An Attitude Of Superiority

[Spiderwire]

Straight from Fox News...

 

Charity Turns Down Share of $3M Lottery Jackpot

Friday , September 12, 2008

 

PATCHOGUE, N.Y. —

 

A New York charity says it has turned down a share of a $3 million lottery jackpot because accepting the money could send the wrong message to gambling addicts.

 

The Lighthouse Mission, which helps feed 3,000 hungry Long Island residents a week, had been chosen to share an anonymous donor's jackpot last month. The donor gave the winning ticket to the True North Community Church, which said it would share the money with other charities.

 

The mission's pastor, James Ryan, says he appreciates the offer but had to turn it down because his organization counsels against addictions, including gambling. He did not say what the mission's share of the prize would have been.

 

 

Are you fucking kidding me? We wouldn't want the wrong message sent to gambling addicts, but fuck the poor and hungry. Is that what I'm seeing?

 

Of course it is. If they're feeding that many people per week, how many more people could they feed with the money that was given to them? That's beside the point in Pastor Ryan's pious mind because he'd rather see people hungry in the streets rather than come down off of his pompous high horse of religion. Not only does this man and his organization feel that they can judge how many of the needy can be assisted, but they'll condemn an honest to goodness GOOD WORK and the person who chose to be generous and charitible with their winnings because it doesn't meet their requirements and approval.

 

Disgusting. Absolutely disgusting.

[LilaMae]

Bastards. This is why I only give my money to people who put their charity work before any religion.

[HuaiDan]

http://www.lighthousemission.net/

 

Here's their home page. Why not send Mr. Ryan an email (or give him a call, their number's right there) expressing how you feel?

[Amethyst]

NY charity turns down share of $3M lottery jackpot

 

PATCHOGUE, N.Y.—A New York charity says it has turned down a share of a $3 million lottery jackpot because accepting the money could send the wrong message to gambling addicts.

The Lighthouse Mission, which helps feed 3,000 hungry Long Island residents a week, had been chosen to share an anonymous donor's jackpot last month. The donor gave the winning ticket to the True North Community Church, which said it would share the money with other charities.

 

The mission's pastor, James Ryan, says he appreciates the offer but had to turn it down because his organization counsels against addictions, including gambling. He did not say what the mission's share of the prize would have been.

 

The stupidity of fundies never ceases to amaze me. Think of all the people they could have helped.

 

On the bright side, I'm sure a number of charities are perfectly happy to accept that money.

[Karhoof]

Wow. Just.... wow.

 

And their homepage is all about begging for money.

[Casey]

Agreed. Being a degenerate gambler is a terrible thing. I know of one woman in the town where I live who has lost $450,000 to the pokies (what you would call slot machines) and I personally know another fellow who would think nothing of putting hundreds of dollars he could not afford through the things. I don't know what the attraction is, I myself used to very occasionally play $20 through them, taking the view that if I lost it, I lost it, and walking away if I happened to win $5 or $10, which I now and then did. I could do that, however a lot of people can't, it seems. So yes, I'd have to say I admire the charity for standing by its principles.

 

I would hope the charities that do accept the money will use at least some of it in an attempt to educate people about degenerate gambling and the harm it can do. On the lighter side, whenever I play Bridge of a Tuesday night at a local ex services club, I can't help but notice our State Government's attempt at curbing the problem. On one wall of the gents there is a poster where some bloke is looking out at you with that hunted and desperate look some losing gamblers get, as he says at the same time, "I don't have a gambling problem!"

 

Underneath the pic is the caption, "Wanna bet?"

Casey

[HuaiDan]

http://www.ex-christian.net/index.php?show...c=26093&hl=

 

Mods, two threads open on the same topic. Just so you know.

[hereticzero]

NY charity turns down share of $3M lottery jackpot

 

PATCHOGUE, N.Y.—A New York charity says it has turned down a share of a $3 million lottery jackpot because accepting the money could send the wrong message to gambling addicts.

The Lighthouse Mission, which helps feed 3,000 hungry Long Island residents a week, had been chosen to share an anonymous donor's jackpot last month. The donor gave the winning ticket to the True North Community Church, which said it would share the money with other charities.

 

The mission's pastor, James Ryan, says he appreciates the offer but had to turn it down because his organization counsels against addictions, including gambling. He did not say what the mission's share of the prize would have been.

 

The stupidity of fundies never ceases to amaze me. Think of all the people they could have helped.

 

On the bright side, I'm sure a number of charities are perfectly happy to accept that money.

What a dork! He would rather pass up the offer of millions of dollars in favor of laying guilt trips on his congregation and community to support HIS mission effort. His church is tax exempt. I don't know what the tax rules are on receiving large sums of money on a lottery win as a donation for a church but a lot of it, if not all of it, would have to be tax exempt if deposited in the church account.

 

If I were of his congregation, I would have just quit his church.

 

This is the best example possible of how xtianity cults brain wash their own members into starving themselves to death rather than take support from nonxtian sources.

[R. S. Martin]

Wow. Just.... wow.

 

And their homepage is all about begging for money.

 

This is just a wild guess in the dark on my part but what do people here think about this idea: CHARITY TURNING DOWN MONEY FOR SAKE OF CONSCIENCE--that makes headlines.

 

People will look up their website. They will see their need for money. And they will donate because "this is a charity we believe in--they put God first."

[Karhoof]

They could also spin it as, "Taking the devils money to use against him." in the same way that police use drug money from busts to fund anti-drug programs.

Either way, they still smell like a rose (or at least not as bad as most of 'em!) and the needy are tended to.

[Amethyst]

Merged the topics. Sorry, didn't see yours.

 

But yeah, I totally agree. Why screw poor people?

[Spiderwire]

http://www.lighthousemission.net/

 

Here's their home page. Why not send Mr. Ryan an email (or give him a call, their number's right there) expressing how you feel?

 

Done.

 

 

Mr. Ryan,

 

I read about your organization on Fox News last night. So I decided to find out more about you and what you do.

 

Your website features this mission statement:

 

The Heart of the Mission

 

In January of 1992 our street ministry began by handing out ten bologna and cheese sandwiches to the hungry. It began with a vision from God to GO FEED THE POOR. Today we are feeding approximately two thousand people a week, giving out about 350,000 meals to people who have a need. Poverty on Long Island is on the rise due to the increase of the high cost of living (housing, rent, heat, food, etc...). Statistics show that approximately 250,000 people on Long Island are living below the poverty line including 93,000 children. These number increase daily. The heart of the people at the Mission is to reach out to others and see that no child will go to bed hungry. Jesus said, "For I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me." Working TOGETHER can make a difference in someone's life who is crying out for help.

 

The Fox News article said you feed 3,000 residents a week, but your site says you only feed 2,000. You also mention that there are about a quarter of a million people on Long Island who are very poor and 93,000 of them are little kids. The heart of your mission is to see that no child goes to bed hungry.

 

Many parts of your website detail and list specific monetary needs and requests. You're asking for help so that you can continue to help those you're already assisting and your desire is to help even more people.

 

Yet, your organization was offered part of a 3 million dollar charitable contribution and you denied the funds and you denied the individual who wanted to join you in your mission of helping the poor and needy. You did so in order to demonstrate that gambling isn't something you condone. I submit to you that the 93,000 children who will go to bed hungry tonight couldn't care less about where the money to help them comes from. The number of people you help each week could have risen significantly. It appears that your desire to help is conditional and unfortunately, those who need the help are the ones being punished in order for your organization to claim moral high ground.

 

I also realize that, in the Christian community, you'll be regarded as heroes. That, in itself, may pave the way for generous donations from that sector. I think it's a shame that, had you taken the charitable donation, you may have run the risk of those same Christians cutting off their donations. Both statements are purely conjecture, but the bottom line is that the lives of the people you're wanting to help are affected by it.

[I Broke Free]

Take the money and be accused of hypocrisy, or reject the money and lose out on helping those in need. Either way the choice will have consequences. Personally I believe the money could easy be viewed as a gift and not the direct result of gambling, but I don’t deny them the right to reject it on moral grounds.

[Andy]

This is just a wild guess in the dark on my part but what do people here think about this idea: CHARITY TURNING DOWN MONEY FOR SAKE OF CONSCIENCE--that makes headlines.

 

People will look up their website. They will see their need for money. And they will donate because "this is a charity we believe in--they put God first."

I don't think this would make up for 3 million dollars, but you never know.

[Outback Jack]

+1 for putting one's morality before personal gain.

-5,000 for screwing over your stated 'mission' in order to appear righteous.

-10,000 for equating a winning gamble with gambling addiction. I sometimes gamble in casinos when I find myself near one and I occasionally play the lotto when there are enough zeros to get my attention. I am in no way addicted. But if they don't want a portion of my (fantasized) winnings, screw 'em.

 

Take the money and be accused of hypocrisy, or reject the money and lose out on helping those in need.

I see your point but I still say that any logical and rational person doesn't equate a winning bet with addiction. Er...Wait. Did I just claim that religious idjits are logical and rational? Sorry!

 

Pity about those hungry people, though. But, still, I guess they can starve to death happy in the knowledge that they didn't enable anyone's addiction.

[jackbauer]

This is why morality isn't always in black and white.

[Unknowing1]

What's the difference between playing the lottery with the intention of giving the winnings to charity and buying a raffle ticket where the proceeds go to charity. Is one better than the other? And is it an addiction when you only play the lottery once in a great while?

[Vomit Comet]

Agreed. Being a degenerate gambler is a terrible thing. I know of one woman in the town where I live who has lost $450,000 to the pokies (what you would call slot machines) and I personally know another fellow who would think nothing of putting hundreds of dollars he could not afford through the things. I don't know what the attraction is, I myself used to very occasionally play $20 through them, taking the view that if I lost it, I lost it, and walking away if I happened to win $5 or $10, which I now and then did. I could do that, however a lot of people can't, it seems. So yes, I'd have to say I admire the charity for standing by its principles.

 

You're telling me. I live in Las Vegas.

[Ouroboros]

Funny. I actually think the message would have been the opposite. Gambling money going back to help people with gambling problems. Just like tobacco tax is supposed to go to cover some of the extra health costs in society caused by tobacco use. It's not like the tobacco tax is sending the wrong message and more people are smoking to give the state more money for health programs!