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Reflections on Ethics 58
And they claim God is the source of their morality?

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The following are fund-raising pitches as presented on the Miracle Network, one of Canada's "Christian" broadcasting channels. Probably similar pitches can be found on the US equivalents. These are from complaints filed with the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)[1]

"There is somebody right now watching, and God is speaking to them about RRSPs.[2]They've got RRSPs, and they've got a sizable amount, and it's a security thing. Well, it's not a security thing; your security is in God. And God's speaking to you to cash those in. And I dare you to do it,"

Comment: Sure! And God is going to pay their retirement income? Or is God going to bring on Rapture so they don't need to consider retirement planning? And who is going to pay the hefty income taxes that will be due on cashing out the retirement fund?

"There's a businessman right now that's watching this program in his business, in his place of business that is about to go bankrupt. He's about to lose it all. He is discouraged, he is frustrated and I have a word for you . . . Right now, there's a certain amount in your bank account right now. And I'm just going to speak what I feel the spirit of God gave me. You're about to lose it all anyway, so you need to sow it into the miracle of the Miracle Channel, and your whole business is going to turn around, not months from now, days from now."

Comment: Instead of paying off legitimate creditors who may very well need payment to stay out of bankruptcy themselves, the funds should be diverted to a greedy evangelist? This is not only immoral, it is illegal. And how is the business going to turn around when its owner has been turned into a common criminal?

"We've had several tonight give $10,000 . . . And you know what one person did, Gwen? They have $5,000 and they gave it, but they felt to give ten, they put the other five on their credit card. And we believe that God is going to give that back to you and you are going to be able to pay it off real fast."

Comment: Why doesn't God cut out the middle man and give the money directly to the Miracle Network rather than laundering the funds through some poor sucker's credit card? And are these people concerned at all about the possibility - no - call that a extremely high probability that God will not give the $5,000 back?

There are those who would argue that anyone who gets into financial trouble by responding to this type of pitch deserves it - it is just social Darwinism in action. Perhaps that is so, but it is not the gullible donors I am taking issue with; it is those who are demanding the money.

These are the very same people who assert that the God they are supposedly raising funds for is the source of all morality. These are the very same people who assert that non-believers are immoral solely because of their non-belief.

These are the people who give the lie to any claim that there is a linkage between some supposed God and morality.

Footnotes:

  1. Roughly equivalent to the FCC in the U.S.
  2. Registered Retirement Savings Plan - equivalent to an IRA in the U.S.