Re: “Letter to the editor: Governor should include churches in his property tax reform plan” (Jan. 24):
Christopher Mann writes: “Churches are parasitic by their very nature, consuming a wide range of public resources, yet returning little or no benefit to the societal host.” It is pretty obvious that Mr. Mann has not stepped inside a church to see what goes on.
He ignores several thousand years of church history, where the church has followed Christ’s commands to care for the poor and sick, the widows and the orphans. He ignores the spiritual benefits that many people receive each week during the service.
My church donated several food baskets this past holiday season and does so throughout the year. Many churches choose not to publicize what they do, following Christ’s instructions in Matthew 6:3-4: “When you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” How is this “parasitic”?
May I suggest that Mr. Mann visit a church or two to see what they do, rather than making blanket statements with no basis in fact.
Sarah MacConney
Windham
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