est. 2007

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Clergy Behaving Like Politicians

Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be…

Caswell Franklyn, Head of Unity Workers Union
Caswell Franklyn, Head of Unity Workers Union

Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Matthew 6: 1- 4 New international Version

I was watching the CBC Evening News a few nights ago when I had the distinct displeasure of seeing four persons who describe themselves as pastor, reverend and apostle broadcasting to the world that they give hand outs to the needy. I would therefore like to commend Matthew 6: 1- 4 to them and any others who want to make their names at the expense of the needy.

It is troubling when the clergy resort to taking a leaf out of the politicians’ book when they give to the poor. Even though I don’t support politicians when they give aid publicly, at least I understand their motives. But I can’t figure out for the love of God why members of the clergy would stoop so low to draw attention to persons that they assist.

If any member of that quartet found themselves in a situation where they were forced to beg for help: would they like to have that fact splash over the airwaves? The only consolation is that it was featured on the CBC News and many people do not watch CBC.

I beseech the clergy to follow the example of Christ and leave out this type of political behavior.

43 responses to “Clergy Behaving Like Politicians”

  1. David Avatar
    David

    What is prosperity religion?

  2. Colonel Buggy Avatar
    Colonel Buggy

    Are you surprised , when many a man/woman of the cloth , these days treat politicians as persons ranking between God and Jesus? The Lord Jesus , for Christians, takes precedence at any gathering at a church, but priest at times see it fit to pause the service and recognise the presence of some politician.

  3. robert ross Avatar
    robert ross

    I didn’t see it. Would Caswell kindly give more detail of the circumstances in which the statements were made and a more-or-less fair and accurate statement of what was said.

  4. Prodigal Son Avatar
    Prodigal Son

    They had to acknowledge that things in Barbados are rough………some children in Britons Hill have not gone to school for the term, one said she as well as feed them and pay bills as well as retaining a doctor whom she said she honoured recently…..she sends people to this doctor who in turn bills the church, all be it at a cut rate…..one said he feeds at least 100 persons and the other one said he feeds people in St John.

    These pastors/apostles/senator/doctors are all know supporters of the DLP. I would like to ask them if they have ever experienced this sort of thing under the BLP administration.

    Why were they on DLPTV broadcasting what they do is beyond news…maybe a slow news day for CBC. My church has a social outreach programme which is fully support the church members……we help the poor and needy not only our members but also from the community. We dont go on CBC and broadcast what we do.

    Dems like to do their alms to be seen by men!

  5. robert ross Avatar
    robert ross

    Colonel

    On recognition. Yes, you are right. But then, it’s a very Bajan thing, and happens, as we all know, in all sorts of contexts not solely in Church. Think of all the stuff at the beginning of any public address: ‘Gov General, Mr Prime Minister, Members of Cabinet, Judges, Dr the Hon John Holder LL.D, Lord Bishop of Barbados and Archbishop of Somewhere-or-Other, Chairwoman of the St Michael’s Institute for the Relief of Earth Worms in Sundry Places, Sixth Formers, Less-than-Little People’ …..instead of just “Ladies and Gentlemen’. I think it’s a very sick form of toadying. We would doubtless say it was simply a formal expression of respect.

  6. PAUL QUIXOTE Avatar
    PAUL QUIXOTE

    And would you beleive that the money come from the same poor people and they give the impression its they hard earn monies.
    Politicans unjustly taxed the poor then behave as if they are giving them something

  7. Prodigal Son Avatar
    Prodigal Son

    You have got that right, Paul!

  8. ac Avatar
    ac

    churches speaking to the media about feeding the poor is nothing new, try not using the bible to support your comments on such matters, most of the time the churches use of the media is well intended to garnish support and help for its organisation. it has ,nothing to do with patting it self on the back ,something which u yourself is very good at doing, for self serving reasons, the church role is to help the needy and with openly expressing and letting the public knows what it is doing is not such a bad thing especially if its resources are truly helping the poor which in that case the church have nothing to hide,

  9. robert ross Avatar
    robert ross

    The reason I asked Caswell for further and better particulars is precisely because whatever is said in any situation rather depends on the context including what one is being asked. And so if you are asked ‘What is YOUR Church doing….?.’, the answer is obviously going to be ‘My Church is doing this, that and the other.’ Or if the ‘Church’ is under attack for NOT engaging in charitable works the obvious response is going to be ‘This is not true….we do this, that and the other.’ In either case, the response is not vainglory.

  10. Well Well. Avatar
    Well Well.

    What is sickening and disgusting is that those same leach preachers, priests/reverends accept handouts from the same poor, needy parishioners every night or every Sunday, enrich themselves with huge churches, large houses, larger tracks of land, steal land rich parishioners properties just before they die, particularly if they have no heirs and even then if the heirs are not savvy, the church will steal their land…have the most luxurious of cars, all off the backs of their church members using the lying excuse that they are collecting money for god, now when did god need any money, the church is the biggest beggar………but all of a sudden, they are feeding the poor and needy, what the poor and needy should realize that the churches are feeding them with their OWN MONEY (the needy), then these leaches have the nerve to go on tv and broadcast to make themselves same like saints…..not unlike the disgusting politicians who give handouts to voters and yardfowls then pretend the money is theirs, when it rightfully belong to the taxpayers, same voters…mankind is so evil in mind they should be ashamed..hope there is a special HELL for this type of scum.

  11. robert ross Avatar
    robert ross

    When Dr Jenkins, then Bishop of Durham, spoke on TV about a less-than-virgin birth he received a lot of hate mail.

    One letter said:

    “I hope you rot in hell” and was signed “A true Christian”.

  12. Caswell Franklyn Avatar
    Caswell Franklyn

    Robert Ross

    I went to bed early and did not see your comment for more and better particulars until a few minutes ago. However, from the comments so far, you might have gotten part of the picture.

    From what I was able do discern from the news item, it was a gathering of four church leaders being led by Apostle Senator Durant, or whatever he calls himself these days, telling the country what they do for the poor in these trying times.

    If you pass by the People’s Cathedral and you see a few people with supermarket bags, you can safely assume that they got handouts from that church, and we know this because Holmes Williams told us that much on CBC.

    If the question posed to them was: what is the church doing for the poor? The answer should have been: with all due respect that is not your business.

  13. millertheanunnaki Avatar
    millertheanunnaki

    @ robert ross | November 22, 2013 at 7:59 AM |

    You should read the “letters” Professor Richard Dawkins receives from the “real, real” Christians. You would certainly lose all faith in religion and view it merely as the Devil’s handiwork to keep humans busy.

    Dr Jenkins is himself a big hypocrite since he knows Christianity is just a ‘make up’ play to control the minds of simple people to the benefit of the ruling class in which the Clergy is their biggest defender and protector after the military forces.

    The Bishop should have come ‘clean’ and told the watching audience that the story of the ‘Virgin Birth’ is the telling of an astrological event involving the relationship between the Sun and the constellation of Virgo.
    According to the Western Christian Calendar the Virgin Mary is visited by Angel of the Lord and celebrated on the 25th March 3 to 4 days after the vernal Equinox when, allegorically, the Sun becomes a young man and through sexual maturity fertilizes the Earth with His rays in the Northern Hemisphere bringing new life to Mother Earth and depicted by the sky Goddess Virgo (aka Demeter aka Ceres aka Isis aka Ishtar, aka Rhea).
    Compare that celebration of the Annunciation to that which is celebrated 9 months later on the 25th December when a ‘Child is Born”.

    Your turn RR to rebut; or should we leave that to GP and his sidekick the long lost Zoe his prodigal son?

  14. old onion bags Avatar
    old onion bags

    Was it not Dean Emeritus now senator……who begged for a second term for this now proven incompetent party of Daffy Ducks ? …a crying shame dat!

  15. robert ross Avatar
    robert ross

    Caswell

    Thankyou. But I think you are saying ‘I got an impression of what was going on and an impression only’.

    Well OK – to address your last para. I don’t agree IF you are talking about an institution. A statement of fact is just that – it need not be accompanied by any measure of self-satisfaction. But even if it were to do so, it might be a way of advertising what you actually do and thereby tell people where to come for help as well as encourage others to give. As you say, you see people with handouts. Better the handout than condemnation of the giver.

    Private benefaction is a different matter – and that is something we confront on a daily basis. Inevitably it takes place in public – in the street. There is thus an inevitable measure of self-advertisement. But then does that mean you don’t give? Or fudge it by saying “he’ll only spend it on drugs”? If you go away after giving with a rosy feeling, well that may be a rosy heart rather than a thought of the “Aint I great?’ kind.
    For myself – with your thesis in mind, I try to block out thought altogether, give and move on; but then that means I don’t feel the pain or need of the beggar other than in a very abstract sense. It’s ‘no win, no win’ – but then, perhaps that’s as it should be.

  16. ac Avatar
    ac

    Uh caswell su ignorant that u cant even discern that the church is doing a valuable community service by letting the public knows that they can be of some help. uh so rabid in your political persusion that yuh decry the church for the good of putting such information out to help the poor Hats off to the church. the only thing uh good for is crticism but uh can.t take. none

  17. robert ross Avatar
    robert ross

    Miller

    Jenkins’ thesis was that the Hebrew word for ‘virgin’ simply meant ‘young woman’ and that, in any event, it was a ‘virgin conception’ rather than a virgin birth. Hence: ‘A young woman shall conceive and bear a son….’

  18. robert ross Avatar
    robert ross

    Oh and Miller…Zoe has returned!! And, I think, made total sense. Isn’t that nice?

  19. robert ross Avatar
    robert ross

    Sorry Miller

    I know very well what so-called Christians can do to Christians – but I have not lost my faith in, or love for, my guru though acknowledging there are others. But these days it is religiousness not religion which is meaningful to me. It is the scent of the rose rather than the writing in a book.

  20. Yagga Rowe Avatar
    Yagga Rowe

    Clergy are politicians
    Clergy deal with people
    in certain ways especially in B’dos
    Clergy use whats available
    The way modern day stories get turn upsided down
    and misinterpreted , is it any wonder that ancient stories get “altered” over time

  21. tedd Avatar
    tedd

    if some talk politics at the pulpit then mistaking charity and advertising/publicity is not supprising.

  22. islandgal246 Avatar
    islandgal246

    I hear that they have brought in an African to help pray for Barbados. LOLL First it was a German now an African I wonder who next? A Jamaican? Nah dem gine deport he fast because he God ent welcome because him doan look white. LOLL When a nation resorts to prayers it means that tings reel baddd bout hey. Dem need more than prayers bout hey dem need honest politicians first, then they need people who are qualified to do the job and people who will do the job efficiently. Keep waiting for someone or something to drop outta de sky to save wee instead of giving an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay.

  23. Marlo Ray Avatar
    Marlo Ray

    Totally agree. Vipers and hypocrites.

  24. Pinkie Avatar
    Pinkie

    robert ross | November 21, 2013 at 11:05 PM |
    “I didn’t see it. Would Caswell kindly give more detail of the circumstances in which the statements were made and a more-or-less fair and accurate statement of what was said”

    stop being so malicious, if you did not see it, why would you want to comment? satisfy yourself with reading the reports here…typical bajan

  25. robert ross Avatar
    robert ross

    Pinkie

    Wouldn’t you want to make an informed comment? Or doesn’t ‘being informed’ bother you? I suppose the answer is ‘no’ since that is all you can say.

  26. David Avatar
    David

    Isn’t it ironic that an attribute of the Church which should be embedded and inate as to be promulgated as PR? This is where we have become?

  27. Well Well. Avatar
    Well Well.

    The church goers would be a hell of a lot better off saving their money for a rainy day instead of giving it to the church, so that they are not considered needy, poor beggars when getting it back from the church in the form of ‘handouts’.

  28. Well Well. Avatar
    Well Well.

    islandgal246 | November 22, 2013 at 11:57 AM |

    “I hear that they have brought in an African to help pray for Barbados.”

    _____________________

    I also heard that African walked away ( or flew away) from Barbados with a cool four million dollars….jackasses

  29. robert ross Avatar
    robert ross

    David and others

    I am involved with a soup kitchen for the homeless tomorrow in Independence Square. It starts at 11.30. It would be really nice of you to come. Can I count on your support?

  30. pieceuhderockyeahright!!! Avatar
    pieceuhderockyeahright!!!

    @ Caswell

    The ten times table!!

    The answer to this behaviour by these so called priests and apostles of GOD is found in the denary system and practice called the tithe erroneously attributed to being a command of GOD but in fact is first seen in Genesis as an act of volition, instituted by an individual as his gratitude towards GOD

    These reverends and priests do not work anywhere and seek by their parasitic existence to live off the backs of their parishioners.

    Devoid as they are of any faith they insist that their following take a tenth of their earnings and give that to “effect the work of the LORD” which is invariably living with the church organist and the girls, or of late, the boys in the choir.

    Revelation 3:16 “So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth”

    These sepulchres and charlatans think that they are serving a man who can be tricked but they will one day see the Reward of the LIVING GOD!

  31. Colonel Buggy Avatar
    Colonel Buggy

    @Well Well… Bajans ,and not just the so-called average Bajan, like it this way. There is one particular sweet -talking -american accented-tjdrakes pastor/bishop/doctor/apostle ,who some years ago screwed the wife of one of his followers. Some years later he made his followers take out bank loans, some amounting to over $10,000 , to purchase the former church of the Closed Brethren, who had vacated that location in Country Road because the government of the day had the audacity to established a housing development for “low income ” working class people in close vicinity to these special people. Shortly afterwards the same pastor/apostle etc .etc , done a bunk and went off to the States leaving the banks and lending institutions to go after the poor people in the church.
    Would you believe that son-of-a-bitch, returned to Barbados a few years ago, and has a good set of people following him,many of whom probably got stung by him in the first instance, and started out keeping service in the conference room of a leading hotel.
    Roast in in Hell ? People like him should have their arses barbecued here on hearth.

  32. lawson Avatar
    lawson

    Well Well you were bragging about that Brazilian you got the other day “nobody can get me by the short and curleys” you should have given that money to the church , they could have saved more of you wretched souls. Please in future don’t put your beaver pelt above the needs of others less trimmed

  33. robert ross Avatar
    robert ross

    SOUP KITCHEN IN INDEPENDENCE SQUARE

    This event is cancelled.

    The organizers – the people and priest-in-charge of St Mugg’s Anglican Church, the Sisters of the Divine Mercy, the ‘I Spy a Scribe Fellowship’ and the ‘Lord, What If There’s One? Club’ – wish to thank David and members of the BU ‘Family’ for their innumerable expressions of support.

    I will pass these on to the next indigent I meet in Broad Street.

  34. David Avatar
    David

    You are welcome Ross, anytime.

  35. Well Well. Avatar
    Well Well.

    Colonel Buggy | November 22, 2013 at 11:27 PM |

    @Well Well… Bajans ,and not just the so-called average Bajan, like it this way.
    ________________________________________________-

    Colonel……then they should not complain, let their asses suffer..

    ___________________________________

    Lawson said:
    “lawson | November 23, 2013 at 1:41 AM |

    Well Well you were bragging about that Brazilian you got the other day “nobody can get me by the short and curleys” you should have given that money to the church

    ________________________

    Lawson………i have no clue what you are talking about, you are mixing me up with someone else, is your alzheimer’s kicking in or what?, what Brazilian what….anyway, before i give my money to any church in any party of the world for the priest/reverend/preacher to go sleep with young boys/girls/prostitutes or buy drugs, buy luxury items and sleep with all the parishioner’s wives…….i would prefer take a plane and walk through every ghetto across North America and the Caribbean and hand out those dollar bills, let the poor spend the money instead of the stinking preachers.

  36. lawson Avatar
    lawson

    Well Well I am sorry, when you said “nobody can get me by my short and curleys ” I thought you had got rid of them hence the Brazilian reference, Some people like that duck dynasty thing, so I am sure you might still be okay. You give money to the churches everyday, they are supported by your taxes. I agree about preachers look at jimmy swaggard, etc.

  37. Well Well. Avatar
    Well Well.

    Lawson……..Jimmy Swaggart and a whole army of like-minded demons…..

  38. Simple Simon Avatar
    Simple Simon

    @pieceuhderockyeahright!!! “they insist that their following take a tenth of their earnings and give that to “effect the work of the LORD”

    After I have given 20% of my earnings to Chris and Freundel AKA the Commissioner on Inland Revenue (to manage prudently and to use for looking after the poor etc.) to tell the truth my church is lucky if they get a $20 bill out of me when the month come.

  39. Simple Simon Avatar
    Simple Simon

    @ David November 21, 2013 at 10:14 PM “What is prosperity religion?”

    Dear David: Prosperity religion is when you take the Lord’s name in vain to separate fools from their money so that you can get rich quick.

    You can do it too David. If you had been running a religious blog and asking people to send you money you would be pisstoratically rich by now.

    It real, real easy.

  40. Simple Simon Avatar
    Simple Simon

    Here is a pastor who really knows hot to enjoy himself:

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2512511/Sex-drugs-blasphemy-depravity-arrogance-Crystal-Methodist-didnt-believe-God–brazen-texts.html

    Sex and drugs baby!!!!

  41. Simple Simon Avatar
    Simple Simon

    @Colonel Buggy “There is one particular sweet -talking -american accented-tjdrakes pastor/bishop/doctor/apostle ,who some years ago screwed the wife of one of his followers…done a bunk and went off to the States”

    And the congregant’s wife took off for the States with the unruly pastor leaving her 13 year old son to go home to find mummy missing..I don’t know what she ever saw in the pastor’s fat rass

  42. Well Well. Avatar
    Well Well.

    How is this for clergymen who by their own admission, don’t believe in god.they however believe in sex, drugs, blasphemy, depravity, arrogance, i am sure they throw in some beastiality and every other man made sin…..lol

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2512511/Sex-drugs-blasphemy-depravity-arrogance-Crystal-Methodist-didnt-believe-God–brazen-texts.html

  43. Sherwin Hinds Avatar
    Sherwin Hinds

    Christians needs to tell people about God not about politicians ..ACTS 20:26-30 ,Hence I call you witness this very day that I am clean from the blood of all men ,for I have not held back from telling you all the counsel of God. Pay attention to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the holy spirit has appointed you overseers , to shepherd the congregations of God which he purchased with the blood of his own son. I know that after my going away oppressive wolves will enter in among you and will not treat the flock with tenderness and from among you yourselves men will rise up and speak twisted things to draw away the disciples after themselves.

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