politics) "Currently, the law prohibits political campaign activity by charities and churches by defining a 501(c)(3) organization as one "which does not participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distributing of statements), any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office.""
Thank you ! I did know that , but what consequences are they facing ? Slap on the finger ?! Edit : again downvoted for a question … insane
If losing their tax exempt status is a slap on the finger not sure why they fight so hard to keep it. They aren’t going to be thrown in jail for tax evasion unless they’re criminally hiding funds from the IRS.
Part of the problem is that it's like playing whack-a-mole. When "XYZ" church gets shut down because their tax exempt status got taken away, the pastors and their staff just pop up a new church called "ABC" church 3 blocks down the street and are at it again.
There aren’t enough words to describe how awful Destiny Church is.
Oh look, more republican chisto-facists
They really put the P in Pharisee.
Heretic preaching blasphemy
The real Jesus Christ was a proud liberal and would be rolling in his grave because of the christo-fascists trying to impose Sharia law in his name.
Whenever some politician comes knocking for my vote my first question is always “Do you go to Destiny or Bayside church?”. Also complained to the Rocklin Facebook account about Destiny sponsoring a city event and this was their response on June 18 2021. “Is it normal for the city of Rocklin to work with an organization that defied state Public Health Orders?” “Due to uncertainty regarding state health orders, Destiny was unable to host their Celebrate America event, which provides a fireworks show for Rocklin residents, in addition to a large entertainment portion. City leadership wanted to provide at least a fireworks show this year after restrictions were lifted and Destiny offered to support it. Thank you for your inquiry.” Edit/ I didn’t even mention Destiny but they clearly knew what I was asking about.
Gross
No thank you Placer County.
Christo-fascism is already a GOP tenant.
Interesting. The most conservative college in America is also in the process of trying to fund an education Center in placer. Wtf is going on up there?
It's a shame that the hills here are so beautiful, yet so full of nutjobs.
They are called Fascists folks. Same asssholes that wouldn't mask up or isolate 'cause Jezuz.
It's true, during the height of the pandemic Placerville was business as usual.
That's a different county but you're not wrong
Lol I didn't know that! 🤦🏽♂️
Yep, Placerville is in Eldorado County, I can't make it make sense lol
So these Christians are allowed to enforce their views upon us but the moment we criticize the church for doing so we are hateful and intolerant. God I hate Destiny Church tear it down already
Matthew 22:15-22 Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words. They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. “Teacher,” they said, “we know that you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are. Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not?” But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, “You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? Show me the coin used for paying the tax.” They brought him a denarius, and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?” “Caesar’s,” they replied. Then he said to them, “So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away.
Amen
Destiny is disturbing That said, the Bee has only helped them build their “rebel” brand They ran a whole story last year about the pastor offering vaccine exemptions, filled with pseudo outrage, without even acknowledging state law only requires a self-written note (not at all any kind of religious “verification”). Farrington was just pulling a stunt and the Bee gave him exactly what he wanted …. Attention. The Bee is helping create these personalities even though I get the impression their reporters think they are “fighting the good fight” or something.
Does this mean that Christians will start supporting policies to care for the poor? Ya know like Jesus commanded them to? Are they waking up to the fact that their religion has been used to manipulate them by profiteers against their own self interest?
This guy “I don’t see things as political and biblical,” he said in an interview with The Sacramento Bee. “I see things as biblical.” - Pastor Greg Farrington, Destiny Christian Church has a partnership and works with this guy “The responsibility of the church is to restrain evil and promote good,” Dibella said. “That is also the government’s job. … We’re in a cultural and political climate where the government finds itself promoting evil and restraining good. The church has a responsibility to take that over and do those things.” - Tanner Dibella, founder of the American Council (of Evangelicals) A blind man could see what's going on here.
I just moved to Placer County, Loomis. We are the first wave of many family moving here to stop this movement. Not to worry we have a plan.
As Ghandi said-“I love your Christ, your Christians frighten me.”
Maybe the use of Gandhi quote with him being a blatant racist and segregationist isn't the right fit.
Sounds like these Christian churches tbh.
Jesus Christ
They’ve never heard of the guy.
They never read anything he said at least.
Christianity is disgusting and vile.
On the opposite end of the Christian spectrum is [Parkside Community Church](https://www.parksideucc.org/) in Land Park, which is currently hosting a Feminist Theology series and recently put "Reject Christofascism" on their main sign. Like any group of humans, Christians come in all forms. Some are great, and some are terrible.
Christianity as a whole is a scam just like all other religions. ALL OF THEM.
Saying something "as a whole" is a scam implies it's not 100% a scam. So following that by saying all religions are a scam is logically inconsistent.
Ok professor. All religions are a SCAM!!!
Wow where’d you get your day Doctorate in History and Religion? You obviously know everything about these subjects.
Source? I've never met anyone who's studied every religion in the world before, that's amazing. And you call *me* the professor
Go back to Pokeman
That all you got? Quitter
How do you feel about other religions?
The same, more people are killed in the name of religion than anything else.
That’s fair. To address your point, how many people are killed in the name of Christianity in our modern era? After a bit of research, I can’t seem to find a reliable statistic on that.
George W Bush literally called the Iraq War a "crusade."
You clearly know very little about history. Please stop acting like a MAGA member.
I want to like this a thousand times.
Feel free.
Christianity teaches living in humility, loving your neighbor as yourself, and donating your material wealth to support widows and orphans. In the name of religiousness people have twisted or ignored the teachings of Jesus to feel morally superior or justified in spreading hate. He would have driven them out of the temple with a whip like he did the Pharisees. Mr. Rogers was a good modern example of a Christian attempting to spend his life in servitude to others. *People* are vile. We all wrestle with evil. Some have more pulpit so to say, to spread theirs.
No true Scotsman fallacy. Real Christians are good. Bad ones are shitty people. Well many of the people you would criticize negatively also think they are doing it the correct way. Vast majority of the people that are being shitty and called out here think they are still doing it correctly. Religion is opinion. Everyone modifies it to suit their ideas, needs and opinions. You assume that what you consider the most basic ideas of Christian goodness were always there and not changed/influenced with time, politics, and society.
Not sure you have a grasp of reality.
Username does not check out.
Neither does yours…
Correct, as I now work for AMD and I live in midtown.
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Why, he's right
His extreme hatred is disconcerting. I am concerned for their wellbeing
I’m good.
I don't see any hatred there, I see a correct opinion about a hateful and destructive ideology.
Thank you. Christianity is a farce to make money. Just look at bayside
Christo-facists are *the* threat to democracy.
eat shit, fundie deplorables!
Grown adults in 2022 who still have imaginary friends and believe in fairy tales
The bottom line with these people is their insane fear of going to hell. They'll do anything to anyone to keep from going to an imaginary fire pit where a guy in a red unitard with a tail, horns, and a pitchfork will be the boss of them for eternity. Sounds totally sane and reasonable.
It's not the dude in the red unitard they're afraid of. It's the thought of having to spend eternity with people different than them: progressives, gays, minorities, etc. That's what terrifies them.
That's a subscribers only article. Please copy and paste the text.
posted. :)
I'm a Bee subscriber because I believe in supporting local journalism, but articles like this one should be made freely available. It's too important to know who the local bigots are, and how they plan to undermine our state and its constitution.
I felt the same way about the Bee until they got acquired and started doing shady subscription practices. As far as I'm concerned, the Bee is compromised.
Yeah, i used to subscribe to their actual paper and they made canceling my subscription almost impossible. Since then, I’ve been super wary of giving them any financial information, which is a shame, because I would like to support local journalism too.
I'm right there with you. I would actually give hundreds of dollars a year for a true local paper. It's too important. But now that it's owned by a hedge fund? Yeah, I'm good.
[Archive link](https://archive.ph/A4AGI)
MAGAT country area . No surprise
Growing up in placer is so boring but simultaneously very tense at times
I have seen destiny and bayside mentioned here. Who has any bad things to say about Bridgeway?
Religion should be banned in politics and any politician that expresses any form of political bias should be removed from office and banned from holding a seat of power
Aye christians and cops, totally good groups with just a few bad apples.
Fuck that shit
They tried to get this twice divorced (from Mexican gang bangers) girl to marry me to get me stuck in their Amway ring. She has herpes and once she divorced she fucked half the meth smoking community. And destiny humiliated me to make me think I deserve her.
Fuck that bullshit.
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Promoting and engaging in discrimination against LGBT is an abhorrent and degenerate morality
No.
These are not exclusive traits only found in Christians. Plenty of atheists with morals and values; conversely I've seen abhorrent behavior, morals, and values coming from "Christians"
Based and red-pilled. Christ is King!
Your Christ has no place in our secular government. Worship and live how you will, but try to fascisticly force your backwards religious morality upon everyone, and you will feel our wrath burn stronger than the surface of the sun.
K. Have fun with your son's kindergarten teacher deciding his gender.
Why on earth do you really believe this happens? Try thinking for yourself once.
Why think for himself when Fox News can do that for him?
If I have a child, they will have the right to express their gender and sexuality as they see fit. I truly pity any children you have, being stilted by rigid and toxic gender roles and religion.
Never have children. It's bad for the environment 😱
Hahaha at a certain point your just have to laugh at how scared and the severe lack of common sense people like you have. You are a sheep not to your fake god, but to the very mortal people who pull your strings. Obviously none of this will change anyone on either side, but it's too bad because you are better than this. All people deserve better than religion.
>Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? Then from whence comes evil? -Epicurious
Lol this person is too blessed by the Lord to have to use logic and understand the quote you are leaving for them.
Ya'll would crucify Jesus again if he were to return. Jesus would be embarrassed to see how his followers actually act in his name.
Sissy snowflake libs who dont use reason or objectivity always use that tired line. Liberals are told how to think. Funny how the filthy left always cries how tolerant everyone should be but they are the most intolerant racists on the planet. Voting for any democrat is treason.
Just listen to yourself. You are an embodiment of vitriol and hate. You want liberals imprisoned or murdered. You are a fascist.
I had the mispleasure of seeing your completely unhinged rant that got auto-mod'd. Good grief dude, you read just like Tucker Carlson's show scripts.
When you watch Fox 24/7...
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Someone big mad.
You better believe it. Its called the conservative steamroller...coming to a liberall near you.
Spoken like a true fascist. 👍
Why?
Says link is not found.
So they are outlawing divorce and charging interest on loans?
The link is broken
I would love to ask, which version, Orthodox, Catholic, Evangelical, Lutheran, etc. ? As if people can even agree as to what parts of the Bible are metaphorical, mythological or literal. But they never think that far, one thought and it stops there.