OT... Giving to the less fortunate

[HeyBub]

Sort of. We don't give anybody "cash." We give them trading credits that they can use to buy U.S. goods, often specific goods. They get the "aid" and domestic companies get the money.

[HeyBub]

Sounds kinda like "Card Check."

[Ed Pawlowski]

You've audited his books?

[aemeijers]

(snip)

1 question I never got an answer to, over the years- What would happen if some group got MORE in designated donations, than the overall split that was penciled in for them? Would they still get it all?

I realize it is rather unlikely, but I am curious.

-- aem sends...

[dpb]

aemeijers wrote: ...

Certainly w/ any Board with which I have been associated, yes. (Not to mention of all the rules/regulations it would violate to do otherwise...)

Extremely highly unlikely ime. I've never seen any campaign in which the designated total comprised more than few percent of the overall total raised.

The only way I would ever see that eventuality coming to pass would be a single large donation directed for a small organization but it would be more likely such a gift would be made directly ime.

--

[real1]

[snip]

"Teach him religion and he'll starve to death praying for a fish."

[snip]

[Stormin Mormon]

Teach a man religion, and he'll spend the rest of his life going door to door telling everyone about it.

[Stormin Mormon]

Thank you, for the voice of experience and wisdom. You are exactly correct. I think that many people (and nearly all adults) have a story of outrage, when it comes to charity and poor people. Here is the one that comes to my mind.

I was seated at the round table, my small church congregation was having the leaders conference, before services started. The phone rang, and Mark went to answer. It was for Gwen, the Relief Society president. She came back, fuming, and really obviously upset.

What happened was that one of the welfare women in the branch had called. Told (not asked) Gwen that she, Gwen, needed to come over to her house to write a welfare food order. Gwen replied that welfare lady lived only a couple blocks from the chpael, and she could walk over. They would write the order and discuss the needs after services. As church was about to start in a few minutes. The welfare lady cranked up the heat, and started yelling, and insisting. Aparently it had to be done before services, or during services (taking Gwen away from church ) because welfare lady was leaving in a litle while to take the boys on the city busy to see the Ice Follies (paid admission, you realize), and she woudl not be home after church.

[Jim Elbrecht]

I think that is the biggest problem with churchians such as yourself. [you have proven over and over on this forum that you neither a large or small 'C' Christian].

When I give something to someone I give it of my own free will and I do so because it makes me feel good to do it. If I get a thanks, I feel good about the thanks, but it has nothing to do with how I feel about giving.

The Jews have a system of 'levels' of giving. I don't remember the details, per se, but it goes something like;

1- you know who is receiving your gift & they know you gave it. 2- you know who is getting it- but they don't know the benefactor 3- neither know who is givng/getting I think there are some more- The top of the heap was when you were able to give anonymously to someone and they didn't even know they were receiving charity.

I think they nailed it. [ I'm not Jewish- I'm agnostic]

If you don't want to give- then don't. But all you holier-than-thou hypocrites that keep going on about how the poor don't appreciate how wonderful you are can kiss my ass on a busy street corner.

Jim

[HeyBub]

Actually there are (classically) thirteen levels of charity, but you've described the essence.

It's a bit different from what most (Christians) understand charity to be. In the Christian tradition, charity imposes a "duty" on the part of the giver. In the Jewish tradition, charity is a "right" claimed by the poor*. Both have the same effect of transferring resources from the more affluent to the less fortunate, but the difference has significant effects.

Consider the church or synagogue itself: In both instances, the institution is in the position of depending on the donations of the membership. In the Christian church, the offering plate is passed in each service and there is continued emphasis on the duty of the parishioners to "tithe." In the synagogue, membership is (usually) based on your tax return and dues are assessed to each family unit. If you don't pay your dues, you don't get in (at least for the holidays). It's that simple.

This dichotomy carries over into westerm legal theory also: Every "right" a person is guaranteed by law imposes a "duty" on someone else. If, for example, I have a right to government-funded health care (or anything else), you have a duty to provide it.

In practice, it comes down to who nags you: The church or the schnorrer**.

--------

• This "right" is taken, principally, from the admonition to not reap the corners of your field so the poor may glean therefrom.

** Schnorrer: Yiddish for 'begger' or 'sponger.' By Jewish law, you are not allowed to refuse a hand-out.

[Stormin Mormon]

It's sad that you've missed the point, so severely. With your cheerful attitude on life, you must be interesting at family gatherings.

[BobR]

I am certain that you never have looked at yourself in the mirror or you wouldn't make such a comment.

[Gary H]

Recently, I saw a bumper sticker saying "If you love Jesus, Tell Someone", I felt it should be "If you Love Jesus, SHUT UP". That's because of the THOUSANDS of people who won't ("holy verbal diarrhea").

[Stormin Mormon]

As a former atheist, I can totally agree with the sentiment. I do try to tread lightly, and not be too gosh awful pushy. Except on Usenet!

[Wayne Boatwright]

On Sat 12 Dec 2009 06:54:45p, Tony Hwang told us...

I guess the expression, "beggars can't be choosers", is no longer in the English vocabulary.

Fuck 'em!

I can barely meet my bills and may be facing bankruptcy by the middle of

2010 if things don't improve.

I have things I could give to those who might need them, but they want to choose and pick.

As far as I'm concerned, charity begins at MY home!

[Marina]

Wayne Boatwright wrote in news:Xns9CE9EA93D98ABwayneboatwrightatari@69.16.185.250:

Years ago when my sister moved to LA she encountered a number of homeless people on a certain street. One man had a sign he'd work for food. She went in the store and bought him a sandwich. When she gave it to him, the guy promptly threw it in the trash bin. A few other homeless people jumped at the bin for the food.

The new thing now, is for somebody to approach you at a gas station and ask for money. The fake reason they give is their car broke down up the street. A woman asked me for $5. When I told her No, she kept standing there and again I told her No, this time very strongly. What was going thru my mind, is she going to attack me. Well, I still was pumping gas so it crossed my mind to spray her with the gasoline if she tried to jump me. Luckily she walked away and asked everyone else at the station.

[The Daring Dufas]

You can always have some fun with them by acting crazy. I've had urban campers approach me while I was walking down a sidewalk and when they start talking, I will c*ck my head like a dog listening to its master, do the crazy eyes bit and start screaming "EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" while walking toward with my arms and fingers outstretched like I'm going to touch them. Walking stiff legged can enhance the effect and the behavior can often send them running. There are lots of other things I do to them to amuse myself.

TDD

[Doug Miller]

I worked closely with a deaf man for nearly fifteen years, back in the 80s and

90s, and got pretty good at sign language -- good enough that I can do a convincing imitation of being deaf. I'm a little out of practice now, so if I ever encounter a panhandler who actually knows ASL, he'll know I'm faking, but it's worked every time so far. They give up quickly and walk on to the next mark.

The first time I tried this, I told my deaf friend about it the next day. He laughed his ass off.

[Stormin Mormon]

It's also fun, if you are fluent in French or some other language. Spanish, not so useful. Too many folks know Spanish. Russian or Czech is good. I wonder if that works on other panhandlers like traffic cops?

[BobR]

93D98ABwayneboatwrightatari@69.16.185.250:

Nothing new about that around the Dallas Tx area, its been going on for years and in most cases is not a woman who approaches you. On several occasions I have been approached by more than one person at a time. I just tell them sorry but I don't carry cash and I don't.