Faith does breed charity

[T_i_B]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,3604,1567604,00.html

Hurricane Katrina did not stay on the front pages for long. Yesterday's Red Cross appeal for an extra 40,000 volunteer workers was virtually ignored. The disaster will return to the headlines when one sort of newspaper reports a particularly gruesome discovery or another finds additional evidence of President Bush's negligence. But month after month of unremitting suffering is not news. Nor is the monotonous performance of the unpleasant tasks that relieve the pain and anguish of the old, the sick and the homeless - the tasks in which the Salvation Army specialise.

The Salvation Army has been given a special status as provider-in-chief of American disaster relief. But its work is being augmented by all sorts of other groups. Almost all of them have a religious origin and character.

Notable by their absence are teams from rationalist societies, free thinkers' clubs and atheists' associations - the sort of people who not only scoff at religion's intellectual absurdity but also regard it as a positive force for evil.

The correlation is so clear that it is impossible to doubt that faith and charity go hand in hand. The close relationship may have something to do with the belief that we are all God's children, or it may be the result of a primitive conviction that, although helping others is no guarantee of salvation, it is prudent to be recorded in a book of gold, like James Leigh Hunt's Abu Ben Adam, as "one who loves his fellow men". Whatever the reason, believers answer the call, and not just the Salvation Army. When I was a local councillor, the Little Sisters of the Poor - right at the other end of the theological spectrum - did the weekly washing for women in back-to-back houses who were too ill to scrub for themselves.

[China_cat]

1. Notable by their absence are teams from rationalist societies, free think

That's such bullshit. For the first reason that there are very few, if any, such 'organizations'.

If they want to smack secular organizations, then they better start with the Red Cross, because IT is definitely NOT a 'faith-based' organization.

'Believers' answer the call and make sure that you know they are 'believers' before anything else. Non-believers just go and do what needs to be done without having to hit people over the head with their religious 'status'.

[arwalden]

8. Thank You!! Well Said!!

<< 'Believers' answer the call and make sure that you know they are 'believers' before anything else. Non-believers just go and do what needs to be done without having to hit people over the head with their religious 'status'. >>

Ain't it the truth? Ain't it the truth!

[Bob3]

2. I suspect that is because the atheists and free thinkers are

just doing the work needed and not screaming about Jesus every five minutes.

And America is not England - unfortunately these days religious in the US means fat pink men in expensive suits asking for money and telling people they are going to hell.

[RC]

3. B.S. The below listed were the first responders. The Red Cross

has has people from rationalist societies, free thinkers' clubs and atheists' associations.

It is more likely to be the less religious people that are among the first responders. The paramedics, doctors, nurses rescuers in general - people that help people.

"Notable by their absence are teams from rationalist societies, free thinkers' clubs and atheists' associations - the sort of people who not only scoff at religion's intellectual absurdity but also regard it as a positive force for evil."

[mcscajun]

4. This free thinker gave all her "air miles" to the American Red Cross

to get anyone who can, believer or non-believer alike, down to the Gulf States to HELP.

This free thinker's donating a good chunk of her next paycheck to a completely different charity (totally non-religious this time, absolutely) that will help the victims of G.W. Bush's disastrous handling of Hurricane Katrina.

This free thinker isn't a joiner, period. Not of organizations in general, and certainly not anything religious.

But my support is there.

Don't count us out just 'cause we don't clamor for attention and aren't members of organized groups.

We Care -- and we don't require a faith to do so, or to act.

PS: I have a free-thinking friend who, with his daughter, left for Baton Rouge yesterday to join the Red Cross' efforts there.

And all the lists of charitable organizations touted by the WH are religious...gee, what a surprise. Yet, there are other non-religious organizations helping Bush/Katrina victims out there, if you look for them.

[tocqueville]

5. what utter BS

90% of the voluntary relief job is normally done by SECULAR organisations. It might be differences in the US due to historical reasons, but the author "forgets" all the NGOs normally involved un those operations.

Organisations like Oxfam, Doctors without Borders (and all the "without borders" organisations and many many other secular ones are ALWAYS in the front line of rescue and relief, most of the time in very difficult conditions, conditions often not accepted by the UN, Red Cross (no shadow over their job) not to talk about the local authorities if there are any.

In France for example the "Secours Populaire" (a Red Cross like organisation) and "Restaurants du coeur" (a food bank) are huge national relief organisations and always there when needed. All those organisations are secular. And one of the biggest shelter and clothing aid organisations (Emmaüs) is maybe founded by a priest but is completely secular and doesn't bring any Bibles in their shelters.

This guy doesn't know what is he talking about... obviously

[trotsky]

6. Religious bigotry at its finest.

You and the author have no way of knowing whether secular-minded people may have even contributed to religious charities.

Not that that matters, you just need to find some reason to hate non-believers.

[zbdent]

7. Does the "Guardian" point out that many of the "faith-based" groups

many times do so little as to "pray for" whatever cause?

I wonder how much the Red Cross and Salvation Army would rake in if all the "free-thinkers" and "rationalist societies" decided not to donate to "centralized" agencies . . .

[mzteris]

9. see this about SHARE

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=228x12217

[TallahasseeGrannie]

10. I am a person of faith

but I am not convinced about your conclusion. I know many fine, caring agnostics and I would suppose, atheists. (I don't get into religion discussions with them)

I think that one thing organized religion does is provide another outlet for our efforts and it is a bit "easier" if you will, for a church, mosque or temple-goer to find like-minded folks to work with. So on that point I agree that faith breed charity.

Another issue might be that associations of the secular are often formed in protest of or for protection from faith-based organizations so their missions are not the same.

It's a cliche, but religious devotion has led to some of the finest in human behavior, but it has also surely led us down a path of death and destruction at times. Sadly. Ironically.

[beam me up scottie]

11. What a perfect example of self righteous, ignorant bigotry.

Says a lot about the kind of person who would post it here.

FYI, secular givers don't have strings attached to their charity.

They're doing it because it's the right thing to do, not because they need the bonus points or because they want to crow about how "christian" they are.

And they don't take advantage of the situation to spiritually prey on the victims, like many of the christian vultures do.

[PatsFan2004]

12. Thank you for the article. Something to think about and remind

us that there is still a lot of work to be done on the Gulf coast by all of us non-believers and believers.

[phantom power]

13. This atheist gave some money, and blood, for the relief efforts.

[LisaLynne]

14. Locking...

I know this is an article, but putting added emphasis on a particular, offensive paragraph is insulting to some DUers. Please review the rules.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/forums/rules_detailed.html