Elsewhere, at least one church appears to have celebrated “salvations” at distribution sites. “Today we just gave out 2,000 boxes of food….We had five salvations, over two hundred people prayed for….Did y’all have fun?” asked a representative of California’s Victorville First Assembly of God, in another Instagram video. The church didn’t respond to a request for comment.
In Missouri, Christian non-profit Heavenly Hope included a postcard featuring Bible verses with each of the 17,000 food boxes that it has delivered so far, according to the organization’s president Beth Giesler. “Our whole thing is that it’s not about the boxes, it’s about spreading God’s love,” Giesler said in a phone interview. Facebook posts show the verses taped to food box flaps. When asked about whether the organization knew it was potentially violating federal guidelines, Giesler said: “If [recipients] chose to read [the postcard], they chose to read it. If they don’t, they don’t.”
Taken on their own, some of these come just short of explicitly violating USDA’s guidelines—others may even cross the line. Taken together, however, they paint a picture of religious organizations across the country using taxpayer-funded hunger relief as an avenue to promote faith-based practices, particularly among families struggling with food insecurity. That is—if they’re reaching people based on need in the first place. Ultimately, it’s up to USDA to enforce its own rules and ensure that food boxes are being distributed equitably.
“If the USDA [knows] about this, they should frankly say, ‘Hey, guys, stop it,’” Flanders said. “If they don’t—if they condone it—then we have the further Constitutional problem of favoring religion and allowing religion to use government funds to proselytize.”
"PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO THANK JEHOVAH", FOR USDA FOOD BOXES
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Exactly, Tom. So, when reading these two scripture in the last book of the Bible - Rev 11:1-3,7; 13:6,7
…how can any organization other than the Wt. know who the anointed are, in order to tread the Temple of God, “make war” and conquer the saints, as all of your leaders are already successfully doing?
You know Tom, I have never showcased myself, but have always “showcased” Jesus Christ, the Father and the Body of Christ/priesthood of God, and their role in the last days. Only when you began prodding me about my anointing, was there any focus on me; and that was for your own selfish writing motives.
Yes, they do.