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.
If ACT-UP donated blood, that shouldn't be passed out either.
Seriously, the SBC pastor did not have to make it an issue. Water is water. the idea is to help people in distress, not constrain their relief because of your beliefs.
I think Jesus would have just given out the water.
"If the analog to the condom is beer, please be aware that no beer was provided and no one was expected to hand out beer."
The analogy was condoms to handing out water cans advertising a beverage they don't approve of.
Not the same thing.
"Seriously, the SBC pastor did not have to make it an issue. Water is water. the idea is to help people in distress, not constrain their relief because of your beliefs."
They weren't withholding water in general from people, just that particular water with the advertisement. Who cares what they didn't pass out, everyone still got water. And that's what truely matters, right?
"Not the same thing."
Two different physical things, both causing moral objections to dispensing them. Same concept.
The cans didn't say "beer."
The cans didn't say "beer."
Just the company which produces primarily, beer.
Not at all. The cans didn't even mention the offending product.
The said "Drinking Water" and bore a black-and-white rendition of the Anheuser-Busch corporate logo.
It's a silly fetish.
Outside of the fact that Bud is water anyways, these people are fools and obviously put their own egos in front of Christian love and charity for those in need.
It's not a requirement.
No one said anything about requiring them to do anything.
No, they're even worse. They're so self centered and egotistical, they prefer people suffer then take the cans from that unclean alcohol company. /sarcasm
It would have been tacky if they gave them cans of beer (which can be argued in Bud's case are water) but they gave them something that people needed. The SBC showed their Christian humility and love alright. They deserve the criticism.
The Southern Baptist should take a step forward and refuse the contributions of members who drink. Better yet just kick them out of the church.
The little packets of pretzels served on airlines sometimes have the dreaded Beer Company name on them.
This is stupid, the very existence of the canned water in such volumes states that this is more than a Beer Company.
As for the Lord Jesus at the sinners' feasts, he'd probably shun beer because he's sharing wine along with the Gospel.
Nah, Keystone or Rolling Rock.
Meaning it's still an advertisement for the beer company. Look, this is a dumb argument when nothing bad happened to begin with. SBC had plenty of water to give out, they didn't hand out a particular drinking water made by a beer company, people still got their water, the media made a big deal over it, and some of you are falling for the spin. This isn't a matter of whether or not you agree with their stance on alcohol (I don't, by the way), it's just some reporters making a big deal about nothing and people getting mad at the Southern Baptists for no reason (just what the news people intended). It's within their right to not hand out Anheuser-Busch's water despite whether or not you agree with their moral stance on alcohol. No reason to criticize them or argue with each other over something trivial.
No, I think they gave Jesus Christ a black eye.
And not just wine, but what would be considered Port these days.
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