@ Fake Messiah

True also, however still not convinced there are more of them.

Not to be petty but they are in the news from time to time for having problems like any other organization.

@ [b]The Grand Nudger[/b] 

All I can say is they weren't ashamed. They acted entitled.

Noted, you're easy to convince that christianity is better at charity than atheism, but not so easy to convince of the contents of mere reality in the historical record or such mundane propaganda as simple accounting. This is cultural christianization. Yuck.

Now we're on to senses of entitlement. It's one boogeyman after another tonight. Do you reckon those entitled users were christians?

Nobody convinced me of anything. Its been my experience.

Would love to see those documents.

What?!! What users? Oh the food pantry. No way of knowing.

One woman had a head covering. Looked like a muslim who just arrived in the country. At a christian food pantry. Bizarre.

Let wonder lead you to knowledge. Maybe you can teach you something I've failed to.

No historic documents provided? Just have to teach myself now oh great wise one?

Anyway aren't we supposed to be free thinkers not bound by anyone's propaganda?

(June 24, 2025 at 12:49 am)Sandman Wrote: True, Thumpalumpacus, but when I was at the food bank, several people ahead of me took the food from the lady handing it out and walked away like they were entitled to it.
Without so much as even a thanks. Not sure the food bank workers are after so much recognition. When I registered and filled out the paperwork I was mostly ignnored by the lady at the front desk. Your experience with food banks may be different.

Didn't even see them advertise the place. Had to find out from a government worker.

I'm sure there are many Atheist and Secular volunteers out there.

But lets face it the christians really did the work of establishing your food bank.

Firstly, while Christians established the food bank I worked at, that doesn't mean only they establish food banks. If you want to argue that atheists are charitably lazy, bring some numbers. Seriously. Cite some sources, because I'm not interested in anecdotes. I prefer facts. Do you have any?

As for whether anyone thanked me, it did happen a few times. One of those times I thanked the lady right back for her helping me to see what was really important and teaching me that. But most of the time, we weren't thanked, and it didn't fuckin' matter. I wasn't there to get props, and our consumers were so goddamned desperate about where they might sleep that night or if their kids would be safe that I didn't expect them to thank me.

Charity isn't transactional. If you're giving out charity and expecting anything in return, you're doing it wrong. And if you're going to food banks and getting their help only after you jump through their hoops, you're going to the wrong places.

I can't put my finger on it, but something smells pretty wrong with your posts so far.

ETA: Actually, I think I can put my finger on it, but I'd rather not tip my hand.

<dbl post deleted>

(June 24, 2025 at 1:08 am)Sandman Wrote: @ Fake Messiah

True also, however still not convinced there are more of them.

Not to be petty but they are in the news from time to time for having problems like any other organization.

Just the contrary. Problems with religious organizations is that they use most of the money to build castles, jets, jewelry, cars etc. Like, have you seen the Vatican lately? How many starving people could be saved by selling the treasures and castles there?

Secular programs are the biggest charities - like have you heard of food stamps, social security, medicare - which come from people paying taxes. But guess who is not paying taxes?

So, on top of religious organizations not paying taxes to help impoverished, they also get money from the government for charity work (like Catholic church gets $800 million every year) so one really wonders why they don't pay taxes.



The bottom line is that you didn't get a free meal from a Christian organization because you paid for it by footing the tax money that they refuse to pay, and you paid for it when the Church gets millions of dollars from taxpayers (your money).

(57 minutes ago)Sandman Wrote: Wrote:True, Thumpalumpacus, but when I was at the food bank, several people ahead of me took the food from the lady handing it out and walked away like they were entitled to it.
Without so much as even a thanks. Not sure the food bank workers are after so much recognition. When I registered and filled out the paperwork I was mostly ignnored by the lady at the front desk. Your experience with food banks may be different.

Didn't even see them advertise the place. Had to find out from a government worker.

I'm sure there are many Atheist and Secular volunteers out there.

But lets face it the christians really did the work of establishing your food bank.

Firstly, while Christians established the food bank I worked at, that doesn't mean only they establish food banks. If you want to argue that atheists are charitably lazy, bring some numbers. Seriously. Cite some sources, because I'm not interested in anecdotes. I prefer facts. Do you have any?

As for whether anyone thanked me, it did happen a few times. One of those times I thanked the lady right back for her helping me to see what was really important and teaching me that. But most of the time, we weren't thanked, and it didn't fuckin' matter. I wasn't there to get props, and our consumers were so goddamned desperate about where they might sleep that night or if their kids would be safe that I didn't expect them to thank me.

Charity isn't transactional. If you're giving out charity and expecting anything in return, you're doing it wrong. And if you're going to food banks and getting their help only after you jump through their hoops, you're going to the wrong places.

I can't put my finger on it, but something smells pretty wrong with your posts so far.

Easy to guess you worked a a christian food bank. They are prevalent enough.
As for evidence, I'm new here, can't post links.
A google search shows 63% of food banks are christian and nearly half of congregations in states surveyed contributed to both faith based and secular food banks.

Wouldn't want to smell. Wondering if I should just roll over and agree with everybody. Instead of partially agreeing with them.

@Thumpalumpacu

Easy to guess you worked at a christian food bank they are prevalent enough.
As for evidence I'm new here and can't post links.
A basic Google search reveals that in a 2022 survey 63% of food banks were faith based .
In states surveyed half of the states congregations gave to religious and secular food banks.

Further, everything you said about your work at the food bank could apply to the christians there.

And,

I wouldn't want to smell. Maybe I should roll over and agree with everything people are saying instead of partially agreeing.

Say you can put your finger on it. Great can't wait to hear.

Atheists convinced me a long time ago that I should be a free thinker. Not bound by the pressure to think what everyone else appears to think.

@Fake Messia

I'm sure the catholic church has money. Haven't seen where they spend it.

I was a foolish Catholic when I was young. The priest did take the parish's money to buy a car.
Don't know what the higher ups are buying. Probably some expensive cars. They do hobnob with the rich and powerful.

One person tells me the church is super rich though, and another tells me the lawsuits bankrupted them, yay.

As for the church selling treasures, I understand the market doesn't obsorb an organization dumping so many, many treasures at once, and I do hear they sell treasures some years.
Plenty of their 'treasures' are historic documents, also a limited market for that.

The Vatican is a small place, filled with buildings. These buildings are historic. Whatever that's worth.
Did you say they built a castle there? Another country? The pope has a vacation residence but I'm not aware of him building any castles.


Catholic charities I hear is the biggest religious charity in the world. It's pretty damn big I hear
You didn't mention how much of that $800 million went into the charity.
Though apparently from what I hear on the forum, they waste it all.

Seen some religious jewelry for church services. Yeah don't need that. Not sure its how incredibly widespread among the higher ups it might be.
Most of the church is priests nuns, lay people etc. not higher ups.

The church could spend more money in poor countries but you wouldn't believe the problems you run into with dictators, the communists,
when you try to dump money in their countries. The corruption violence, one dictator doesn't like it when you try to help the group of people he's picked to especially oppress, or genocide.

and other problems....

Better to have some perspective on the catholic church than repeat what everybody else says.

You mentioned food stamps. I tried that. You have to be employed or else an uneployed woman with children to get food stamps.

How much do you know about these programs?

Medicare is for people with income. Maybe you are thinking Medicaid. The program Trump was talking about doing away with.

So religious organizations don't pay taxes. I think that they should. But it doesn't necessarily mean the money they save is not going to charity.

From listening to talk on the forum, now I'm not sure if the religious are competetive with the secular world charities or complete failures who cant spend a dime right.