If they didn't feed the poor, what excuse would they have for tithing? They don't use it all for feeding the poor, do they?

Ex Dame Pansi wrote on Jan 5^th, 2013 at 9:41am:



I'm sure the poor don't care, so long as they get fed.  But any excuse will do, eh?

Sir lastnail wrote on Jan 4^th, 2013 at 11:21pm:


An interesting observation of Christianity is, though, the concept of charity is still alive and well. It is Christian organisations feeding and clothing the homeless and poor. Can you name any secular organisation (government handouts do not count) that does such things?

It is very interesting that while atheist left-leaning intellectuals claim to be the representation of 'equality' and 'egalitarianism', and paint Christians as 'stupid' and 'evil' fools, you do not see any atheist organisations clothing and feeding the homeless and poor.

There is something in that the average Joe should think about.

You have it in for Christianity though don't you?
Every time on a subject which includes Christianity you criticize it and take the opposing view for the sake of it.

The view I have is that Christians are good people, they are fine to believe what they like.

If you don't then fine but why the need to criticize and attack them for their view?

An interesting observation of Christianity is, though, the concept of charity is still alive and well. It is Christian organisations feeding and clothing the homeless and poor. Can you name any secular organisation (government handouts do not count) that does such things?

It is very interesting that while atheist left-leaning intellectuals claim to be the representation of 'equality' and 'egalitarianism', and paint Christians as 'stupid' and 'evil' fools, you do not see any atheist organisations clothing and feeding the homeless and poor.

There is something in that the average Joe should think about.

Matthew 6:19

    Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Debt crisis could cost charities millions

ALMOST a year after the subprime debt crisis emerged in the United States, the same financial products which have exposed NSW councils to hundreds of millions of dollars in potential losses are threatening charities, churches, children's hospitals, nursing homes and dozens of councils across the nation.

Gosford City Council is one of the worst affected: it faces having a $74 million portfolio wiped out.

The Herald has obtained information about the Australian accounts and investments of the Wall Street investment bank Lehman Brothers, which shows St Vincent De Paul Society, the Starlight Children's Foundation, the Boystown charity for underprivileged children, and the Anglican, Baptist, Uniting and Catholic churches all hold structured finance products. Many may now be worthless.

Lehman was the most active promoter of collateralised debt obligations (CDOs), a complex "derivative" product whose underlying assets were US mortgages and vehicle and credit-card debts all packaged in a high-yield security.

They were marketed with Australian names such as Federation, Tasman, Parkes, Flinders, Kokoda, Kiama and Torquay. But despite the marketing spiel that the diversity of underlying mortgages made for a safe investment, the toxic loans in them contaminated the entire market for the products, leaving no buyers.

The National Australia Bank recently wrote down the value of its CDO portfolio by $1 billion, or 90 per cent. Most of the charities and councils which hold CDOs are yet to make writedowns, and thereby concede they will incur losses. But there are no buyers. Some councils contacted by the Herald said they had not written down the value of their CDOs as they were still producing income.

Despite a $4.8 billion profit handed down by the Commonwealth Bank early this week and the generally robust financials of Australia's big banks, hundreds of smaller financial institutions, charities, super funds and government bodies have been weakened by their exposure to fancy structured finance products.

Besides Gosford's $74 million portfolio of CDOs, Hurstville had $25.5 million, according to figures leaked to the Herald; the St Vincent de Paul Society has funds under management with Lehman, which mostly comprise structured finance assets of $8.9 million; the travel group Flight Centre $55.7 million; Charles Sturt University $17.5 million; Metro Ambulance Services $30.5 million.

Twenty councils are preparing a class action against Lehman Brothers to recover their losses, including Armidale, Blaney, Deniliquin, Gilgandra, Kiama, Narribri, Parkes, Walcha, Wingecarribee and Port Macquarie.

Of the charities and councils contacted by the Herald, none have been affected in an operational sense, as they are still getting interest payments. The State Government has given councils tougher investment guidelines and is monitoring the situation.

... wrote on Jan 5^th, 2013 at 9:58am:


But they do - they just dont advertise any religion

SOB

... wrote on Jan 5^th, 2013 at 9:53am:




Anglicans, Church of God, Salvation Army, Baptist and I daresay most other denominations. It will all come out in the Royal Commission, but we don't want to go over that argument here, there's a thread for that already.

Google it for yourself, there's a good boy.

... wrote on Jan 5^th, 2013 at 9:58am:


they do when they pay taxes just like anyone else

foreign aid and social welfare comes from taxes