Observations and inanities by a second-shift assistant supervisor in the Puppy-Grinding division of the Evil Atheist Conspiracy® (our motto: "Sure it's cruel, but think of the jobs!"), your host, Brent Rasmussen.
Unsurprising.
Can anyone honestly say that this comes as any surprise?
Scam suspect taps sympathy time and again
Mourning son, ailing asthmatic, down-on-his-luck journalism student.
Alan Farha II told Columbia churchgoers he was all these things as part of a seemingly endless number of sob stories and pleas for money, police and church officials say.
"I need money to get to my dead father’s funeral," he told pastors and parishioners. "I need medication for my asthma." "My car broke down, and I need a lift."
In reality, police say, the 32-year-old native of Dallas is a smooth-talking con artist who has repeatedly preyed on area churches and their unsuspecting parishioners in recent months. His suspected scams have caused a stir among Mid-Missouri churches, with pastors and officials from at least 10 churches in Boonville, Columbia and Jefferson City claiming they’ve been swindled out of thousands of dollars in church funds earmarked for needy causes. Dozens of churchgoers also have said they were conned.
I mean, seriously. Targeting the faithful like that makes all kinds of sense. After all, the scam artists known as preachers do it all the time.
I don't mean to cynical here. Helping people out when they are down is a worthy thing. But it is hardly surprising that someone like Farha would decide that churches would make for easy pickings. All you need to do is speak the language of Christian faith and know what buttons to push, and they'll give you money, appoint you to the church board, or even elect you to office.
OK, maybe I do mean to be cynical . . .
Jim Downey
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Tempting....
When I was younger I had to really fight the urge to become some kind of religious or woo-woo con man. It's so easy, dammit!
The only part that stings my conscience is the fact that the "real" chrisitans are the only ones who get hurt. You know, the ones that actually help the needy and try to be forgiving.
I would much rather start a con that managed to bilk money out of standard issue hateful conservative bigoted christians, but you pretty much have to own a war machine or be running for sheriff on a 'hang 'em high" platform to get any money out of those worthless assholes. I have too much conscience to even pretend to be one of them.
It's a shame, really. If the jerk in this article has accomplished anything, the most likely possibility is that one or more forgiving, loving Christians, have just been pushed over the line, and the next person asking them honestly for help will be totally out of luck. Nice. Oh well, they probably only would've helped other christians to start with, so no big loss.
Bad News
Really bad news for those who really need help. Once again, they will be looked upon as parasites.
This reminds me of an episode of the series Kung Fu, where young Caine heeds the advice of a stranger, who turns out to be a bad guy, misleading him and another young fellow.
When they are back from the stranger's trap, the master asks both what lessons they drew from this event. The other boy answers first that you should never trust a stranger. And the master has him expelled from the temple forever.
Young Caine says he does not understand why he is not expelled as well, since he made the same mistake.
I don't exactly remember the image the master used. But it probably went something like this: even though you can't be sure, you must trust, and at the same time be prepared for the unpredictable.
So I would say the churchgoers did the right thing and I praise them for this. It is too bad they were abused, but they did the right thing anyway.
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