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Sunday, September 18, 2005

Pity The Fool!

According the the TAROT, a fool is one who goes on trusting; a fool is one who goes on trusting against all his experience. You deceive him, and he trusts you; and you deceive him again, and he trusts you; and you deceive him again, and he trusts you. Then you will say that he is a fool, he does not learn. His trust is tremendous; his trust is so pure that nobody can corrupt it.
I was that fool... for so many years.

THE AWAKENING: Religion today, is a business and in many instances a very profitable one. I'm not saying that the church doesn't need the support of its parishoners. There are operating expenses. That's all about tithing. It's a choice you make when you join a congregation. But we also think of the church as a NOT FOR PROFIT, TAX-EXEMPT, CHARITABLE organization.

THE FOOL: Don the fool, when he read about all churches becoming involved in providing food and shelter to the victims of Hurricane Katrina actually believed that what these religious organizations were doing were "acts of charity"; until President Bush in his speech from Jackson Square, New Orleans on Thursday that they would be financially re-imbursed for expenses incurred in providing relief to the victims of the hurricane. Now that really pisses me off! Does this mean that all the volunteers who have donated their time, energy, money, etc. should also be reinbursed? I hate to think that those religious bigots who blamed Hurricane Katrina on abortion or homosexuality in New Orleans are now going to line their pockets with my tax dollars going for their "operating expenses".

BLOGMASTER St. Tropez Butler hit it right on the mark when he wrote on September 9, 2005, and I quote:

"Responsibilities for volunteer coverage at the George R. Brown Convention Center, which currently serves as a shelter for some 1300 Katrina evacuees, have been assumed by a coalition of faith-based organizations under the aegis “Operation Compassion”, spearheaded by Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston, with Second Baptist Church as the central administrator in this collaboration. This eliminates the need for non-coalition volunteers at the convention center."

The above to me stinks of: OPERATING EXPENSES.... while the volunteers were donating their time and energy "pro bono".

3 comments:

christine mtm said...

dondon, i'm a lutheran pastor and just as offended that churches might get reimbursed for their work. that is not why churches are supposed to give in times like these. it actually disgusts me that he even thought of it.

i've given money to my church's disaster relief program because i know that 100% of what i gave will go to katrina victims... you can't be as sure when you give to some other organizations that use money for administration costs.

the idea of tithing is to support the ministry of a church (we're supposed to believe that God gave us eyerthing so we're supposed to use our money for good).

i don't give to get back, but because it's part of my faith.

and this is probably more than you wanted to hear... rest assured some christians are just as pissed off about this as you are.

Connie in FL said...

You said it all quite well DD.
I whole heartedly agree.

sttropezbutler said...

EXACTLY!


STB