Useless Christianity: Where to draw the line in charity

[ChickenSoup]

HERRO ERRYBODY


There was recently a string of mass-emails by professors at my college in response to a raffle that was taking place in the area. Basically, a college admin secretary sent out an email notifying everyone of a raffle that would support such organizations as Arms Around Sierra Leone, an organization that provides impoverished amputees in Sierra Leone with prosthetics. There were prizes, of course, and first prize either gets 1000 dollars cash or a trip anywhere in the world (travel expenses up to 2000).

HOWEVER.

Some people in the religion department immediately chimed in about how NO ONE SHOULD SUPPORT THIS RAFFLE because all gambling is immoral guys, seriously, blah blah blah.

...


Does anyone feel extremely incensed by this? Faith without works is dead, and it's bad enough that these pompous boneheads don't give much to charity as it is, and the one opportunity to really do something good is denounced because OMG RAFFLE=GAMBLING=DEVIL. Way to make Christians look like people who are so concerned with getting the rules right that we can't provide support for a flippin' charity.

At what point does Pharisaical law-keeping become a hindrance to showing love to others? I mean, I could kinda see if it were "Hookers for Honduras -- Rent one for charity," but it's a flippin' raffle. I don't know if "useless Christianity" is a term that's been coined yet, but, well, here it is.



that's all I have to say for now, because I need to vent more in a format where profanity is permitted >_> <_<

[ArchAngel]

Pharisaical, indeed. To the credit of Christianity, their gambling tirade flies directly in the face of Jesus' teachings. You know you are not doing religion right if an Atheist steps in and defends your religion from you.

I gather it's rather clear that I have strong disagreements with religion, both in implementation and in concept, but there are certain positive aspects to it and the religion department decided to fly directly in the face of it. Useless Christianity would be if they abstained from helping because they thought it was a sin. Unfortunately, because they are trying to convince others, they are now negatively impacting the world. So, worse than useless.

[Orodrist]

My head hurts now. Thanks. That said I'm always up for hearing a profanity filled tirade. PM me bro.

[Bruce_Campbell]

My head hurts now. Thanks. That said I'm always up for hearing a profanity filled tirade. PM me bro.

Same here! I love me some profanity-laced tirades.

[ChickenSoup]

To one of the professor's credit, I found out that the second one wasn't genuine. I misread one of their names (there were two emails) and the one that followed the first in apparent agreement was apparently a very satirical and sarcastic response by someone in a different department.

But yeah, other than that, my rant stands. Haha

Actually, I'm thinking of restarting a thread or a blog or something with all of my beefs with mainstream Christianity.

These include:

"Slut Shaming, Guilt Tactics, and Double Standards: the Dark Side of True Love Waits"

"Why Some Christians Are Terrible Tippers, and Why It Needs To Stop"

"Now It's Getting Ridiculous (I Think Now They're Just Making Stuff Up)"

"How To Further Alienate the Unbeliever"

"I Have an Idea: How About Love the Way We're Supposed To Instead of Justifying Judgmental Actions Within the Church"

"Let's Never Change With the Times: The Untold Story of a Christian Science Major Trying Not To Be Embarrassed For His Fundamentalist Friends When They Rant To Him About How 'Obviously Correct' Their Pseudoscience Is"

"10 Made-up and Un-/Extra-Biblical Doctrines of the Last 50 Years"

"Why Addressing the Needs of Others By Just Saying 'I'll pray for you' Is Not An Acceptable Answer By Itself (And Why You Should Get Off Your Butt and Help Your Fellow Man)"

AND MANY MANY MORE

[ccgr]

While I have turned down several gambling and bingo advertising banners, I have never consider our raffles as gambling :\

Some interesting topic discussions there...go for it!

[ArchAngel]

Those discussion titles are pretty inspired. I'd buy that with a dollar.

[ChickenSoup]

A dollar or a mega-sized chocolate chip cookie. Either will do.

[ArchAngel]

I'll make it rain with chocolate chip cookies.

[ChickenSoup]

I'm debating turning some of those into either rant threads or a blog-ish thing directed at mainstream Christianity. Would you guys rather read an informed rant (supplemented by Real Sources, yo!) or talk about this stuff on the forums? I don't want to dive into All the Things unless everyone has some kind of interest.


And... last time we talked about the True Love Waits thing, it got modblocked for heresy. So there's that.

[Bruce_Campbell]

I want to hear all the things. ALL THE THINGS.

I don't really have much to discuss because my opinion is going to differ with most folks around here. I've also got plenty of heathen friendly places to rant and rave about these things from a heathen perspective. But those are great topics, and I'd love to hear your take on them.

[ChickenSoup]

HO HO YES.

I'm thinking of tackling TLW first because it's the one I am currently most frustrated with, particularly because I've recently met people who've fallen victim to such things as le slut shaming.

'n' such.

I'll link it once I'm done

[ArcticFox]

Gonna take up the "devil's advocate" position here. (Ironic, no?)

If you have a moral belief that a raffle is a form of gambling, and that gambling is sin, then it seems perfectly reasonable to me that one would refuse money from such a source.

It's sort of like not working on a Sunday. If you're of a denomination that strongly opposes working on Sundays, wouldn't it be a little hypocritical to go out shopping on Sunday? Isn't that encouraging an act (people being at work) that you yourself believe to be a sin?

Sure, the proceeds from the raffle might go toward a worthy cause, but ask yourself this: Suppose a cocaine dealer justified his activities by donating half his profits to a local church. What would you think of that church if they accepted the money? What if Nevada's Bunny Ranch (A legal brothel) donated money to churches? Should the money be accepted?

Personally, I have no problem with raffles when there's no money involved, but I regard a raffle that you buy tickets for to be the same as a lottery, which is gambling and I am morally opposed to it. Thus I find it very easy to sympathize with an organization that refuses to accept money that they regard as having been gained through immoral devices.

Now, I get that this charity was not religious in nature, and that the people opposing it were in a separate entity entirely. That being the case, I do agree that it was inappropriate for them to become involved by trying to discourage people's participation. In that, I share ChickenSoup's annoyance. I think a more constructive approach would have been for those people to simply donate money outright, and not accept raffle tickets in exchange.

[JOJ650s]

And... last time we talked about the True Love Waits thing, it got modblocked for heresy. So there's that.

Oh, I remember that thread,
I am pretty sure it was locked due to some flaming at the end.

[ArchAngel]

That's right, huh?
Was I involved in that? I thought I did a rant on TLW.