Judge Orders Phoenix Church To Stop Feeding Homeless

The homeless in Phoenix, Ariz. will have to find a new place for a pancake breakfast after a court ruling forced a neighborhood church to shut down its charity dining hall.

The ruling sets a precedent for all churches zoned in residential areas of Phoenix, which will force church volunteers to relocate their homeless food services to commercial parts of the city or end their meal services entirely, reports Change.org.

The controversy surrounding the Crossroads United Methodist Church's weekly pancake breakfast began last spring when neighbors complained about an increase in the number of homeless people in the neighborhood. With the increase in homeless individuals in the area came an uptick in their undesirable behaviors, including "panhandling, burglary, public intoxication and vandalism, among other things," according to AZ Family.

Here's more on the story from KTVK 3TV:

What do you think about this ruling? Should the church have the right to serve the homeless or should this service be sacrificed to keep neighbors feeling safe?

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Comments

[DanGreen]

If you're not working with the homeless in some way, if you don't have hands-on experience with the homeless problem in the U.S.A., your opinion is basically worthless.

[lexkw]

Same story as always.... "May God bless and keep the poor....... far away from us."

[kdogs]

It is sad that many of us end up homeless, it does not have to end this way http://www.soberliving.com

[alfatu]

The same of "not in my backyard" mentality. Hopefull, they'll have backyards as things fall apart in this economy.

[GoJacks]

I watched True Life: I'm Homeless last night and couldn't understand why the 3 individuals weren't able to work...

One was a 25 year old transsexual female who had been living in shelters for 4 years. I didn't see any reason why she couldn't find work in a restaurant or retail to start out. The young man they followed admitted that he liked his lifestyle and having no one to answer to.

If the majority of homeless people showed some self-efficacy and owned up to the responsibilities of life that the rest of us have to face, the homeless children, mentally disabled, and people truly in need of assistance wouldn't fall through the cracks as easily.

[j-tho]

your assumptions and generalizations disgust me.

[GoJacks]

They are not meant to disgust you or be offensive in any way. I have volunteered and have met homeless people in my lifetime. My comment was simply an observation. It's just my opinion that a large number of homeless people prefer their lifestyle over the working class lifestyle and those people are taking assistance from the homeless people who really need a helping hand.

If you disagree, maybe you could shed some light on what I'm not seeing...

[AndyWright68]

Is that all you got?

You copied and pasted that same lame comment 5 times. Your like that straw man from Oz.

[NWBrunette]

If you actually showed enough self-efficacy to get your tush out from in front of the TV and volunteered to help serve the homeless some food, you might find a way to a larger understanding of the issue.

[GoJacks]

See my response to j-tho. As for watching TV...I feel entitled to watch a little television after working 10-12 hour days.

[AndyWright68]

Work ethic is just lost in this country. Quit feeling sorry for the lazy. Everyone can work. I have food and I offer it to anyone who will work for it.

Pull over and offer these "will work for food guys" a job. I have and they are not interested in work. They want a free ride. One of them had a fist full of money. He had more than I did. Stop falling for this "I can't find a job" crap. There is plenty of work. The problem with these lazy Americans is they want the "perfect" job. They won't shovel sht or dig a ditch. If you are hungry enough you will if you are fed everyday for free you won't.

[HumanExperience]

It would be ignorant to base your entire view of homeless people and families on some of the con artists who stand on roads with signs. One man who was arrested near me stood out on the roadway pretending to be homeless to receive handouts while he owned a home worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. These are not the homeless people. One of every fifty kids goes homeless every year, according to the National Center on Family Homelessness. There is over 10% unemployment in my area. Jobs for everyone? I bet you feel real superior to these people with your job, don't you? Real warm hearted. Why don't you have the money that Bill Gates has? Hey anyone can do it. You must not be willing to work for it.

[j-tho]

your assumptions and generalizations disgust me.

[AndyWright68]

part 1
I just refuse to "help" aka enable people who can work but are too l.a.z.y to put in the effort. People who expect something for nothing are p.a.t.h.e.t.i.c.

Let's say you put someone who is motivated and is not a.f.r.a.i.d to work on an island with one of these feed me people. The motivated guy hunts, fishes and starts a garden. The lazy guy sits on the beach waiting to be rescued. Motivated guy is f.a.t and l.a.z.y guy is literally starving to d.e.a.t.h. Why should f.a.t guy feel obligated to help l.a.z.y guy?

[j-tho]

your assumptions and generalizations disgust me.

[AndyWright68]

Part 2
F.a.t guy worked hard, he put in the energy, he risked being h.u.r.t and sacrificed. L.a.z.y guy deserves nothing. L.a.z.y guy will either d.i.e on the beach or be k.i.l.l.e.d trying to steal f.a.t guy's food reserves and rightly so. If f.a.t guy felt bad and did not want to see or hear l.a.z.y guy s.u.f.f.e.r he could offer him some food but that would be his choice. If he does he will be rewarding someone for being l.a.z.y and most likely will have to keep giving him food. The other option would be to offer him a deal. If l.a.z.y guy wants to work the garden and help haul back the food etc. then he will feed him. Now l.a.z.y guy knows that nothing is for free and he will finally be contributing to their society.

[j-tho]

your assumptions and generalizations disgust me.

[justdoodling]

NIMBYs
we're all guilty of it...

[markinaz]

Just bless the pancakes and give them to the homeless during the service instead of those little wafer thingys. Problem solved.

[From the Raft]

... and serve real wine, none of that grape juice, during communion!

[From the Raft]

Since man does not live by bread alone maybe the church could be less selfish and distribute coupons, tickets, passes or cash to the homeless to meet their hunger, medical care, hygiene, clothing, entertainment and sexual needs.

[Imhotep40]

Since you've got so many great ideas, why don't you start a non-profit, volunteer and provide what the church isn't?

[Mark Twaine]

Since this story could have national political consequences I will with hold comment until Sarah Palin comments with her brand of wisdom.

[From the Raft]

If she has a friend on here maybe they can ask her to comment on this in her Face Book account.

[From the Raft]

Here we go again. Religion is being "victimized" because it can't control your neighborhood while it controls your sex life, your body, your health, your children's school, your child's education, your government ...

[AndyWright68]

FANNED!

[One more Thing]

The people at that church are only interested in pulling a publicity stunt in one of the older, most beautiful and well kept neighborhoods in the city by flipping pan cakes once a week for the homeless. The church is using the homeless people for their own ends. No one can survive on one pancake meal a week from an illegal business.

Due to the recession Phoenix restaurants are going out of business daily. If the church is really serious about feeding the homeless they would buy one of these businesses near their neighborhood and serve the homeless 21 meals a week.

[Zonie]

And of course, everyone here knows that churches would NEVER EVER exploit others for their own ends.

HA! Yeah....never ever never ever.

And I'm sure everyone likewise, believes in fairies as well.

[thrdr]

I believe in fairies. And some of my best friends are gnomes. And I have an elf living in my left earlobe.

Besides all that though, I'm an atheist. I've been one more or less since I was five or six, when my mother threatened me one too many times with punishment from the Almighty, and I declared to her that there was no God, etc. Not a happy family situation, I'll tell you, but mostly I didn't worry about the bad old man in the sky. I ran away from Sunday school through most of my early childhood--with one exception when I was about ten, when there was a very pretty--nay, downright HOT--pastor's daughter who taught it, and I enjoyed going for all the "wrong" right reasons.

I've had other unpleasant close encounters with the faithful throughout my life (some of which might come to light if the mods would release my earlier reply to the top post here from limbo . . . .), but all that notwithstanding this charity pancake breakfast hardly seems like exploitation, or if it is a "publicity stunt," maybe it's the kind of stunt that the residents of Phoenix--and people elsewhere in America today--need to see.

[Bryno]

Million dollar Murphy, thats all i have to say.