Theology

More from ONE

4 Comments

On Friday I recieved this email from Rick Warren concerning the ONE Campaign. If you are a “faith leader” please email Rick at rick@peace.gs and tell him that you would like to sign this letter below.

Do something. Anything. Help.

Dear President Bush,

Because:

· ONE billion people around the world live on less than ONE dollar a day;
· The US government spends less than ONE percent of its budget on fighting global AIDS and poverty;
· Americans are uniting as ONE across political and religious divides to support action to overcome the emergency of global AIDS and extreme poverty.

At the G8 leaders meeting on July 6th we urge you to:

· Help the poorest people of the world fight poverty, disease, and hunger at a cost equal to just ONE percent more of the US budget on a clear timetable;
· Cancel 100% of the debts owed by the poorest countries;
· Reform trade rules so poor countries can earn sustainable incomes.

We urge you to lead an historic deal with other nations to help Africa and the poorest nations overcome global AIDS and extreme poverty. Together as ONE, we can Make Poverty History this July.

Sincerely, U.S. Faith Leaders

4 thoughts on “More from ONE”

  1. Why don’t we email Rick back and tell him that if he didn’t scam the US goverment out of Tax money maybe they could send more money. Check into the law suit filed by the IRS for tax evasion.

  2. Bill-
    I believe you are talking about his legal dealings with the Ministerial Housing Allowance and not tax evasion. Regardless, the burden of helping Africa shouldn’t come from America. It should come from Americans and Europeans and Canadians and Germans and… in other words individuals.

    ONE isn’t asking for your money anyway.

  3. I agree that the help for Africa should come from individuals.

    However I am responding to Rick Warren’s urging of Mr. Bush to dedicate more than one percent of the U.S. budget. So yes he is asking the government to give money. ONE may not be but Rick is asking for that.

    As far as Tax evasion, that is exactly what it was. Yes he claimed the housing allowance, but IRS publication 1828 states, “fair rental value of a home.” Rick set aside 100% of his ministerial pay, I do not, nor did the IRS think that was a fair rental value. Rick then lived off of his earnings from books and other things, which do not fall under nontaxable income. So my point is simply Rick exploited the law and was tried for Tax evasion. I simply don’t think he has the right to ask the Government to give more money when he acts in such a way. I think there is a teaching of Jesus that goes something like, take the plank out of your own eye before you try to remove it from someone else’s.

    This just smells of jumping on the bandwagon to look good.

    I am all for ONE, but I am not convinced that those who support ONE live a life of honesty. How many IPOD and other gadgets do they own. Think about this, if all who were for ONE didn’t buy that IPOD, new T.V., CD, gaming system or concert ticket how much money could have gone to stamping out poverty. It is easy to ask another man to give, but harder to give yourself.

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