Act against church businesses

WHEN one looks at the reasons for a war, tribal conflict or any other type of friction between humans, then politics and religion top the list.

I’m not going to debate politics, because then I will need the entire page.

What I am going to write about is religion.

When a church is established it should be for the community and be there to help people in need.

The church and the building should be used for the objectives in the church’s constitution and not to make money.

I was shocked this week when a close friend passed away and the family didn’t have a church building to use.

They contacted their previous church, that they were members of for more than 20 years, paying their tithes and serving as cell leaders and other positions in the church with no compensation.

This church came back to them with a total of almost R18 000 just to use the building and excluded the use of the hall or any of the church staff, including the pastor.

They opted to use a smaller church that they have never even been to and this church didn’t even charge then R1 000.

I fully agree that a church should charge or at least ask for a donation, but to charge somebody R18 000 for one part of a funeral is ridiculous.

I have always been happy that churches or any other religious organisation be exempted from paying tax or other charges, but when a church or any other religious organisation becomes a business, that’s when they should be charged normal business rates.

I suggest the powers-that-be investigate religious organisations from time to time to make sure they don’t become businesses, for fathers to pass down to sons.