So, Tom Grimaldi walked into The Tennessean yesterday with presents for the little girl who got screwed over by the Salvation Army. And he was not the only person. According to the story, lots of readers called to ask what they could do.
These are the folks next year who should get to be the Grand Marshalls of the city’s Christmas Parade.
The Salvation Army is still crowing on about how they have to be fair to the greatest number of people. Let me be as clear as I can. When you would rather some children go without toys than have some con artists get too many, you are completely missing the point of Christmas. It is about as far from Christ-like as you can get to let some folks suffer either because you don’t like them or because you don’t want people to take advantage.
Christ said both to love your enemy as yourself and to turn the other cheek. This means you don’t get to stick it to the children of illegal immigrants at Christmas. That is not loving your enemy. And when con artists do you wrong, you turn the other cheek. You don’t turn around and make it more difficult for children to get toys.
I literally cannot believe that a Christian organization does not get that. I cannot believe that they could hold such anti-Christian positions and say them outloud in public and not die of shame and embarrassment on the spot.
It is appalling.
Will Christian charities get taken by con artists? Yes. Because, if they are doing their jobs right, they should be easy targets. If you have hardened your heart to the point where you aren’t an easy target for con artists any more, you are no longer operating in a Christ-like way.
I should be clear. I don’t think Christians have an obligation to be taken in by con artists. In fact, I agree that it makes you a poor steward if you don’t protect yourself somewhat. But if your protections make it difficult for people who genuinely need help to get it? Then you have gone too far.
Tiny Cat Pants 
Love the phraseology on the lede: “for children not eligible.”
If they were honest, it would say “for children deemed undesirable.”
No kidding. I wonder if next year maybe they’ll have a separate but equal pile of presents for some children who made the mistake of having the wrong parents.
I’m sorry. I guess that since you left Christianity you were unaware of the recent developments.
You see, Christianity now stops at the borders of the U.S.
Only those who belong here are entitled to receive its benefits.
There’s some irony too considering how much U.S. Christians really need the influx of Mexican Catholics to reinforce their dwindling numbers if they don’t want us heathens taking over.
“Do not mistreat or abuse foreigners who live among you. Remember, you were foreigners in Egypt”
— God, Exodus 22:21
Not to mention Central and South American priests. And African priests. My mom’s diocese has been running a coyote bus for years to get sufficient men to minister to the needs of Kentucky parishes.
OC: Heh.
Along similar lines, I was wondering how many of Christ’s yankee legions are fluent in Aramaic (English, in the form of Late West Saxon, only starting to take any kind of hold a millenium or so after his death).
Just to say, though, that there are roughly 68 million Catholics in the US. The in-migration has shifted the center of Catholic life in the US from the Northeast (where parishes are closing up right and left) to the coastal South, Mid-Atlantic, and SW. If the Republicans work it right and tone down the racist crap, they could in theory have a huge bloc of conservative anti-abortion voters — but they have to wake up and smell the tamales and figure out how to articulate a nationalist position that isn’t easily reduced to immigrant-bashing.
Jesus was an A-rab?
If the Republicans work it right and tone down the racist crap, they could in theory have a huge bloc of conservative anti-abortion voters
And that was exactly how W (with Karl Rove’s advice) did so well electorally both in Texas and nationally among Hispanics. It’s not Democratic concern-trolling to point that out, there’s precedent.
Also, while this is a charity for HIV/AIDS rather than immigration, my family always used to volunteer with Nashville CARES on Christmas Day, because it’s not like we do anything else on Christmas besides going out for Chinese dinner and a movie:
http://www.nashvillecares.org/
On Christmas morning, we’d deliver meals to the patients and toys to their children. That’s an entire group of children who are often forgotten in the shuffle, because our society seems to have given up on AIDS.
*applause*
Well, and what’s so wrong with giving stuff to kids from other countries anyway? So their folks are Mexican. Big damn deal. It’s not like we’re not all freaking human beings.
For the record, I don’t give money to the Salvation Army due to its record on discrimination against gays, either. Sucks, but what can you do, other than give to groups that don’t discriminate, of course.
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Whaddya get them? Wire cutters and a spanish to english dictionary?!
Ha! Thank Youuuuu.
Tip your servers.
Exador, when your neighbors rip off your arm and beat you with it, I’m going to laugh a little bit before I feel sorry.