Posted on 09/14/2013 4:49:46 AM PDT by IbJensen
A Florida Christian ministry that has been distributing food to the needy for the past 31 years said it will drop all connections with the federal USDA agriculture bureaucracy rather than bow to orders that it must remove Christian symbols from its facility.
Fox News reported that officials from the Christian Service Center of Lake City (CSC), Florida, were told by the state agriculture department that in order to continue to receive food from the USDA they would have to remove portraits of Christ and a 10 Commandments display from their facility and stop giving Bibles to those who came for food.
“They told us they could no longer allow us to have any religious information where the USDA food is going to be,” the group's executive director, Kay Daly, told Fox.
The USDA policy boils down to the “separation of church and state” that secular groups read into the First Amendment. A USDA spokesperson explained to Fox News that “under current law, organizations that receive USDA nutrition assistance can still engage in religious activities so long as the activity is not used to create a barrier to eligible individuals receiving food.” In the minds of USDA bureaucrats, a banner in the CSC that reads “Jesus Is Lord” and pictures representing Jesus equate into a barrier to those coming to the facility for help.
Instead of complying with the ruling, Daly said, the group has decided to simply drop the USDA's help and trust God for His provision. “If God can multiply fish and loaves for 10,000 people, he can certainly bring in food for our food pantry so we can continue to feed the hungry,” said Daly.
Daly told the Christian Post that when a counselor with CSC meets with a person in need, “We ask them if they know Jesus Christ and if we may share with them. If they decline, we don't. If they do want to, we share the gospel with them. Sometimes we lead them to the Lord and sometimes we don't.”
She said that while faith in Christ is not a litmus test for whom the group serves, they are nonetheless a Christian ministry with a mission of sharing the gospel. “Our purpose is to help people in need and to share the gospel of Jesus Christ,” she said. “We are going to pray with them. We are going to offer them a Bible. We are going to counsel them in Christian help. We are going to use our chapel.”
To eliminate the core of their beliefs, as the USDA appears to demand, would be an unacceptable compromise, Daly told the Christian Post. “We would deny what we stand for, which is Jesus Christ, which is why we are,” she said. “The USDA has drawn the line in the sand. If they are going to put stipulations on the use and distribution of the food, we make a choice and our choice is to stand with Christ.”
Daly said that area churches, local Christians, and others have already stepped up to fill the void left by the USDA. She said that above all else “I’m called to do what the Lord tells me to do. I’m not called to worry about it. I pray about it. The Lord answers our prayers and we move forward one day at a time, one person at a time.”
In 2012, an Indiana food pantry faced the loss of its USDA food privileges after its director refused to stop offering to have pantry volunteers pray for needy people coming to his facility for help. Ultimately government bureaucrats backed down from their threats when Paul Brock, founder of Community Provisions of Jackson County, Indiana, agreed to wait until individuals receive their food before volunteers ask them if they would like prayer. “I'm glad this is finally over,” Brock said in response to the end of the annoying federal roadblock that prevented him from helping people. “I need to get back to work.”
Sounds like a violation of the establishment clause, the government mandates that the Christian religion isn’t permitted in the public square.I wonder though if it were the Elijah Mohammad outreach ministry and they were distributing The Final Call “newspaper” with every meal if there would be any “concern” with improper religious messaging?
Hey, Flick!
Just watch what you say. Our manly president has stated on national tv that if Americans criticize their leaders and their government “there’s gonna be trouble.”
The USDA policy boils down to the “separation of church and state” that secular groups read into the First Amendment.
Who gives a shot what the atheist read into anything?
Food is not the Government.
The USDA does not set social policy for the Government
In no manner does this pass the smell test.
I don't believe he is a muslim. I believe he is a rabid, foaming at the mouth, anti-christian atheist who only supports muslims because in his mind they are a persecuted (by white christians) minority who only lash out due to their justified anger at said persecution. He sees everything through the eyes of a 1st year sociology student where all badness in the world is born out of anger from some sort of White/Christian oppression. Thus, if you allow the persecuted groups (gays, muslims, blacks, women, mexicans, snail darters,...) to thrive, the anger will subside and the world will be at peace. Well, except for those White/Christians, who of course will need to be taught a lesson.
No, he is no Muslim, he is a dangerous spiteful atheist who is playing with fire way beyond his feeble mind's ability to control. If he even cares if it gets out of control. Which he very well may not. IMHO.
So Tom Vilsack, head of USDA, detests Christians, but throws a seder for his religion at the USDA and promises to do it every year. He’s just another hypocrite Christian hater. It’s not just the Muslims that loath Christians apparently.
Next time there is a major disaster in a majority muslim, hindu or other third world country, let them deal with it. No US aid of any sort, period! The US shouldn’t be propping any religion, right?
KEEP your Christian symbols.
REMOVE the food pantry.
Simple.
Let’s face it, we have an anti-Christ government. Unless the hearts of Americans are changed radically by God’s power and love we are a doomed culture. I see no national repentance on the horizon. Christians in the Middle East and else where are giving their lives for the Lord so we can’t complain too much. But it’s not too big a stretch to say - it’s coming to a community near you - soon. We need to oppose our government in these areas but our real strength comes in doing what this food pantry is doing - sharing Christ with those in need and with our neighbors, friends, coworkers - and be willing to suffer for it or be ashamed of His name. We know which direction the world is headed in - we just don’t know the exact time. Israel is God’s time piece. Her enemies are in the process of surrounding her in an attempt to destroy her - just like the Bible said would happen near the end of time. It’s very sad to see our nation on the wrong side of this fight. We know who wins in the end, however. Pray for the heart’s of our countrymen that they may soften towards the Gospel and God’s offer of His Son.
Socialists/Totalitarians Say Florida Food Pantry Must Remove Its Christian Symbols.
Another uaccountable bureaucracy set up by socialists. Unaccountable bureaucrats are socialists. BIG GOVERNMENT IS CRONY SOCIALISM. “Socialism Is Legal Plunder” - Bastiat
He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.
http://www.consumerfinance.gov/the-bureau/
http://www.usa.gov/directory/federal/
—That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.
FUUSDA
FUBO
FUCONgress
FUUSSC
FUFED
FUIRS
FUNSA
DEPOPULATE socialists/totalitarians from the body politic. DEFUND their collectives, foreign and domestic.
live - free - republic
God bothers the crooks much indeed.
Hitler mentioned he did not believe in God and hated all religions, but if there was a good religion, it was Islam according to him.
The three Cs that the Clown hates: Christianity, the Constitution, and capitalism.
Because everybody knows that religious symbols make food spoil and unsafe. /s
Government wants immunity. All who go in there expect to stay in there no matter. God removes that immunity from them through elections, term limits etc...
We can’t have the one true God getting any credit for Christian charity, can we?
Donation coming as soon as I get some disposable income. Hopefully by the end of Sep.
Might make a day of it and drive there to donate.
5.56mm
Since when does this agency determine anything like this????
In this perfect fool’s paradise the central socialist government’s agencies can do anything they damn well please as long as it makes no sense.
They shouldn’t quit dealing with the USDA automatically, for to do so in itself is a type of capitulation.
They should sue the USDA. It is already established law that a government agency cannot discriminate on the basis of religion. The ACLJ would be happy to take the case up. (Note for those who do not know, the ACLJ (American Center for Law and Justice) is not to be confused with the ACLU.)
It’s bad policy to back down from a bully, especially when you have a good case.
Don’t drone me, bro!
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