I get emails form conservative friends and family members that, well - piss me off. I know that we must all get them from time to time. But this one made me mad. See it and my responses below the fold.
. My response to the allegations are in
. Here is it is:
What I have seen since Katrina:
The poor and the wealthy hurt by the storm.
Black, white, Hispanic, Oriental and Indian all hurt by the storm.
Christian people giving, giving, giving.
Churches going all out to minister in Jesus' name.
Neighbors going door to door helping one another.
Thugs and hoodlums going door to door looking for someone vulnerable.
Ice and water being fought over as police tried to keep the peace.
People coming up from New Orleans taking over empty houses because shelters are full.
Out of town volunteers coming with food and staying for now a week still serving it.
The Churches all over this part of the country doing what Christians do in a crisis.
The Red Cross doing a great job in the shelters.
The Salvation Army doing a great job in the community.
Four Hundred crewman from everywhere bring back the power to our homes, churches and businesses.
Lines at service stations a block to a mile long.
National Guardsman patrolling the streets of Mc Comb along with Kentucky policemen protecting us from the hoodlums and thugs of Mc Comb, Pike County and New Orleans (the most dangerous city in the world before Katrina.)
Drug dealers working outside shelters.
Doctors, nurses and other hospital personnel working tirelessly, even sleeping in the hospital to do the job God called them to do.
WHAT I HAVE NOT SEEN;
The ACLU setting up a feeding line.
Did not see the Rutherford Institute (http://www.rutherford.org/) setting up a feeding line either come to think of it.
People for the American Way helping in the shelters.
Looked all over for the Moral Majority in the shelters. - Nope they weren't there. Geesh, the Moral Majority isn't even assisting in raising money for the victims of Katrina - check it out at http://www.faithandvalues.us/, but then the People for the American Way aren't raising funds on their website either - http://www.pfaw.org/pfaw/general/default.aspx?oid=
The NAACP doing any work whatsoever.
Well I did see that the NAACP set up a major Katrina Relief Fund drive among their members. See http://www.NAACP.org for information. I did not see Project 21 do anything at all. Check it out at http://www.nationalcenter.org/P21Index.html
The American Atheist organization serving meals in the shelters.
No they weren't serving meals. But maybe the funds that their members helped pay for some relief from the fund raising that they did in their organization. Maybe they helped buy some food or shelter for the displaced victims from Katrina. Thank you American Atheists for all that you did. Don't believe then check out http://www.atheists.org/ . But Operation Blessing the Pat Robertson so-called relief organization got into tax trouble with the IRS for diverting more than half of it donations to the 700 Club. Read about it at http://neworleans.indymedia.org/news/2005/09/5129_comment.php
Jesse Jackson directing traffic at the gas stations.
You know what, I did not see Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell or Benny Hinn in New Orleans. But Rev. Jesse Jackson has lead two rescue missions to New Orleans since the Katrina Disaster. See it at http://www.rainbowpush.org/FMPro?-db=RPOfrontpage.fp5&-format=rainbowpush/frontpage/results.htm&
amp;-lay=front&constant=1&-find or you can read it about it in the Star Telegram, the Dallas Daily Paper at http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/news/nation/12678920.htm
I could go on but you get my message. Its the Christian people with love and compassion who do the work.
Jesus said " Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth." Such chest pounding is hardly meek or humble. The lessons of Jesus appear to have been lost on you.
Jesus also said "Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in heaven:"
The gripers in Congress should come on down and get in line to pass the water and the ice. Are you listening Hillary, Chuck, Teddy and all the sorry loafers we call Senators and Congressmen. They don't have a clue as to what this life is all about here on the Gulf Coast.
They are griping about the incompetence of the Republican Administration that could not respond in such a way to save lives. Even the President has accepted the griping as fact by accepting responsibilities for the failures of the relief effort. The President acknowledged that there were failures. So Hillary, Chuck, Chuck and the "sorry loafers" as you refer to them griped and pushed hard for relief action. Aid from the Congress was voted down by only eleven members of the House - ALL REPUBLICAN.
Don't talk to me about values again when in the face of death and destruction on this scale REPUBLICANS can turn their backs on victims.
Boy I feel better now.
I don't feel better in pointing out the errors of this email. It is time for us to come together as a nation and a people. We must pursue peace and justice. To me it is the worst kind of divisive email. Some Christians do good things and some don't. Some atheists do good things and some don't. Some organizations helped in the disaster and some didn't. That is not what is important. What you did is the only thing that is important and the only thing that you can reliably comment about.
Saying all manner of evil against men for the sake of Jesus is exactly what Jesus warned about in the Sermon of the Mount. Next time, before you decide to launch your narrative attack against others in the name of Christianity read and meditate on Mathew 5:3-16. When Jesus said to "let your light so shine before men, they they may see your good works" do you really think He had this email in mind? Shame on you.
Remember Kossacks, I sent this to my wife's sister. Should I be in the dog house now or not? Let your comments answer this question. But do answer the poll that follows as well.