Jeroen wrote: > At 12:49 09-11-2002 -0500, John Giorgis wrote: > >Additionally, whenever I do see a poor person on the street, I have made > >a point of saying a prayer for them, as the least thing that I could do > >for them. > > And that is going to help them improve their situation -- how exactly?
I'll address this question. To someone of faith, praying for another's welfare *does* help. I've seen this in my wife's church - when someone is ill, their name is circulated on prayer lists in the church, and there's a large group praying for them in a very short time. You may disagree with John's faith, but in him heart, he believes (I'd venture a guess that he *knows*) he's doing something for them. I'm more of an "apathist" than an "atheist" - I just don't have much personal use for religion or faith, but I don't have any strong feelings against it. If someone at my wife's church tells me (as, in fact, several did last week when I narrowly escaped being laid off) that they're praying for me, I take it as it's intended - a reminder that there are people that may not be able to directly alter things for the better, but that care how my life is going and sincerely hope it gets better. Many religious people also tithe a protion of their income to the church. My wife does at her church, which works with an interfaith network in Austin to provide shelter and food to homeless people. Something I've done in the past is make a batch of bags with small portions of nonperishable food - prepackaged peanut butter crackers, juice boxes, dried fruit - and added a card with the pone number of a homeless shelter to which I've taped $0.35 (the price of a local phone call at a phone booth). > Jeroen "Capitali$m is Evil" van Baardwijk No more or less evil than socialism. Adam C. Lipscomb [EMAIL PROTECTED] "Silence. I am watching television." - Spider Jerusalem _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
