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Religious beliefs trump hurricane relief
CLEWISTON Hurricane victims who wanted water had some difficulty finding it at a relief station in Clewiston Friday. The volunteer group running a supply center doesn't like the company that donated the water, so they decided not to give it to those in line for help.
Twenty-two pallets of the canned water, distributed free by beer company Anheuser-Busch, bears the company's label and members of the Southern Baptist Convention refused to hand it out to those in need.
Resident lined up for miles to receive food and water at the distribution point. But the water was left on the sidelines by the Alabama-based group.
"The pastor didn't want to hand out the Budweiser cans to people and that's his prerogative and I back him 100-percent," said SBC volunteer John Cook.
The SBC felt it was inappropriate to give the donation out, and they weren't happy when NBC2 wanted to know why.
"Why do you want to make that the issue? That's not the issue. The issue is that we're here trying to help people," Cook said.
No one disagrees with that, but the Red Cross says Anheuser-Busch is also trying to help.
The water has been available all along, but the SBC volunteers set it aside and few people knew it was available.
While the SBC is standing its ground, the Red Cross says water is water and they're now handing out the supplies.
The vice-president of operations for Anheuser-Busch, Mike Harding, released a statement on the donation Friday reading:
As we have seen numerous times in recent years, safe drinking water is a critical need following natural disasters such as Hurricane Wilma. At the request of various relief agencies, Anheuser-Busch and its wholesalers have donated more than 9 million cans of drinking water since Hurricane Katrina hit in August, and when called on, well continue to provide water to all victims of Wilma as long as its needed.
"I don't think it makes a difference who gives it out. It's going to a good cause. It's going to help everyone," said storm victim Lisa Simmons.
And many victims are grateful Anheuser-Busch is stepping in to help.
UPDATE: Late Friday, as NBC2 was leaving Clewiston, we saw two members of the SBC handing out the canned water alongside the Red Cross.
http://www.nbc-2.com/articles/readarticle.asp?articleid=4747
I guess atheists don't need to parade their charity around like a neon sign while limiting aid because a beer company donated supplies....
but hey, gongrats on that. Make sure to forward that to jesus.
Just curious if anyone can name an aethist group that raised this kind of money for disaster relief.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071123/ap_on_re_us/church_donation
it's irrelevant to point out how christians filter their "help" according to who is donating material despite rampant need for supplies?
geee.. and here I was thinking you wanted to highlight christian "charity"
How many athiest groups REQUIRE a dogma filter before they will help the needy?
Sorry, didn't mean to make your bible explode.
I guess I have to ask ... Is there such a thing as an athiest "group?"
yes.
and not a member of the ACLU.
go figure.
In fact, Athiest groups don't wear their beliefs on their sleeve to the effect of acting pompous about charity donations as if receiving relief amounts to OWING the church something. It's about as altruistic as asking for a blowjob from a hitchhiker for a ride down the road.
just making sure you understand how brilliant your previous post was.
enjoy.
Just curious if anyone can name an aethist group that raised this kind of money for disaster relief.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071123/ap_on_re_us/church_donation
Oh... I don't know, how much have those famous atheists Bill Gates and Warren Buffet donated to charity?
Atheists don't give en mass. They give individually because there isn't exactly a Church of the Infidel that they go to.
talk about strawman...
who would jesus deny water given by a beer company too, dude?
You mean those rich guys you liberals would strip of all their wealth cause it just is not fair they have it and you do not?
