Christian Loans?

[demgurl]

Ever since religion started playing a more prominent part in our society, (read when the Bush admin came to power) I have receiving all these emails about getting a 'Christian loan'. I get as many as three or four a day! Come on, you have to had seen them as well.

These emails tickle me and amuse me. I think of religious groups as giving a helping hand to the poor by feeding and clothing them.

How on earth can you reconcile touting yourself as religious bank, of sorts, and yet someone does not pay and you leave them homeless by repossessing their house? They are a 'religious' group. When I call to say their leader has caused the economy to be so bad that I lost my job and can not pay my mortgage, will they say that it is OK? Will they sit with me and say a prayer in my name? Will they tell me their God will take care of everything, not to worry, and I can start paying again when God finds the job that is right for me?

OR

Will they say that God has shunned me but knows they are righteous? Would I be told that God has decided they need more money for he rewards those who are good Christians? Is this a kinder, gentler loaning organization? Will they help me in a time of need by taking my house but providing me with the names of local shelters and food banks?

I am not trying to criticize anyone's religion. I am only taken aback by an organization that is touting itself to be religious and yet they could possibly leave families homeless. It is a major contradiction to me.

[Agnomen]

1. I actually reply to these "Christian" spams

Tell them Jews offer better rates.

[GreenPartyVoter]

2. It's a snow job. It frustrates me to death when my conservative

Xian in-laws (hubby included) rave: "Say did you hear that so and so is a Christian?" (This means their kind of Christian. They don't rave about Unitarian Universalists in teh same way.

And if they hear that a business owner is a Christian, they try to throw some business their way. I think somehow they feel they are doing something supportive for these people, but also think they are going to get a great deal or are dealing with someone who will be fair and honest.

But me, I think advertising one's faith in that way is tacky, and I don't feel immediate reassurance that they will give me a great deal. On the contrary, it makes me fell more suspicious that I WON'T because I figure it's just a PR trick.

[mogster]

3. I got one of these too

Saved it for a rainy debate-day, but it eventually was deleted on the last cleanup.

Strange phenomenon, indeed.

[KharmaTrain]

4. Xtian Housing

While driving home on the tollway I saw a billboard for a New "Christian Community"...apartment complex. It's attached to a nearby retirement community...run by a religious order.

Most of the hospitals are now run by one religious order or another. Many have crucifixes in the rooms...even when it's known the patient isn't a xtian.

And of course, there's Xtian dating. I get those all the time...despite having been married for 23 years. I have a good friend who met his recently-married bride on one of those sites.

We haven't seen a cross of gold display like this since William Jennings Bryant.

[Wapsie B]

5. But the devil-worshippers have better terms and rates. n/t

[riverwalker]

6. Christian rollarskating

I had a boss once who was telling me her daughter was into "Chriatian Rollerskating". I asked her how it was different than heathen roller skating, she said the music. Which brings me to another rant, "gospel music". I always thought all music was praising the creator, guess not. Like there is a switch to turn on "praise" only at certain moments. Praise On and Off, Gratitude On and Off. There actually are cultures in the world that never turn it off, but we usually kill them because they are "heathens". :eyes:

[northzax]

8. much music praises the creator

but you'd be hard pressed to see much praise in, say, "slap my bitch up"

[northzax]

7. I send them this:

13 If he has exacted usury Or taken increase -- Shall he then live? He shall not live! If he has done any of these abominations, He shall surely die; His blood shall be upon him. (Ezekiel 18:13)

[coloradodem2005]

9. I see this all the time.

The spam on my email. Christian loans, christian housing, christian dating/singles, etc.

[FloridaPat]

10. I avoid people who do this. I've been taken by these so called

Christians twice. They are so busy telling you about what good Christians they are, so you won't notice them picking your pockets. I've seen this for years, probably because I've been living in the South. They even put little fishes in their yellow page ads. It's getting hard to find people without the fishes.

[Bluebear]

11. They sing inspirational hymns for you as they repossess your house?

:shrug:

[demgurl]

13. Bluebear.......

Only one response to that:

:rofl:

Thank you for one of the biggest laughs I have had all day.

[seabeyond]

12. survival of the fittest

it is feeling to me like taking out the poor and covering their ass with their poor. there will be forgiveness of debt ect......making sure theirs survive

[PATRICK]

14. Really really outside the pale

according to millenia of tradition that Biblical usury means NO money-lending to fellow religionists. The outsider yes. Hence the rise of Jewish bankers who in turn I think were bound not to sell usurious loans to their fellow Jews.

Sort of the offshore cross cult account system. But the marriage between this phony brand of "Christianity" and Mammon is so complete that nothing as small as ancient and Biblical tradition will spoil the party.

An incompatible fraud. Most religions at one time or another violate their precepts in favor of Mammon but it is always recognized as the worst kind of abuse and leads to eventual condemnation. No, they are not doing it as communal support for the needy but as an offshoot of false materialism.

Hypocrisy knows no bounds and it hopes its profits shall know none either.