October 2011
Volume II Issue 3
A social program of the Bezerra de Menezes Kardecian Spiritist Assn, a 501(c)(3) educational and charitable organization
Charity With a Catch: No Religion, No Food.
T
here is a church in Indiana which requires people taking advantage of the food kitchen and homeless shelter to also participate in the life of the church. In short hand - no religion, no food. Just to be clear, the church has allowed that the people do not have to worship at their church - it can be at another church or even AA. But they have to at some level engage in a spiritual practice if they are going to take advantage of the church's material largess. Of course, this strikes most of us as draconian and the worst kind of religious bribery. The mandate to help those who are in need has no strings attached. You do not feed the hungry, house the homeless, and clothe the naked so they will believe what you believe. Rather you do it because, one, it is the right thing to do; and two, because it
has its own spiritual rewards. So, the idea that you give with one hand while giving a head lock with the other is repugnant. But there is another way to look at this. I have often seen churches which are heavily involved in social services to the poor, but on Sunday morning in the pristine sanctuary there is not one person who was there during the week in search of food or other help. This divide between who is welcome to come to the soup kitchen and who is welcome to the Sunday service is just as disgusting. Of course, it is never made explicit, but it is felt. The invisible rope of class often can be just as forbidding as the velvet rope in front of any other exclusive club. Part of the reason this church in Indiana caused a ruckus was the question of federally funding for their programs. Of course, they shouldn't receive funds for social services if they are using those programs to force people to attend their churches. But if you believe as
> Bezerra de Menezes Food Pantry helps families and individuals in need of emergency food assistance, in the Miami Dade County. Our services and products are free of charge.
I do (and from my own experience) that religion can help the individual to overcome many of life's challenges, then encourag- > If you need food or somebody that you know ing participation in religious need food, please call us at 786.346.7709 activities is part of providing efficacious services. It is about being effective. . I believe a church should have the right to invite (not force) people to services. A simple sign in the soup kitchen would be enough - "We welcome you here through the week, and we welcome you on Sunday too." Ultimately it gets so complicated, and legally fraught that it is probably better to keep worship and social services separate. But this strict separation can foster a very patronizing dynamic which signals to those who come to our churches in times of desperate need - "you are good enough for me to feed you across the counter, but not good enough for me to kneel with you before the Lord."
Rev. Paul Raushenbush
Happening in BM Food Pantry
T
he last few months have been difficult in our Food Pantry. Many weeks have passed without receiving USDA commodities for distribution that are usually 30 to 40% of the inventory, while more clients showed up to our doors and those already registered came back more
often. At some point the tension grew within the clients, “is there gonna be enough for me?� and many tricks were played in order to skip in line. This environment for three or four hours at a time would wear out those volunteering and interacting with the clients.
BM Food Pantry strives to be more than just a free food pro-
Report
vider. We want our clients to really enjoy their visit, feel appreciated, respected, to feel as family. We facilitate an airconditioned waiting room where they can sit and enjoy listening to music. A few times a month one of our members Continue page 4.
Page 2
Report Says Tithing and Church Spending Hit Record Lows
To Tithe Or Not To Tithe? "God doesn't fund the church through bingo nights, pancake s uppe rs a nd chicken dinners," Baker says. "God funds the church through people willing to commit to the tithe." Pastor Marty Baker
“The bottom line: U.S. churches seem to be more concerned with their own needs and their own desires over the needs of others.�
(RNS) Tithing to mainline Protestant churches as a percentage of income is at its lowest level in at least 41 years, according to a new report, and churches are keeping a greater share of those donations for their own needs.
The Empty Tomb report also pinpointed 2008 as the greatest year -to-year drop since the first report was compiled in 1968. But Sylvia Ronsvalle, Empty Tomb's executive vice president and the report's co-author, said previous research identifies no clear patParishioners gave about 2.38 tern that shows donations dropped percent of their income to their during past recessions. church, according to "The State of Church Giving through 2009," a In other words, the recession is new report being released Friday only partly to blame, if at all. (Oct. 14) by Empty Tomb inc., a Christian research agency in "What we did find is giving tends not to decline in recession years, Champaign, Ill. though it might in fact have deJust over 2 percent of income clined in years around receswent toward congregational fi- sions," she said. nances, such as operating costs and building expenses. Only 0.34 This is the second consecutive percent of parishioner income year that Ronsvalle's report has went to what Empty Tomb calls shown a drop in total contributions "benevolences," such as charities and tithing. More alarming, she and seminary training beyond the four walls of the church. Those are new lows, at least going back to the first report in 1968. The Empty Tomb report is based on data from mainline churches -- Lutherans, Presbyterians, Episcopalians and others -- because data was not available for evangelical or Roman Catholic churches. Still, authors say the trends in the mainline are broadly representative of all U.S. churches.
lence spending. "Churches on the whole are continuing to spend more on current members and less on the larger mission of the church and cutting back on missionaries," said Ronsvalle. She cited 16 impoverished nations -10 of them primarily Christian -- that have seen little to no progress in improving child mortality rates. If churches were more generous, she says, that might not be e case. Ronsvalle even goes so far as to suggest "if a church is turning inward and valuing the happiness of its members" over service to others, "it is moving on a spectrum toward pagan values." The bottom line: U.S. churches seem to be more concerned with their own needs and their own desires over the needs of others. "That's an offensive question even to raise, but if we are moving in that direction we need to see it now," she said. "These are alarming trends that need to be evaluated."
"We all have to be concerned anytime there's a decline in charitable giving," Hood said. "People said, is an ongoing decline in beare not being served at the same level nevolence spending. that they have been." This year's report represents the By Piet Levy fourth consecutive annual decline in benevolences. Put another way, Religion News Service At first glance, the lagging econ- American churches are spending omy would appear to be a primary more on themselves and less on culprit. Edith H. Falk, chair of Chibeyond-the-church charities. cago-based Giving USA Foundation, indicated this summer that the If the percentage of income for biggest drops in more than 40 benevolences in 2009 had been at years occurred in 2008 and 2009, the 1968 level, 0.66 percent, U.S. as the recession took its greatest churches would have seen an additional $3.1 billion in benevotoll.
Page 3
BE HUNGRY TO HELP THE HUNGRY
W
here is the world headed to? There must be too many answers to this question, since each human being is likely to look at this issue from its own individual perspective, which may be highly influenced (or controlled) by each one’s egocentric views or the world. Unfortunately, most of us are raised to believe that the world is divided into winners and losers, and that, to realize our “American Dream” (or something
“M a ke us w or t h y, Lor d, t o s e r ve t hos e pe o p le t hr o u g h o ut t h e w or ld w h o l i ve a n d d i e i n p o ve r t y a n d h u n ge r . G i ve t h e m t hr o u g h o ur ha n ds , t h is da y, t h e ir da i l y b r e a d, a n d b y o u r u n d e r s t a n d i n g l o ve , g i ve t he m p e a c e a n d j o y” . - M ot he r Th e r e s a o f C a lc ut t a
equivalent to that), we need to be better of, or beat, our neighbors in the material world. Immediacies are generally taken as a higher priority over longer term goals, because we can’t lose any battles along the way since that could be perceived as a sign of weakness. We all have, though, one thing in common: we all seek happiness, which is the ultimate aspiration of humanity. The level of pride and selfishness, though, make us understand happiness in many different ways. Most people still believe that joy can bring happi-
ness, and that joy can generally be “purchased”. Actually, for these types of people, this is “true”. They can find “happiness” in a new car, dining out, titles, power, and other innumerable ways in their earthly lives. On the other hand, not enough people can see that happiness, to be stable and long lasting, must come from something that satisfies our spiritual aspirations, and therefore it must be acquired in a way that adds value to our souls. Why did I start this article with that question on where the world is headed to? Well, this
with bad news that makes us wonder if we are at the verge of a humanly inconceivable situation. At the heels of such bad news come statistics showing a consistent and persistent growth in poverty. The census of the United States, just published, revealed that, in 2010, we had around 46 million people in this country that lived below the poverty line. That means an increase of about 6% versus the year before. This includes an increase of 11.5% in the number
Divided into those that need help and those that help the needy, that would get us closer to God, because we’ll be in compliance with His First Commandment. of suburban residents that lived below the poverty line. As an expected domino effect of that, the hungriness issue gets magnified. Reports tell us about a substantial increase in the number of people knocking the doors of the many food pantries around the country. Let’s now read once again the introductory quote to this article, from Mother Theresa. Based not only on the above quote, but on so many other quotes she left for us as profound messages, we can say that Mother Theresa was truly “hungry” to help the hungry. She was begging God’s mercy to all poor and hungry people by making us conscious that, to be worthy of God and of true happiness, we need to have compassion and do charity with love. The world would be much better if instead of being seen as divided between winners and losers,
it would be seen as divided into those that need help and those that help the needy. And that would get us closer to God, as we would be complying with His first commandment: “To love God above all, and our neighbor as we love ourselves”. St. Francis made it clear to us: “It is in giving, that we receive”. If it was the other way around, meaning that selfishness could bring happiness, the Divine Laws would be at jeopardy. So, let’s hunger to help the hungry! The Bezerra de Menezes food pantry is one of the many ways we could help so many desperate people looking for so little.
By Gilberto Rustice MBA,MS in Couples and Family Therapy. Spiritist for more than 40 years.
“These are natural laws. Man cannot cheat them for they operate inexorably. The more good we do, the better we are. The more we fail to help others, the worse we are. “ Maurice Barbanell
Page 4
researcher Ronald Inglehart in one 16-nation study of 170,000 people. Once comfortable, more money provides diminishing returns. The promised by the magazine second piece of pie, or the second sweepstakes: a 40 foot yacht, $100,000, never tastes as good as deluxe motor home, private the first. housekeeper? Anyone who has Even lottery winners and the Forbes’ seen Lifestyles of the Rich and 100 wealthiest Americans (when Famous knows as much. surveyed by University of Illinois “Whoever said money can’t buy psychologist Ed Diener) have exhappiness isn’t spending it pressed only slightly greater happiright,” proclaimed a Lexus ad. ness than the average American. Well, are rich people happier? Making it big brings temporary joy. Researchers have found that in But in the long run wealth is like poor countries, such as Bangla- health: Its utter absence can breed desh, being relatively well off misery, but having it doesn’t guardoes make for greater well- antee happiness. Happiness seems being. We need food, rest, shel- less a matter of getting what we want than of wanting what we have. ter, social contact.
Wealth, Well-being, and the New
D
oes money buy happiness? Not! Ah, but would a little more money make us a little happier? Many of us smirk and nod. There is, we believe, some connection between fiscal fitness and feeling fantastic. Most of us tell Gallup that, yes, we would like to be rich. Three in four entering American collegians—nearly double the 1970 proportion—now consider it “very important” or “essential” that they become “very well off financially.” Money matters. It’s the old American dream: life, liberty, and the purchase of happiness. “Of course money buys happiness,” writes Andrew Tobias. Wouldn’t anyone be happier with the indulgences
Happening…. plays the guitar and his wife the violin for them while waiting. More often, one of our volunteers, acting as motivational speaker, reads and makes comments about family, anti -depression techniques, love as a healer, etc. Most of the clients really pay attention and enjoy this time. As volunteers in the BM Food Pantry we experience many opportunities to work towards our inner transformation, educating our feelings and emotions, besides helping our brothers and sisters in need. That is the greatest benefit that we can get from it. There is no school or post graduate program that would be able to routinely push you to be more patient, tolerant,
One has to wonder, what’s the point? “Why,” wondered the prophet Isaiah, “do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy?” What’s the point of accumulating stacks of unplayed CD’s, closets full of seldom worn clothes, garages with luxury cars—all purchased in a vain quest for an elusive joy? And what’s the point of leaving (cont'd from page 1 ) significant inherited wealth to one’s and empathetic with the personal heirs, as if it could buy them happicrises of others. We become well ness, when that wealth could do so versed in human nature and body much good in a hurting world? language. Sometimes we suffer the attacks of cruel and selfish As we enter the new millennium more and more people are asking people that out of desperation throw blades through their mouths, such questions. A new American dream is taking shape. Having sepushing us to desist, to abandon the cause, but that’s when faith and cured our human rights and love for what we do comes and achieved affluence, we now long for connection and purpose. We seek protects us. Many smiles and grateful words we receive too, better balance between our needs for independence and attachment, most of them undeserved because it is not just us, it is many of us in liberty and civility, me-thinking and both planes of the spiritual realm, we-thinking. Such transformation in consciousness has happened beworking together to help while fore, and it could happen again. being helped. Prof. David Meyers Luis Salazar But a surprising fact of life is that in countries where nearly everyone can afford life’s necessities, increasing affluence matters surprisingly little. The correlation between income and happiness is “surprisingly weak,” observed University of Michigan
Coordinator Excerpts from his book, The BM Food Pantry American Paradox: Spiritual Hun-
A New Era for Humanity This is no new teaching. It has been taught through the ages by seers, prophets, saints and mystics. Spiritualism proves it. The purpose of life is not to enrich us materially at the expense of others. If we do, in reality we are the poorest of all—poor in spirit and character. Opportunities for service come to each one of us, irrespective of our lot or position in life. We can be kind to others no mattewhether we are princes or paupers. Spiritualism is the declared enemy of materialism. It proves that man survives death by natural law of the universe. It provides mankind with a religion founded not on faith, or fear, but on knowledge. Spiritualism demonstrates that God is the “Father” of all people. God is not a Christian, Jew, Roman Catholic, Protestant, Methodist, Buddhist, or a Spiritualist. Nor is God even an Englishman, as some people seem to think! Whether you are orthodox or agnostic, rich or poor, educated or illiterate, a cabinet minister or a crossing sweeper, dictator or peasant, you cannot alter the law of cause and effect as it operates in your life. That is the great message of Spiritualism. Because you are a spirit you survive death. And because you are a spirit you are alive today. The spirit within you, which causes you to live, is the same spirit that animates every member of every nation, of every race and of every color. Spiritually, the people of the world are one. Spiritualism reveals the spiritual ones of all mankind. God has made us all members of one vast spiritual family. When that fact is understood and applied in human, national and international life, war will be driven from the face of the earth. Man will have learned not to kill his spiritual brother. Properly understood, Spiritualism will become one of the greatest forces for good in the world. When its truths have spread far and wide, and the majority of people accept its teachings and regulate their lives accordingly, a new era will dawn for humanity.
By Maurice Barbanell