Even the old-timers in Detroit never have seen anything like this: A mob of 40 black people moved into a convenience store and will not leave.Police take nine hours to show up, do nothing, and advise the owners to "hire security".
They say they now own it.
...
Police, ministers, neighbors, the store owner and just about everyone else seems powerless to stop them.
“It’s a Bad Crew gas station,” said one of the mob to the local Fox affiliate. “If you don’t know what that is, I can’t even tell you.”
Earlier this month, members of the Perfecting Church, one of Detroit’s largest black congregations, counseled the members of the mob to stop their evil ways.My first thought when I read this was Matt Bracken's piece on WRSA "When the Music Stops". There it is. Couple this with the bankrupt cities that can't afford to enforce property laws, and issue lists of laws they won't enforce, County Sheriffs telling the citizens that they'd better arm themselves because the Sheriff sure can't protect them, Victor Davis Hanson's descriptions of life in California as essentially being the movie "The Road Warrior", living where bodies just show up in quiet parks, dogs wander without owners, and it just generally has the feel of a third world country.
Nothing changed. Which is not all that surprising: In June, the church’s pastor, Marvin Winans, lost a $15,000 Rolex, a Louis Vuitton wallet with $200 in it and his 2012 Infiniti QX56 SUV after he was carjacked by a mob of 10 black people at a similar convenience store nearby.
Maybe I've had it all wrong. I've been looking for the economic collapse as some sort of big, everything-falls-at-once moment. Maybe it's more like a hundred lines of dominoes, and the collapse is well under way. We just won't personally feel it until the next domino over falls on us. Unless you're already under a domino.
seems as if pastors in duhtroit doin' purty well
ReplyDeleteitor
I saw this posted elsewhere, and think the owner just need to cut his loses, lock the doors, and let this settle to the lowest level. If you can't get rid of an infestation of anything then leave the area. Civic leaders can bitch about food deserts, and racism not having buisness in the hood, but if it isn't safe for your buisness don't do buisnes in the bood. I agree with the first poster, pastor seems to be shearing the flock fairly well, roloexs,, and infinitis are kinda unusual for preachers, and maybe selling god isn't the only line of work he's in.
ReplyDeleteHalfElf,
ReplyDeleteSelling G-d is very lucrative. Many years ago, in Southern California, a lady I dated (briefly ;-) attended the Calvary Chapel in her neighborhood. The pastor drove a Mercedes, and his wife showed up for services in her mink stole. I watched darn near everyone (not me, but I'm a heathen) put either a twenty, a fifty, or a hundred dollar bill into the basket. Twenties mostly, but there you are. You might be right about this Detroit pastor, though, as I doubt many of his flock could afford to put large denomination bills in his basket. Unless they were unlicensed pharmacists or purveyors of social companionship.
If it were my service station, I'd set the damn thing on fire. With the mob inside. After I chained up the doors from outside.
I recently read about a guy who had someone squatting in his home while he was traveling elsewhere, and tried to throw them out when he got back. Supposedly they declared bankruptcy, and now he cannot have them evicted from his own home. Perhaps it is getting to be time to make your own law in some parts of the country.
So I suppose there's no chance that a well-off parishioner gave that pastor a car? Or gave his wife her mink? If someone gave them that, then what should they do? Sell it and help a few people while alienating others? There's no chance that the pastor has another source of wealth - an inheritance, perhaps, or a few years of investments that really paid off? There's no chance that he has another income stream, like from rental property? Must we automatically assume that a pastor who isn't in rags is stealing from the flock?
DeleteI know that the perception of corruption in churches is widespread, and I'm sure some of it is deserved. After all, corruption gets into everything and if Christians are right, there's an Evil One who would love nothing more than to bring down the faithful and make the church look bad. But the folks who mention the corruption never seem to mention the million-selling Christian authors (Joyce Meyer, for one) who gives virtually all they make to the church, or the thousands of pastor/teachers and other people who serve for free in the church. Even Rick Warren, the guy who wrote "The Purpose Driven Life" that sold over 30 million copies, kept 10% of his royalties from the book and gave 90% to the church.
This is not that far off topic. While the post was about the collapse in Detroit, the behavior of the people shows absolutely no moral compass. They are feral. They'd be better behaved if they had been raised by wolves.
Certainly what you propose is possible, SiG, but based on what I saw hit the collection baskets on the one day I attended, I think I'll stick with Occam's Razor. Based on what you wrote of the Detroit pastor, that hardly sounds legit, either. And we both know that creatures such as Jerry Falwell, et al, have turned their gospel into real money-makers.
DeleteSure hope you aren't leaping to take offense here. I do not hate religion, just don't have a personal desire to believe. If you have read some of my posts along those lines, I believe in what religion stands for, in spite of the _fact_ that most religions have been seriously perverted during parts of their existence by the eminently fallible humans who lead others into their particular fold.
I was raised as a Roman Catholic (back when the Mass was in Latin, not in New Age, rock music, "Kiss of Peace" style. Pederasts have been common in that religion for almost as long as in Islam. And I won't even start getting into the Inquisition.
Yes, most churches need donations and collection plates to fund their operations, but I think there is enough love of Mammon by pastors all over the country - as well as private, "specialized" instruction of young ladies by their pastors of various faiths - to make the statement I wrote without thinking I was condemning all religion. I remain, however, my usual cynical self, and see corruption even in places where we would like to see it least. There was no intention to offend on my part.
No offense taken at all - and contrary opinions are always welcome here. I know the stance you've taken that while you don't accept Christianity, you see the worth of the Judeo-Christian values. Obviously, since I am a follower of the man from Galilee, I would want you to rethink that from the standpoint of your place in eternity, but that choice is meant to always be a free choice.
DeleteI go to a Mega Church (around 10,000 peeps) and I see and know the sacrifices people make. We are a well-off church, because you couldn't throw a paper wad without hitting an engineer, doctor, nurse, lawyer, small businessman or some other professional. We also have the other end of the spectrum, and are generous with the contributions.
A guy at work once told me he had been past that church and it seemed so nice, how come they don't help the community? I said, "how do you know how much they do?" and he admitted he had no idea. So I told him a few things.
Our pastor is a retired pharmacist, but in the 20 years the church has existed, he has been full-time pastor on the payroll for much less than that (10?). While he drives an old Camry (IIRC), the church has sent him worldwide - looks like he's wealthy. He has written several books, and every penny goes to missions.
To reword what I wrote in that reply, assume Christians are right and there is a Satan. Who would be better for the evil one to bring down than pastors and the church? What better way to discredit their works? It's like a decapitation strike in the military sense, but better, because it not only ruins the church's effectiveness, it ruins their reputation and keeps others from being saved. Kind of explains what we see, doesn't it?
Again, no offense taken. You are always welcome to your views.
Thanks, SiG. I didn't mean to imply all churchmen are corrupt, although I see now that I made it sound that way. I simply would expect more to be driving Camrys than either buying - or accepting - a Mercedes, and I imagine that is probably the case if I stop to consider it. When I was a child, more of our RC priests drove Fords than Cadillacs, but some (including chauffeur-driven Cardinals) enjoyed the display of wealth.
DeleteAll men are imperfect by nature - some more than others (like me ;-) I would like to think there is a difference between stating there have been many bad men using religion for their own purposes through the centuries and stating that all religious leaders are venal or evil men. I guess that is what I was doing when I spoke of "selling G-d", but I was thinking more of some of the few I have seen who appeared to enjoy the display of wealth, including TV preachers and the like. I did not mean to imply that all pastors/preachers were selling their religion, although I see now that I did make it sound that way. Thanks for your patience.
Maybe it's more like a hundred lines of dominoes, and the collapse is well under way.
ReplyDeleteNo 'maybe' about it. If it were a single event, we could step up and fight it. What's destroying us is creeping up on us incrementally to the point of being almost unseen, so that we don't know what to do, who to fight, or when It's Time. Between the advance of Statists and the rise of Thug Culture, we're being nibbled to death by ducks. As we have been for a very long time.
:(
I meant to say the other day that this is an excellent observation. I'm afraid you're absolutely right.
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