The Forum > Article Comments > Proud to be an Australian Muslim > Comments
Proud to be an Australian Muslim : Comments
By Mohammed Ali, published 4/5/2011My Australian identity and my religion.
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I am not here to defend the churches. The Catholic and Anglican church is extremely wealthy. However, parish priests and clerics in other demoninations aren't. Many years ago, I knew a priest whose family purchased clothes for him; in turn he gave these to the poor. This was not uncommon.
Incidentally, I am not a christian ... so am not pushing this barrow.
There are many, many unpaid volunteers in religious organisation who give thousands of hours to the needy, not only during disasters but by the daily running of centres, such as soup kitchens, centres for distributing clothes and food for the poor, even assistance to families when in financial difficulties such as electricity bills. The money received is not a loan, but given freely.
If these organisations folded, the government would have to step in ... and the government does not have the unpaid volunteer base that the former have. What the government gives to such organisations (also non-religious ones) is a drop in the bucket compared with what they would otherwise have to find.
Also, donations given for disaster relief funnelled through government organisations are soaked up by the various adminstrative bodies, with little of the donations actually reaching those who need it. I think you will find that with non-government bodies, as mentioned above, those needing financial and practical help actually receive it with little, if indeed any, syphoning off.
You mention religious organisations, but there are many non-religious organisations who assist the poor in exactly the same way, and who function vv the government, as do the religious ones.
Also ,,, Jewelry ... I think we have rather gone off track :-)