Posted on 09/15/2017 3:48:54 AM PDT by daniel1212
Faith-based groups — Christian nonprofits, specifically — have been busy bees of late, providing more aid to hurricane victims than even FEMA,..
Look at this, from the Daily Caller: “Faith-based relief groups are responsible for providing nearly 80 percent of the aid delivered thus far to communities with homes devastated by the recent hurricanes.”
...USA Today, which ran a headline: “Faith groups provide the bulk of disaster recovery, in coordination with FEMA.”...
Samaritan’s Purse, the Rev. Franklin Graham’s organization, brought everything from food to chainsaws. Post-storm, the same group will help victims rebuild their homes.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
“FEMA, they have been a big blessing to us, they’re an assistance to us,” said Luther Harrison, vice president of North American Ministries at Samaritan’s Purse, in USA Today. “For Hurricane Irma, the majority of our equipment across the border and FEMA was instrumental in helping us clear that with customs and getting all the paperwork done.”...
And people who put God first, people who are committed to serving Jesus, people who are driven by a moral compass that comes from above, are the real doers and shakers and movers — the ones who see a need and respond. http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/sep/12/christians-outpace-fema-aid-hurricane-victims/
Maybe we can call it FEMA: Faith Energized Ministerial Altruism.
But as regards "where charity exists, government is not needed," the context here is disaster relief, not tracking down criminals and conducting trials and enforcing punishment, yet the more souls are controlled from within the less they need to be controlled from without. God controlled versus gun controlled.
Of course, to the degree that the government itself is not God controlled in fulfilling its limited function "for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well" (1 Peter 2:14) then it ends up punishing them that do well, and praising them that do evil.
John Adams (1735—July 4, 1826. Second President and one of the Founding Fathers. Assisted Thomas Jefferson in drafting the Declaration of Independence) —
...we have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge, or gallantry, would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other. (From a letter Adams wrote on 11 October 1798 to the officers of the First Brigade, Third Division, of the Massachusetts Militia) on of the Militia of Massachusetts,” October 11, 1798)
Statesmen, my dear Sir, may plan and speculate for Liberty, but it is Religion and Morality alone, which can establish the Principles upon which Freedom can securely stand. The only foundation of a free Constitution is pure Virtue, and if this cannot be inspired into our People in a greater Measure, than they have it now, they may change their Rulers and the forms of Government, but they will not obtain a lasting liberty. They will only exchange Tyrants and Tyrannies." (Letter to Zabdiel Adams, June 21, 1776; http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/hlaw:@field%28DOCID+@lit%28dg004210%29%29
Northwest Ordinance (1787; a act of the Congress considered one of the four foundational or organic laws in America) presented the requirements for statehood. The ordinance declared, “Religion, morality and knowledge being necessary to government and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of education shall forever be encouraged.” (http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/religion/vc006502.jpg)
John Quincy Adams (1767—1848: Sixth President of the United States and one of the Founding Fathers. Proficient in five languages before he was 18) —
The hope of a Christian is inseparable from his faith. Whoever believes in the Divine inspiration of the Holy Scriptures must hope that the religion of Jesus shall prevail throughout the earth. Never since the foundation of the world have the prospects of mankind been more encouraging to that hope than they appear to be at the present time. And may the associated distribution of the Bible proceed and prosper till the Lord shall have made “bare His holy arm in the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God” [Isaiah 52:10] (Life of John Quincy Adams, W. H. Seward, editor (Auburn, NY: Derby, Miller & Company, 1849), p. 248.)
I have thrown myself, reeking with sin, on the mercy of God, through Jesus Christ His blessed Son and our (yes, my friend, our) precious Redeemer; and I have assurances as strong as that I now owe nothing to your rank that the debt is paid and now I love God – and with reason. I once hated him – and with reason, too, for I knew not Christ. The only cause why I should love God is His goodness and mercy to me through Christ. (Collected Letters of John Randolph of Roanoke to Dr. John Brockenbrough, Kenneth Shorey, editor (New Brunswick: Transaction Books, 1988), p. 17, to John Brockenbrough, August 25, 1818)
Be that as it may, FEMA likely paves the path and logistical access for the faith based organizations. Who in turn do a much better job on family services.
Hundreds and hundreds of small boats pulled by countless pickups and SUVs from across the South are headed for Houston or Florida. Almost all of them driven by men. They’re using their own property, sacrificing their own time, spending their own money, and risking their own lives for one reason: to help total strangers in desperate need.
Most of them are by themselves. Most are dressed like the redneck duck hunters and bass fisherman they are. Many are veterans. Most are wearing well-used gimme-hats, t-shirts, and jeans; and there’s a preponderance of camo. Most are probably gun owners, and most probably voted for Trump.
These are the people the Left loves to hate, the ones Maddow mocks. The ones Maher and Olbermann just *know* they’re so much better than. These are The Quiet Ones. They don’t wear masks and tear down statues. They don’t, as a rule, march and demonstrate.
But they’ll spend the next several days wading in cold, dirty water; dodging gators and water moccasins and fire ants; eating whatever meager rations are available; and sleeping wherever they can in dirty, damp clothes. Their reward is the tears and the hugs and the smiles from the terrified people they help. They’ll deliver one boatload, and then go back for more.
When disaster strikes, it’s what men do. Real men. Heroic men. American men. And then they’ll knock back a few shots, or a few beers with like-minded men they’ve never met before, and talk about fish, or ten-point bucks, or the benefits of hollow-point ammo, or their F-150.
And the next time they hear someone talk about “the patriarchy”, or “male privilege”, they’ll snort, turn off the TV and go to bed.
In the meantime, they’ll likely be up again before dawn. To do it again. Until the helpless are rescued. And the work’s done.
They’re unlikely to be reimbursed. There won’t be medals. They won’t care. They’re heroes. And it’s what heroes do.
Daniel Webster quote: “Whatever makes men Christians, also makes them good citizens.”.
Samaritans Purse is a great organization
Oh, and screw that Elisabeth Dole Ri o red cross scam...
Yes, as I included in my comment (100 word cap on Washington Times):
“FEMA, they have been a big blessing to us, they’re an assistance to us,” said Luther Harrison, vice president of North American Ministries at Samaritan’s Purse, in USA Today. “For Hurricane Irma, the majority of our equipment across the border and FEMA was instrumental in helping us clear that with customs and getting all the paperwork done.”...
Good thoughts. This would make a fine editorial in your local paper.
Where did this equipment come from, and what (international) border did it cross? This makes no sense in the context of Irma. I’m pretty sure state officials were letting everyone in—regardless of their residence. 75 South was pretty much one caravan of supplies and equipment for the storm.
(Disclaimer....I grew up a swamp rat in Cajun country, but am coonass only by cultural assimilation.)
it was written by a Redneck Army person.
Bump
Am I the only one who got a sinking feeling, learning that FEMA has any sort of hand in the disaster relief efforts of Samaritan’s Purse? They’re going to start pulling strings and forcing Samaritan’s Purse to stop ministering to the people they’re helping, watch for it. I just can’t bring myself to trust FEMA.
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Be that as it may, FEMA likely paves the path and logistical access for the faith based organizations. Who in turn do a much better job on family services.
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Yes, as I included in my comment (100 word cap on Washington Times):
“FEMA, they have been a big blessing to us, they’re an assistance to us,” said Luther Harrison, vice president of North American Ministries at Samaritan’s Purse, in USA Today. “For Hurricane Irma, the majority of our equipment across the border and FEMA was instrumental in helping us clear that with customs and getting all the paperwork done.”...
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Yet, I failed to note the sarcasm: Ineffective/(un|slow)responsive leviathan govt, needing MORE govt, to ‘clear the red-tape’.
If this is (C)...Guess it is to be expected. I’ve seen the growing gaggle of knee-pad wearing DJT pom-pom waving cheer-leaders; every word the gospel (forgetting the lessons of the past: govt, like fire...Trust, but verify.)
Many of these organizations keep lots of supplies stages in frequently hit areas, like Dominican Republic etc. That may be what they were referring to.
I personally know several people who loaded up trucks with tools and supplies and hauled down to Houston on the weekends. They are still doing it to help fellow Texans.
Amen!
FEMA by this time probably has a good idea of a) which areas need help most, and b) the best/safest routes to them. I expect that is the extent of "help".
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