This article was originally published by John Vibes at The Mind Unleashed.
Earlier this week, on Christmas Eve, an order from the city of Cleveland was posted on the door of the Denison Avenue United Church of Christ, demanding that they kick out the homeless people that they had been allowing to sleep on their property or face losing their status with the city as a religious organization.
The order came from the Cleveland Division of Fire, citing code violations that they claim are dangerous for the inhabitants. The city is following the letter of the law, in this case, suggesting that it is illegal to change the official use of the building without first filling out the required paperwork and making significant changes to the property.
According to the city’s building department, for the church to give shelter to homeless people, they would need to go through a costly process of not only updating the building but also getting the required permits and licenses that would designate the building as a homeless shelter.
Today, on Christmas Eve, Denison UCC was issued a Cease of Use notice even after Fire Chief Calvillo agreed to meet this AM as a result of yesterday’s action.
Let’s not forget that these threats arise from Councilwoman Brady’s efforts to keep homeless people out of her ward. pic.twitter.com/CIMWluJH5i
— NEOCH (@clevhomeless) December 25, 2019
Pastor Nozomi Ikuta has promised to appeal the ruling, saying that the church has been battling the city for months over their right to help the homeless.
“According to the city, it is improper for us to allow the Metanoia Project to use our building to provide overnight hospitality. They are telling us to apply to change the use of our building from a church to a shelter,” Ikuta told Cleveland.com.
Ikuta said that the church is happy to make changes to their building to make it safer, but she doesn’t believe that the church should have to change its designated purpose.
“In essence, this forces us to choose between our identity as a church and helping homeless people. We want to work with the fire department to resolve any concerns it might have, but we don’t think we should have to stop being a church just so we can help keep people off the street,” she said.
https://www.facebook.com/Fox8NewsCleveland/videos/570816343712167/
Among the changes that are required by the fire department are updates to the building’s fire alarm system, adding fire extinguishers and exit sights, along with fire sprinklers and other safety measures.
Local homeless advocates have argued that it is more dangerous to keep these people out on the streets than it is to house them in a building that may not be entirely up to code.
“Six people have frozen to death over the past few years and the unsheltered homeless population continues to rise,” NEOCH executive director, Chris Knestrick told Scene.
https://www.facebook.com/StevenEHernanP/videos/297460964534952/
Most people are homeless for a reason. Bad choices and stupidity. Drug addiction, morons with money, etc. If you want to help a poor soul that didn’t have a choice then go to your local animal shelter and play with them for a while. Bring a food donation or monetary donation and play with the doggies for a while. All of them (cats too) I’m sure would love some attention and love. Better than giving some drunk bum 5 bucks. Your 4 legged friends will appreciate it a LOT MORE too! Maybe you can take one home with you! Maybe saving one dog (or cat) won’t change the world but for that one lucky dog (or cat) it will change their life forever….
Not to mention a dog (not so much cats) will love you unconditionally and be a faithful friend the rest of it’s life. Put your wife and your dog in a closet and lock it shut. Come back 8 hours later and see which one is glad to see you! 😉
So you are comparing your wife to a dog? Nice
You are a degenerate ass. No compassion or love for other people. I guess you’ll be going to hell if you don’t repent. I hope you do repent.
Degenerate trouble makers.
You too
But it’s OK for the central government to provide illegal aliens with shelters, food and health care 100% on the backs of taxpayers. It’s DOI time. We need close today’s governments and start again.
@Genius…A lot of homeless people are that way due to a mental illness. Dogs and cats are not as important as a human. Maybe you need to volunteer at a homeless shelter for a while. It would change your prospective about the homeless.
It’s about time folks figured out we’re all Americans. Yeah, I’m one of the worst to point out political differences but there are issues much more important than that. Native American, Japanese, Caucasion, Black, Chinese, Norwegian, Swiss-Mennonite, etc. describe some of our ancestors. Many of those make up my Heinz-57 ancestry. I always say “Every time someone says an ethnic joke, it’s about me.” I laugh along. But the real issue here is a BUTTINSKY govt. that wants to change the rules regarding charity and our very different ways of worship, or belief-systems in general. GOVERNMENT – quit trying to micromanage our lives. In a free country the govt. doesn’t but into everything we do.
“Pastor” (sic) Nozomi Ikuta:
h ttps://www.denisonucc.org/our-pastor
We’re being shown false alternatives, yet again.
If we revived the ancient belief in “maternal impressions”, we would be forced to ask what sort of environment is natal or anti-natal.
If we revived the manorial system, we would be forced to ask who wears the pants, what is his duty to society, and vice versa.
Social failure is the just, natural result of decadence and bastardy.
The govt. can’t preach anything to anyone with all their illegitimate crap going on, especially subsidizing illegal aliens with our tax money.
“No Law” = “No Law” and the 14th Amendment makes the 1st apply to lower levels of government.
It’s a church, hands off. What goes on inside that isn’t Malum In Se criminal is their business. There are far too many rules that do pass Constitutional muster (just because you have the right to do it doesn’t mean it’s the right thing to do). This, a church, no great area, grey vision; this is black and white. Maybe they’re bums, maybe they’re dopers but it’s not my call or your call it’s their call. It’s called Freedom and it scares the shit out of government.
What they need to do is ignore it and put video cameras all over that church with a direct instantaneous link to “The Cloud”. When they’re arrested post it on the web. When bailed out return back to the church and repeat. Held in contempt? So what. Think they’re going to give a Priest life? Put some cuffs on him, maybe smack him around a little, smile for the camera, pull a Bull Conners and watch it backfire big time. Sooner or later public opinion will win out and concessions will be made or its time to go through the courts. They will tire. All it takes is non violent tenacity and a way to get your message out. If the Priests don’t have the courage to stand up like that in this situation they should seek another line of employment.
Everyone seems to be missing the point of this article. The point is the state wants everyone to be dependent on it, or at least all things done on its terms. When the private sector or charity fulfils the role of providing necessary care to needy or desperate people, the all-powerful all-benevolent all-necessary state is diminished. Even if the state is sometimes not in the position to help the homeless or indigent, private assistance cannot be tolerated even if they have to throw good people doing good deeds in prison.
When the state says building codes or safety or health codes must be met, these measures are used by the state to make it prohibitively expensive or complicated for non-government entities to help, though frequently gov’t will exempt it self from its own requirements.
I believe there are truly needy people and they must be helped. But if anything, gov’t mostly makes this problem worse. It subsidizes all manner of activities that undermine the health of society. We now have almost as many children born out of wedlock than in, there are now at least three generations of citizens on welfare with free food stamps, free medical, free dental, free or subsidized housing, and free school meals and free education. Now, in some localities, they also get free cell phones, free computers with free internet service, and free cars.
The cost of all this has devastated fed., state, and local budgets. What happens when the well goes dry, when all these programs can no longer be sustained, including Medicaid, Medicare, and social security.
Bill
” The point is the state wants everyone to be dependent on it, or at least all things done on its terms.”
Couldn’t agree more however The State controls the masses and a fascist cabal controls The State. Totalitarianism is administered by government ostensibly for the greater good and the masses are buying into it in droves. Wild animals were domesticated with “free” food, The same playbook is being used on humanity.
With leftists importing in tens and hundreds of thousands of foreigners as a base mercenary force to be controlled with free stuff/welfare from cradle to grave like they already have so many citizens duped with to control, I’d say any lending support to the mercenaries in ANY form should be scrutinized carefully.
You too
My former church owned a small park that was right next to the church. The church allowed homeless men and women (and their animals) to camp in that park, and the church also ran the soup kitchen that fed them twice daily.
The neighbors complained to the church and to the city about the aggressive pan handling and assaults that were now occurring on a regular basis in the neighborhood.
Feces, urine, vomit, used needles, used condoms, filthy clothes, tents, shopping carts, garbage, bicycle parts, derelict cars and campers began to dot the neighborhood and people’s lawns.
There were robberies, fires, fights, over doses, stabbings, and gun shots.
What was once a decent middle class neighborhood of older homes and apartments became a war zone. It wasn’t safe to walk the neighborhood in the day time, and mothers could no longer allow their children to play on their own property without continual supervision.
The people who could afford to moved, the elderly and lower income folks, couldn’t afford to move.
Did the city or church listen to these tax paying citizens?
No, homeowners and renters were told that things weren’t as bad as they were making it sound, that they had to have compassion on those less fortunate.
The church held a couple of neighborhood meetings, but nothing was ever done.
Now the neighborhood is overflowing with seriously run down, trash strewn homes and apartments. The neighborhood is dangerous, and the church is STILL there, feeding the bums, letting them camp, and begging the parishioners (and the city) for more money to address the “homeless crisis.”