Posted on 10/30/2005 9:10:08 PM PST by Between the Lines
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, we’ll continue to provide water to all victims of Wilma as long as it’s 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.
I asked you actually name ONE THIRSTY PERSON denied water by the Baptists. You obviously cannot.
Therefore, your statement is utter BS.
I'll have to disagree on that last point.
You should have read the statement a little more closely before you let your umbrage hijack your typing fingers. I never said the people were thirsty because the SBC refused to give out the A-B provided water, I said the SBC were keeping it away from thirsty people, which they were. It's nice that they had some SBC Religiously Unobjectionable water to hand out, but the question remains, what would they have done if that water had run out?
I suppose the paucity of reports of Baptist artillery fire destroying the tainted water are a good sign, but you really can't trust the MSM, can you?
You stated that the Baptists were keeping water away from thirsty people.
They weren't.
Hurricane 2005 Response-Day 67
Activity Totals (as of 10/27)
|
State Conventions Activated |
41 |
|
Volunteer Days Contributed |
118,513 |
|
Meals Prepared |
9,638,835 |
|
Jobs Completed (cleanup and recovery operations) |
13,961 |
|
Showers Provided |
68,473 |
|
Laundry Loads Completed |
15,964 |
|
Children Cared For |
7,526 |
|
Messages Sent |
3,056 |
|
Gallons of Water Purified |
9,295 |
If the SBC folks were keeping people from drinking,say, bacterially contaminated water, I'd be on their side. However, I don't believe that water provided by A-B is ipso facto contaminated.
Well, that isn't my point.
No thirsty person is being denied water--or having water withheld from them -- by anyone in the SBC.
Your post, and the article, implied otherwise.
I object to (what appears to me to be), mindless discrimination against good works of another. "Well, they're not the right sort of people to be helping."
As I noted before, I cannot see a difference between this and Muslim countries refusing aid from Israel.
Southern Baptists believe that drinking alcohol is a sin.
Therefore, they believe that anything associated with the consumption of alcohol is sinful. They did not want to be party to distributing containers of water with the logo of a beer company on them, therefore tacitly endorsing the main product of the company: alcohol.
The SBC did not want to be party to giving the Anheiser Busch corporation free advertising.
As long as no one was denied water, I have no problem with it, and cannot fathom why anyone else would.
I can see how having to receive the water with the alcohol mfg logo on it could cause a dilemma for the SBs. I find it interesting also that they are called to witness to the distributer as well as the recipient.
I said "might."
... interfere with helping the needy.
Naaaaaa........
Just because they pass over some bottles so they can hand out others doesn't mean they hate anyone.
They just don't want to be seen as endorsing what they consider to be a sinful activity.
This is why I tell these sorts of people my favorite Bible verse is Genesis 27:11.
Ridiculous.
Not really.
I can see their point.
I dread the disaster for which the SBC joins forces with PETA.
That would be fireworks.
Every Baptist I know loves hot dogs, hamburgers and think juicy steaks.
Well, most of the devout Baptists I know refrain from liquor entirely.
But, more than a few who warm a pew every Sunday pop a brew now and then, I am sure.
Man, that almost rhymes.
Before my wife lost her mind and married me, she used to date the older son of a very strict Methodist family in the Midwest. She was objectionable to his parents on religious grounds -- she wasn't Methodist -- and because she used stimulants, which they defined as coffee and Coca-Cola. Forget about beer!
I realize not all Methodists hold to these precepts, but I believe not all varieties of Baptist insist on abstinence.
Then I see no reason why the RC volunteers cannot pass out the water.
Did the new words serve the nation well? Then maybe some good came out of the drinking song, no?
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