What’s with religious charities turning away atheist volunteers lately? It happened in South Carolina a couple of weeks ago and it’s happening in Kansas now. For a couple of years now, the Kansas City Atheist Coalition has volunteered with the Kansas City Rescue Mission to deliver meals to the hungry on Thanksgiving. This year, the atheists have been told their services won’t be needed: Kansas City Rescue Mission has decided to use the meals they deliver as a chance to proselytize to its recipients by inserting religious literature into the meals. They informed us that we “would not be a good fit” (emphasis theirs) for volunteering with them, and declined to respond to any further inquiries.
It’s been said that freedom OF religion doesn’t mean freedom FROM religion (see former Texas Pastor/Governor Rick Perry), and it seems as if the disease of arrogant religious discrimination has reached Kansas City. Never mind that members of the Kansas City Atheist Coalition have previously given of themselves in volunteering to deliver meals to the hungry on Thanksgiving. Never mind that the good folks from KCAC were volunteering not because of their religious orientation or a percevied opportunity to proselytize, but because they felt there was a need to be met. People were going hungry and they could help; it’s what service is about. The fine folks at the Kansas City Rescue Mission clearly didn’t get the memo.
Suddenly, the Rescue Mission decides that the volunteer labor of a group of atheists (whom, I suspect, represent a threat only to themselves) is no longer something they value or need (Evidently, the hungry will feed themselves this year). Did the Rescue Mission feel that the atheists represent unwelcome competition? Did they feel that they wouldn’t be able to sell their flavor of Christianity to the down and out as effectively if there were atheists afoot? What if the hungry discovered themselves to be capable of independent thought? How will they ever be lead to Christ if they begin asking uncomfortable questions??
Why after a couple years of dedicated service, did the Mission decide that KCAC would not be a good fit? Did they suddenly discover that atheists are renowned for (not) kidnapping and brainwashing children and other impressionable types? What changed that caused the Rescue Mission to believe the service offered by KCAC was no longer what they were looking for?
Or did they simply discover- and were embarrassed by- the pronounced difference in the reasons why atheists volunteer vis-a-vis the good Christians from the Rescue Mission?
It…highlights a difference between atheists and Christians: our primary goal is helping as many people as possible. Often, their primary goal is spreading their faith, with alleviating suffering coming in somewhere behind that.
If the Rescue Mission is so particular about who they’ll allow to volunteer for them, one might wonder what other sorts of sinners they’re now turning away? Do they turn away gay people? Jews? Muslims? Packers fans? Vegans? Are they really so flush with volunteer labor that they can afford to be particular? Or is it that they’ve decided that they can’t handle what they perceive to be competition from atheists for the hearts and minds of the down and out?
I’ve never heard of a soup kitchen or homeless shelter or food pantry that suffered from having too much help. To tell a group of people their services won’t be needed on account of ideological purity seems to me the least charitable thing they could be doing.
KCRM cites “Integrity” as one of its values. If only the Christians running the place cared enough to follow their own advice.
Since when is the desire to be of service to one’s fellow man something acceptable only in those who profess the “right” theology? Is the Rescue Mission afraid that seeing those who consider themselves “good without God” will cause the down and out to cease associating Christianity with charity? Will those down on their luck begin to realize that service isn’t a sectarian consideration but a HUMAN one?
It would seem that hypocrisy is also one of the Rescue Mission’s core values.
Could it be that the Kansas City Rescue Mission’s true purpose is converting souls to Christianity…and that providing food and shelter is merely a means to that end and somewhat farther down the list of priorities? Is the Rescue Mission demonstrating that feeding the hungry isn’t about obeying the teachings of Jesus Christ, but about “saving” souls…and food is merely the hook? Who could have thought that altruism could be such a deeply cynical theological smokescreen?
Stay classy, eh?
