First Reformed Church of Hackensack, N.J., does not like homeless people who put food before faith. The Church reportedly shutdown the FAITH Foundation homeless shelter after the director, Robin Reilly, allowed homeless people on Christmas Day to eat before the families were required to listen to a sermon and prayer. FAITH was concerned that many people had not eaten in twenty-four hours and that it was difficult for the families to wait to eat under the circumstances.
Here’s a possible Sermon for next year: “If you give some of your own food to [feed] those who are hungry and to satisfy [the needs of] those who are humble, then your light will rise in the dark, and your darkness will become as bright as the noonday sun.”
Jesus appears to have been sympathetic to those who were hungry and did not like the idea of sending away people who were hungry:
As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.”
Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”
“We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered.
“Bring them here to me,” he said. And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children. — Matthew 14:15-21
For the story, click here.
Wow, this shows a complete lack of understanding either of Jesus’s message and more importantly, what it means to be hungry. How do the ideological “rules” rise above the whole point of feeding the hungry? This is fascism, not compassion.
And this is supposed to be a Christian homeless shelter?
Hmmm……..
Doesn’t really sound like one to me!
I’m with you Jill!
and the rest of the story is…..
Oh wait, this is left winger turley’s blog, the rest of the story doesn’t matter.
“”What father among you, if his son asks for bread, would give him a stone, or if he asks for a fish, would give him a snake instead of the fish?”
–Luke 11:11 (ISV)
I guess we have now finally been able to answer Jesus’ age-old question definitively. Why it’s the First Reformed Church of Hackensack, N.J.!
I always make pan-handlers listen to an entire reading if “The Cat in the Hat” before giving then change.
Now that, Seamus, makes sense!! Do you do voices as well?
real ” christ -like” . so sad.
“candy 1, December 31, 2008 at 1:38 pm
and the rest of the story is…..
Oh wait, this is left winger turley’s blog, the rest of the story doesn’t matter.”
Oh Candy, is there no limit to the amount of bandwidth you can waste?
When I glance through your posts, and I ponder about that 25-28% contingent of complete idiots fleshing out our population; you know, the ones that never seem to think that morals and criminal laws apply to their ‘heroes’ like G.W. Bush et al.
In fact, you and your ilk remind me of the wisdom of Ralph Cramden in ‘The Honeymooners’
Norton: “Hey Ralph, mind if I smoke?”
Ralph: “I don’t care if ya burn.”
You take care now, ya hear?
Bob,Esq.,
You are exactly correct when you informed Candy(only a Republican neocon could have a name like Candy)of the hypocritical arguement(s) that her and her fellow trolls waste our time with. I still think that they are all the same one of two people who are paid by the RNC to “visit” websites like Prof. Turley’s to spin their yarns.
candy, it is you who seems to have the problem.
The only story is that a so-called christian church shut down a program to feed the jungry because the people did not want to listen to the sermons of these very religious christians.
Sort of like some so-called christian evangelicans now operating in Iraq who refuse to give clean water to needy Iraq people whose lives and country have been destroyed by the so-called christian George W. Bush.
Typical.
Just doin’ my part rafflaw.
Happy New Year!
Bob,Esq.,
Happy New Year to you too.
Candy,
“and the rest of the story is…”
They closed the place, idiot.
The death of common sense continues.
How horrible!
Just an example of why no government money should flow to a religious organization, even for good works. This is coming from a person who’s family works for Loaves and Fishes, a religious based kitchen operated five days a week at a church. I could not think of “shoving the dove” or proselytizing to people who only get one meal a day.
Live the life, your example speaks louder than words.
Looks like the Soup Nazi is doing volunteer work.
Not being a member of the First Reformed Church, I have no idea what they believe, but it would seem that there isn’t much point to coerced prayers.
My dad who ran a city rescue mission used to require that the homeless had to attend a service (his) or they couldn’t get food & sleep in the mission. He maintained that rule all year round. When my mother took over the job she got rid of that requirement.
andie:
“When my mother took over the job she got rid of that requirement.”
***************
That’s why women are the superior gender. I say that as an inferior one.
It isn’t a Christian shelter. It is a church that offered FAITH foundation space on a part-time basis to do advocacy work for homeless people who fall through the cracks (read, mentally ill and have a hard time understanding the welfare system), and allowed her to have a Christmas dinmer. She was fine with them saying Grace. She was fine with a sermon. She wasn’t fine with being bullied into prayer (with threats of having the police called) nor with having plates of food taken from starving people and thrown into the garbage. Pastor could have said Grace, given his sermon while they ate. But he wanted all eyes on him.
On the other hand, if one of the conditions set forth by the church is that people need to listen to the sermon then people need to respect that. If all you do is feed the body but not the soul then all you do is send people to hell with full stomachs. Christ fed the poor to be sure but the poor that he fed was the ones that had been following him and listening to his teachings. The most loving thing that Christians can do is to preach the gospel.
Kathy, to say the pastor wanted all eyes on him is wrong. He wanted all eyes on Christ and that is what preaching is designed to do, place people’s attention on Christ. To assume that this was merely an ego trip by the pastor is no good.
The Bible says that if a man will not work he should not eat. The fact that these churches are trying to reach out help people, many of whom will not work (I know this as I had some contact with street people over the years and our church even tried a soup kitchen but stopped because homeless people were bragging about not working and how much they made off of pan handling) is going beyond what scripture requires of them.
Bob H.,
I may have missed this one in class but were not some of the followers merely poor in spirit? If memory serves me correctly in the rudimentary education that I have a number of the followers were quite wealthy for the times.
Like the lady named Lydia that was a dyer of Purple? Or the seller of salt? Believe it or not they were all quite rare back then. Think about the things that we take for granted. Jesus did not want for anything. Blessed as it may sound but the Romans did want the use fee for the hall that was used for the last supper. By the way a number of folks keep making money off of that one. Guess what, no cameras to keep the memory in tact. I suppose it was divinely inspired 15 hundred years later.
Gee Bob Hackett, I think it would be great if you Christians actually read the Book you cite. Jesus made no requirement on the poor to follow his teachings before extending generosity. He simply said:
“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least among you, you did not do for me.’”
-Matthew 25:41-45
That was a pretty fair progression from the Old Testament tenet:
“There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land.”
-Deuteronomy 15:11
And were I you, I would worry about your words generalizing about the poor being lazy:
“He who mocks the poor shows contempt for their Maker; whoever gloats over disaster will not go unpunished.”
-Proverbs 17:5
My read on you fundies is found in two of my favorite passages from your magic book:
When thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
Matt. 6:5-6
and
“Professing themselves wise, they became fools.”
Romans 1:22 (KJV)
It’s nice to Jesus, er, mespo setting the “We’ll Help The Poor For A Price” crowd straight.
char·i·ty \ˈcher-ə-tē, ˈcha-rə-\, n.
Etymology: Middle English charite, from Anglo-French charité, from Late Latin caritat-, caritas Christian love, from Latin, dearness, from carus dear; akin to Old Irish carae friend, Sanskrit kāma love
Date: 13th century
1 : benevolent goodwill toward or love of humanity
2 a : generosity and helpfulness especially toward the needy or suffering; also : aid given to those in need b : an institution engaged in relief of the poor c : public provision for the relief of the needy
3 a : a gift for public benevolent purposes b : an institution (as a hospital) founded by such a gift
4 : lenient judgment of others
In the basics definition there are neither any costs to the recipient nor strings attached either.
So, Bob Hackett, wrong in two books. That’s quite an accomplishment.
Buddha,
Just never be wrong with Guido’s books. I hear his tactics of collection and avenging are life altering and eternal.
What would Jesus do?
He would feed the people first!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
To whoever is in charge of the First reformed Church of Hackensack NJ you are sick twisted and evil and YOU CAN NOT AND WILL NOT ESCAPE GOD’S JUDGEMENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Be afraid.
L