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Christian Charity

Started by Recusant, October 19, 2017, 03:38:16 PM

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Recusant

This could be an ongoing thread. Meanwhile the story below will do nicely.

"North Carolina Minister 'Repossesses' Dead Child's Headstone as 'Leverage' to Collect Family's Debt" | Alternet

QuoteA North Carolina pastor has "repossessed" the grave marker of a 5-year-old who died of leukemia, because the bereaved family still owed his company money for the monument. Wayne and Crystal Leatherman, who buried their son a year ago, say they're in shock.

"He repossessed it, like it was a car," the boy's mother told WBTV [autoplay video at link >:(].

JC Shoaf, a Baptist minister who owns Southeastern Monument company, countered that the couple needed to pay up. He told the station that the family initially paid for the stone, but were in debt after requesting a number of changes that "added 400 pounds to the size of the marker and $2,500 in additional costs," per local outlet News & Observer.

[. . .]

"If you buy something, you've got to pay for it. No matter what it is," Shoaf told the news site. "I told (Wayne) I would take it up if they didn't pay. I was told: 'Go ahead.' They probably owe less than $1,000 on it."

The family contends that they were never alerted the account was in arrears. The first notice came when they went to visit the grave site and the headstone was missing.

[Continues . . .]
"Religion is fundamentally opposed to everything I hold in veneration — courage, clear thinking, honesty, fairness, and above all, love of the truth."
— H. L. Mencken


Sandra Craft

He realizes now this could ruin his reputation?  :d'oh!:  This pastor is about as smart as he is charitable.
Sandy

  

"Life is short, and it is up to you to make it sweet."  Sarah Louise Delany

Tank

Quote from: BooksCatsEtc on October 19, 2017, 09:35:44 PM
He realizes now this could ruin his reputation?  :d'oh!:  This pastor is about as smart as he is charitable.
He's obviously a believer not an atheist.
If religions were TV channels atheism is turning the TV off.
"Religion is a culture of faith; science is a culture of doubt." ― Richard P. Feynman
'It is said that your life flashes before your eyes just before you die. That is true, it's called Life.' - Terry Pratchett
Remember, your inability to grasp science is not a valid argument against it.

Dave

Quote from: BooksCatsEtc on October 19, 2017, 09:35:44 PM
He realizes now this could ruin his reputation?  :d'oh!:  This pastor is about as smart as he is charitable.

Surely, in the way of these things, his congregation will claim that these sinful debt defaulters have led this honest businessman, and pastor in the service of Our Lord ("Halleluja!"), astray.
Tomorrow is precious, don't ruin it by fouling up today.
Passed Monday 10th Dec 2018 age 74

Recusant

I should have investigated further before posting the OP. The publicity changed the reverend's mind, apparently.

QuoteOn Tuesday, [JC Shoaf] offered an apology and said that the marker would be returned. "We waive all expenses from the Leatherman family," he told WBTV. "If there are charges to be paid to the cemetery to have this reinstalled, we will pay all expenses for doing that. ... In hindsight, it was a big mistake to have the cemetery remove it, we see it now, but we do offer the family our condolence and forgiveness ... we hope they forgive us. It has hurt everybody involved, and we hope they have it in their heart to forgive us for it. Our prayers are with the family, and we hope we can be friends down the road."

Shoaf had said earlier that Wayne Leatherman paid for one grave marker, then Crystal Leatherman came in and requested more than a dozen changes that added 400 pounds to the size of the marker and $2,500 in additional costs. The added costs were never paid, he said.

Wayne Leatherman said he and his wife were never told the changes would add to the cost.

It doesn't look like the family was completely blameless, not that their part in it is any excuse for Shoaf's ah, graceless behavior.
"Religion is fundamentally opposed to everything I hold in veneration — courage, clear thinking, honesty, fairness, and above all, love of the truth."
— H. L. Mencken


Ecurb Noselrub

Christian principles often take second place to monetary concerns.  It is appropriate to point out the discrepancies.

Dave

Quote from: Ecurb Noselrub on October 20, 2017, 02:32:47 AM
Christian principles often take second place to monetary concerns.  It is appropriate to point out the discrepancies.

Yeah. I was renting a room from a born again Christian, who took every opportunity to push his beliefs.

Part way through the rental they changed the building tax from a rate on the building's value to a "poll tax" on each jndividual. The original tax had been included in the rent, shared out between the six occupants - paid to the landlord who passed it on to the council. With the new system we each had to pay it directly to the council, not through the landlord.

Did the landlord reduce our rents by amount of the original tax? No chance, he pocketed it and refused to discuss it. Even put the rent up a couple of months later. That was when I decided to try to buy a place even if it neant liivng on baked beans and cycling to work!
Tomorrow is precious, don't ruin it by fouling up today.
Passed Monday 10th Dec 2018 age 74

Recusant

You're just looking at it from your godless point of view. In reward for your landlord's piety, Jesus gave him a financial windfall. In the light of the prosperity gospel, it would have been un-Christian of him to have refused it.
"Religion is fundamentally opposed to everything I hold in veneration — courage, clear thinking, honesty, fairness, and above all, love of the truth."
— H. L. Mencken


Dave

Quote from: Recusant on October 20, 2017, 03:04:28 PM
You're just looking at it from your godless point of view. In reward for your landlord's piety, Jesus gave him a financial windfall. In the light of the prosperity gospel, it would have been un-Christian of him to have refused it.

That's the, "God helps those who help themselves," clause I take it? It does not specify to what though . . .
Tomorrow is precious, don't ruin it by fouling up today.
Passed Monday 10th Dec 2018 age 74

Recusant

Quote from: Dave on October 20, 2017, 05:29:43 PM
Quote from: Recusant on October 20, 2017, 03:04:28 PM
You're just looking at it from your godless point of view. In reward for your landlord's piety, Jesus gave him a financial windfall. In the light of the prosperity gospel, it would have been un-Christian of him to have refused it.

That's the, "God helps those who help themselves," clause I take it? It does not specify to what though . . .

The prosperity gospel thing is mostly American, but I think that evangelical Christians in general are OK with it. It's based on the idea that Jesus wants his faithful to have a good life and do well financially. One of the favorite Bible passages is John 10:10: "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."
"Religion is fundamentally opposed to everything I hold in veneration — courage, clear thinking, honesty, fairness, and above all, love of the truth."
— H. L. Mencken