So, I went to Church the other day, and in the front row of parking spaces, there was a brand new, bright red convertible that had a big sign on it saying "WIN ME!" The parking spot next to it was blocked off, so that nobody (like the older folks who normally park in the front row) parked next to, obstructed the churchgoers view of, or accidentally door-dinged the bright, reflective prize.
Tickets were $100 a pop. Apparently, proceeds were to benefit a well-off local Westchester hospital.
They announced the raffle during mass, too.
Now, if I recall, Jesus got pretty angry when he went into the temple and found it being used as a marketplace. And when I go to Church, I don't want my kids thinking "WHAT A COOL CAR!" And I certainly don't want my kids thinking, "Wow, at Church, they ask the grownups to gamble!"
I talked to the Monsignor about this, and he said he didn't have a problem with it. Now, I have a solid relationship with the Monsignor, so I felt comfortable enough to say that this struck me as hypocrtical.
His answer really bothered me.
He said "A lot of things in the Bible are contradictory. Sometimes, I preach one lesson, and a month later, I'm saying something different!" I asked him if that was really relevant to what we were talking about, and he said he thought it was. And I just dropped it.
I don't know. It just seems weird and wrong to me... the wrong message.
Love to all. Even you, the lady who has had the "John Kerry approves of killing babies" sign on her car for years, now.
8 comments:
It's things like this that cause me to be cynical about organized religion.
Rich, if you're really disturbed by this, you'll go to a different parish. Please don't tell me that you'd stay at a Church where you feel the Pastor is misleading you.
(Can you tell we've been Church-hopping - and it did pay off! Found a good, traditional one, and our souls are better off for it.)
And that Kerry comment? I'm confused. You're pro-choice...why does her bumper sticker bother you? It bothers me BIG TIME, and I'd probably hit her (Seinfeld style), but...I'm confused.
Hmmm. Wait. I think I like that lady, now that I've thought about it. Truth hurts, and seeing a Catholic (esp. one in office)promote killing babies...well, sign me up, I think I want one of those stickers. Truth makes ppl love 'em, huh?
I like many of the folks at this parish... one Pastor who can't explain things concretely does not mean we should bail.
The Kerry thing bothers me because:
1) Kerry DOESN'T approve of killing babies.
2) Why would you paint that on a big sign on your car? That would be like me saying "GEORGE BUSH APPROVES OF KILLING THOUSANDS OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN" because he cut off humanitarian and medical aid to countries that allowed medical abortion.
Only, Bush DID do that.
It wasn't a sticker. It was an enormous sign in the back of her car. And frankly, six year old girls don't understand the topic, but they sure understand the blood red letters that say "KILLING BABIES!!!!!!"
You don't think that's a little, um, off?
The truth could hurt... if it were the truth.
I'd still love to see an Anti-Choice person like yourself explain how you could possibly argue against abortion and contraception at the same time.
It's horribly cruel.
Both of those things really scare me.
I'm not a particularly religious person and that kind of 'commericalisation' of religion is one of the things tht puts me off. Coveting a shiny new convertible doesn't seem to be a great message for a church to be sending out. If the hospital wants to raise money by raffling a car, that's fine - but it shouldn't be done in church.
As for the woman with the sign on her car, well it's attitudes like that encourge extremist views. You've either got to hate Kerry or hate her. There's no middle ground. If she really had a point to get across, she'd engage people in discussion, not deliberately go all-out to offend.
@rich: I'm with you on this one, and with nobody. I guess Tricia is entitled to her opinion as well... but I like your answer to her - and I'm not even a Democrat! Ppl like that lady with that car make me vomit on their face :P
"Sometimes, I preach one lesson, and a month later, I'm saying something different!" I guess that says it all!
And another thing that pisses me off is how these "non-profit" hospitals who make gazillions of dollars have the balls to ask for fundraisers as well. Maybe they're right, gas for their doctors' boats is quite expensive nowadays... .
Another reason why I'm a searching Agnostic but I never seem to see the divine in any structure (or in any heart) that man made....
...and, "George Bush Approves of Killing Teenagers " would be a good bumpersticker, wouldn't it?
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