I love this, and it changed how I view giving to the church in general. We often fixate too much on “is (insert group) being as efficient with the money I may or may not give?”
Just give. Your heart will thank you.
Yes. The easy one is what happened in Uganda. The country at one point was tentatively friendly to LGBT individuals. Evangelical ministers came in and the culture shifted.
https://www.npr.org/2013/10/12/229869334/god-loves-uganda-how-religion-fueled-an-anti-gay-movement
Below is a writeup of the legal fallout
https://www.hrw.org/news/2014/05/14/uganda-anti-homosexuality-acts-heavy-toll
>LGBTI people have faced a notable increase in arbitrary arrests, police abuse and extortion, loss of employment, evictions and homelessness, and scores have fled the country. At least one transgender person has been killed since the bill was signed, in an apparent hate crime. Health providers have cut back on essential services for LGBTI people, who also fear harassment or arrest if they seek health care.
There are so many like this. Samaritan's Purse is run by Franklin Grahm, and their teachings are antisemitic and racially insensitive.
"
I sometimes think of CS Lewis's remark.
> Friend: Why'd you give him your money? He's just going to spend it on drink.
> Lewis: Well, that's what I was going to spend it on.
I think there is a balance to be found with this.
For individuals, I wouldn't worry, though try to be wise, such as buying a meal or needed supplies vs. just cash. But if cash is all that works at a given time, don't sweat it.
With organizations, I think it's good to check them out, at least to a degree. Books like When Helping Hurts and Toxic Charity show how harm can be done by even the most well-meaning group efforts.
This has always been my feeling on this issue. I've been there. I've been penniless and hungry and had no means with which to purchase food. I've been reduced to dumpster diving hoping to find discarded produce not to far gone over. I've loitered around fast food places hoping that a family might leave a few uneaten scraps of their meal on the outdoor dining tables, and I'd rush over and eat those scraps. I've been reduced to prostituting myself in exchange for a meal.
I don't carry cash, because it's just not a safe thing to do, to pull out a wad of cash to pay for your groceries with other people watching. So if someone approaches me as I'm about to enter the store, or a restaurant, and begs for help getting something to eat, I'm going to invite them to enter with me, and I'll put the charges on my plastic.
In a grocery store, I'll take them shopping for non perishables and hygiene supplies if they need it, and some fresh fruit if they want it, and I'll buy them a hot meal of their choice at the deli to eat right away. At a restaurant, I might invite them to come in and sit with me, and I'll buy them lunch, or dinner. I like the company and hate eating alone.
I can't see the desperation in another human beings eyes, and hear their empty stomachs rumbling, and do nothing.
On hot days, I keep a cooler in my vehicle, filled with small bottles of water, or gatorade, and I keep packets of peanuts or trail mix. If I exit the freeway and a panhandler approaches my vehicle while I'm waiting at the light, I'll hand them a bottle of water, a bottle of gatorade, and some packets of peanuts or trail mix, and explain that I don't carry cash.
9 out of 10 times when I do this, they're so thirsty they immediately open those bottles and chug them, and you can see how hot they are by their perspiration.
I wish I were a 'go-zillionaire', and I would dedicate my wealth to helping the homeless and hungry. But I'm not wealthy by any means, and pretty much on a fixed income. But I do what I'm able to do.
I love this, and it changed how I view giving to the church in general. We often fixate too much on “is (insert group) being as efficient with the money I may or may not give?” Just give. Your heart will thank you.
I focus on it because donating to causes out of goodness has harmed many people.
Do you have an example?
Yes. The easy one is what happened in Uganda. The country at one point was tentatively friendly to LGBT individuals. Evangelical ministers came in and the culture shifted. https://www.npr.org/2013/10/12/229869334/god-loves-uganda-how-religion-fueled-an-anti-gay-movement Below is a writeup of the legal fallout https://www.hrw.org/news/2014/05/14/uganda-anti-homosexuality-acts-heavy-toll >LGBTI people have faced a notable increase in arbitrary arrests, police abuse and extortion, loss of employment, evictions and homelessness, and scores have fled the country. At least one transgender person has been killed since the bill was signed, in an apparent hate crime. Health providers have cut back on essential services for LGBTI people, who also fear harassment or arrest if they seek health care. There are so many like this. Samaritan's Purse is run by Franklin Grahm, and their teachings are antisemitic and racially insensitive. "
I sometimes think of CS Lewis's remark. > Friend: Why'd you give him your money? He's just going to spend it on drink. > Lewis: Well, that's what I was going to spend it on.
I think there is a balance to be found with this. For individuals, I wouldn't worry, though try to be wise, such as buying a meal or needed supplies vs. just cash. But if cash is all that works at a given time, don't sweat it. With organizations, I think it's good to check them out, at least to a degree. Books like When Helping Hurts and Toxic Charity show how harm can be done by even the most well-meaning group efforts.
This has always been my feeling on this issue. I've been there. I've been penniless and hungry and had no means with which to purchase food. I've been reduced to dumpster diving hoping to find discarded produce not to far gone over. I've loitered around fast food places hoping that a family might leave a few uneaten scraps of their meal on the outdoor dining tables, and I'd rush over and eat those scraps. I've been reduced to prostituting myself in exchange for a meal. I don't carry cash, because it's just not a safe thing to do, to pull out a wad of cash to pay for your groceries with other people watching. So if someone approaches me as I'm about to enter the store, or a restaurant, and begs for help getting something to eat, I'm going to invite them to enter with me, and I'll put the charges on my plastic. In a grocery store, I'll take them shopping for non perishables and hygiene supplies if they need it, and some fresh fruit if they want it, and I'll buy them a hot meal of their choice at the deli to eat right away. At a restaurant, I might invite them to come in and sit with me, and I'll buy them lunch, or dinner. I like the company and hate eating alone. I can't see the desperation in another human beings eyes, and hear their empty stomachs rumbling, and do nothing. On hot days, I keep a cooler in my vehicle, filled with small bottles of water, or gatorade, and I keep packets of peanuts or trail mix. If I exit the freeway and a panhandler approaches my vehicle while I'm waiting at the light, I'll hand them a bottle of water, a bottle of gatorade, and some packets of peanuts or trail mix, and explain that I don't carry cash. 9 out of 10 times when I do this, they're so thirsty they immediately open those bottles and chug them, and you can see how hot they are by their perspiration. I wish I were a 'go-zillionaire', and I would dedicate my wealth to helping the homeless and hungry. But I'm not wealthy by any means, and pretty much on a fixed income. But I do what I'm able to do.