Such a waste of good water, especially in drought-stricken California. I say they should have installed electrified grates so these shiftless bums could feel the wrath of God’s (house).
I hope it goes without saying that half of that paragraph is sarcasm.
"But there is only so much you can do.”
Like soak them with water.
Mark 10:21-22 Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.
FYI, I have zero religious affiliation, but I’ll have to assume this church does…
The church is removing the sprinklers because they were installed illegally and violate water use laws. They claim they were following what was commonly done in the financial district. Time to find and shame the other companies that are doing this.
Baffling that a Church is pointing to for-profit corporations - especially financial corporations - as an example of how to treat the indigent.
They just need better spin doctors.
“Catholic Church installs free public showers for the homeless. Bishop says cleanliness is next to Godliness.”
In a side note the system has been turned off after the recent bad press.
Um, but it’s a Catholic Church, innit?  They are a financial corporation.
At least they aren’t a conquering army any more. God preserve us from bad priests!
The usecase of the example is “how to keep trespassers from crapping on your back-step”. You think dogshit is bad? Try getting human excrement off your shoe when you are hurrying to catch the train.
Walk a mile in my shit stained urban-dwelling moccasins before you call-out the building maintenance committee for this church.
Hey - I live in SF and I’ve stepped in human poo before. And I see it often enough that’s it’s not shocking anymore - usually on the BART escalators. I’m not saying it’s a picnic. I just think whoever said “well this is how the businesses in the financial district deal with the homeless” needs to stop and think about that. 
it saddens me the church reacts AFTER “bad press” I am eager to see reaction if the current Pontiff hears about this… he seems like a decent fellow. a welcome change from the last few centuries…
“I rather spend every Sunday of my life hanging off a cliff to rescue someone than spend one more time sitting in a pew next to hypocrites that talk about what they will do to better themselves and the world when they get around to it.”
― Shannon L. Alder
When the Unitarian Universalist Society of Mill Creek was built, there were some vandalism problems for the first couple years. It’s one of the routine hazards of Godless Heathenry I guess.
One of the incidents was that somebody took a large dump on the doormat in the private entryway to the minister’s office, and unfortunately she didn’t notice what she’d stepped in until she’d tracked it all over three carpeted rooms. I had to rent one of those enormous hospital-grade carpet cleaners, it was nasty.
Perhaps they are going old testament
“The poor and needy search for water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. But I the LORD will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.” Isaiah 41:17
Then again
“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” James 1:27
“If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.” 1 John 3:17-1
I’ve heard it rains quite a bit in SF, so I don’t see what the problem is.
or maybe designated it “Holy Water” then they could bless them away.
Christ, what a pisshole.
Y’know, if I purported to revere a jewish radical who flipped out and assaulted some moneychangers for doing business in the temple, I might consider not taking advice on offensive architecture from the financial district…
They couldn’t just build a public toilet instead?
Jeez, these guys really have it figured out! At my church, (St. Luke’s Lutheran in Kansas City) the homeless folks have to come INSIDE to get showers, toiletries, warm clothes, food and other support. No preaching done. Just the mission. I think some alterations to the outside showers would be required for the midwest winters, tho.
I’m sure Jesus would have installed this system, had it been available in his day. NOT.
I’m glad they removed it, but it never should have been installed in the first place.
