La. Church Offers to Pay Whites to Attend

[Rose Siding]

La. Church Offers to Pay Whites to Attend

SHREVEPORT, La. -- Week after week, Bishop Fred Caldwell grew tired of seeing so few white faces in his predominantly black church. So now he is offering to pay whites to attend.

Starting Sunday, Caldwell will pay whites $5 an hour out of his own pocket for attending Sunday services, and $10 an hour for Thursday night services. The idea hit him during a sermon last week, he said.

"This idea is born of God. God wants a rainbow in his church," said Caldwell, bishop at Greenwood Acres Full Gospel Baptist Church, with a congregation of about 5,000.

Caldwell said he has gotten mainly positive responses from his parishioners and from whites, a number of whom have told him they will attend his services for free.

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-paid-to-pray,0,237277.story?coll=sns-ap-nationworld-headlines

[headlouse]

1. hey isn't this a kind of reverse affirmative action?

Maybe we can roll with this concept and pay rich white people to attend community collages instead of ivy league schools...

Or pay big corporate banks to give loans to intercity blacks...

Or pay corporations not to pollute the enviroment in lower-class areas...

Or pay meat-packing factories to treat their mexican labor like human beings...

[Gman]

2. Wanna REALLY piss off the right wing?

Pay blacks to attend white schools. That would be the one that would send them over the edge screaming incoherently!

[DemBones DemBones]

3. He probably won't have to pay anyone because the publicity for

the offer will make whites in the area aware that they'll be welcomed at this church.

Added on Edit: It's a really smart move because it wouldn't make news if he had just issued an invitation to whites to attend. This story will get a good bit of attention.

[PartyPooper]

4. But, what would Jesus say?

Seriously, I'm somewhat of a heathen (that's what my mother used to call me, anyway) but, what would JC have to say about this?

I agree with this pastor's intent to diversify his congregation...but, to "pay for patronage"? I don't get it. Why not do a picnic or something like that? It wouldn't be as crass...and, probably he'd get more people to attend, just my opinion.

[Desperadoe]

5. Jesus Just Spoke To Me

He said, "Ed, please type this memo:"

"ROTFLMAO!!!!!!!!"

And then He said...."Give that preacher a medal, he deserves one."

Seriously, does anyone have this fine man's e-mail. I would like to congratulate him on a terrific idea.