Gideon MacLeish Gideon MacLeish

Why do Good Things Happen to Bad People?

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Why do Good Things Happen to Bad People?

A rant

from JoeUser Forums

(Note: This is a RANT. I am in a ranting mood today, so I'm going to rant away).

There is a couple in town, a pentecostal "preacher" and his wife, who travel in and out of town. In the several years they have been here, they have not once had to purchase a vehicle, they have acquired 7 properties, only three of which they have actually had to purchase, and they have filled many buildings with the various items that have been given them by people from the area and from where they come from back east. In the home where they currently reside, their windows were replaced with donated materials and with labor from one of the people in one of the local churches that they regularly badmouth, they've had complete sewer lines replaced in both of their residential locations, and now have the promise of having a roof built by the same individual that did their windows. People complain about this couple, but they line up around the block to give them everything and anything they beg for.

I have long said that I don't have a problem understanding why bad things happen to good people. I have a hard time, however, understanding why good things happen to bad people. In the case of this "preacher" and his wife, they aren't so much bad people as they are professional beggars. He has no church, does not preach anywhere regularly, and solicits these donations on the understanding that he will give them to the people in the local community. These donations end up at their house, where they pick through the choice items and occasionally give a few items away that they can't use to be able to show they're giving SOMETHING.

I mentioned earlier that they haven't purchased a single vehicle since they've been here. Yet they sold two of the vehicles that they had been given, and not to families in need, but instead, for the highest price they could get for them. Much of their income is derived from selling things that were donated for them to give away.

Meanwhile, I've been working six days a week at remunerative employment (usually seven days a week when you count other obligations) for the past two years. I'm working hard at finishing my online college courses and beginning working on "real" college courses in less than a month. And we're facing the impending death of our fourth vehicle in the past two years, all of them purchased out of our own pocket, and all of them at significant cost. We're praying that our car holds together until Friday, when we can pay off the repairs on another car and hope it, too, holds together. The alternative will be calling this "preacher" for a ride, and paying more in gas then he actually uses. Because I have to do what I have to do to take care of my family. And some of the same people in the church that have labored to remodel his house despite his disparaging of the church have turned a seemingly cold shoulder to us...because we committed the unforgivable sin of attending the church for sometime and then leaving it for another church. (note to pastors of such churches: that's NOT a way to encourage people to return).

During this same time, I have offered help to every motorist I have seen stranded, I have given groceries to every family I know of that is in need. I admittedly stopped tithing to the church, but I did so precisely because, no matter how faithful we've been in our tithes, not one church has EVER helped me a) land a decent job; b) keep my transportation running. We decided, rightly or wrongly, that our income needed to be reserved for our needs first, not the church's.

3,962 views 33 replies
Reply #26 from JoeUser Forums Top
Wouldn't this mean that if they ever had to call 911 from their home phone the ambulance, police, fire truck would be sent to the church?


Not if they gave their home address. I'm just suggesting that pastors should stop cloistering themselves away from the world in which they demand they are called to minister, though, and that there IS a way.
Reply #27 from JoeUser Forums Top
Is it your money or God's money, KFC? If it's God's, as I expect you will answer, why are you spending it as if it were yours?


How so? I give and let the elders and Pastors make the decisions as to how it's to be spent. It's a trust issue. I give and expect nothing in return.

I've heard a lot of talk about "discernment", but that word is simply Christian shorthand for "I just want an excuse not to give to you".


I don't know if you realize how much this goes on Gid. This is a big problem in the churches today. We have so many calling us for needs while they are spending their money on alcohol and cigarettes. Do we give it to them anyway? For how long? We had one guy calling weekly wanting rides here and there and money. He had no desire to go to church tho not that that is a requisite mind you. We pointed him to the right services for food and such. He said they wouldn't help. so we called those services and they said he's a problem. He drinks and uses his money for dope and then cries that he needs help but doesn't want the help offered. So do we just give him what he wants? Where does accountability play a role?

We've never turned a person away. Never. We may offer to pay a bill instead of handing money over. We'll give out groceries and clothes. You'd be surprised how many walk out on on that. They don't want the services, they don't want the bills paid. They want what they want and there's no helping them. Those are the ones I'm talking about.

We've been helping a lady in the church, a single mother of one for quite some time. She works and makes ok money but she gets in trouble from time to time. Recently we've been noticing she's taking advantage of this help. So we're backing off because in the long run we're really not helping her. This is where discernment comes in.

This man that would not go down the street to a place for $10 wanted something for free. My friend (who is the church music leader and a very kind and spiritual leader) would have paid that $10 for him. Maybe you're right about her giving the name but I'm sure she was just trying to protect the Pastor here and was offering to help him. Our Pastor is always saying everything is not the Pastor's job. We all need to be out there doing. I don't know the whole story, I wasn't there but if she said he was angry and huffy that to me is an indication of somebody wanting something for nothing.

The point is, these pastors don't want to be bothered when they're "off the clock". Is a bondservant EVER "off the clock"?


I know alot of Pastors personally. None of them have this attitude. Granted I'm sure they're out there but I would have to question why they're in the position to begin with.

I know one Pastor who had a knock at his door at night. He was asked for gas. He offered to bring the guy to the station and fill up the car for him. The guy made an excuse that his car could only hold a couple of gallons at a time so money would be a better alternative. Well the Pastor could fix cars and said he had just the part that would fix this problem. Another excuse came out and the Pastor knew. It wasn't gas he wanted. This is what I'm talking about. This guy also left in a huff. This is a tell tale sign. This happens all the time.

But if you do have such a heart, you really should join with those of us who are calling the church to task for their failure. It's inexcusable.


and I have. But I do know there are also good churches out there that are doing the work. Those are the churches we need to belong to. They may be hard to find but they are out there. I belong to such a one. God is truly blessing us because of it. Everything we do is free. We spend thousands of dollars every year to bring people in and take care of needs. We are not content in staying inside our little sanctuary but are very active in our community.
Star Control: Origins
Reply #28 from JoeUser Forums Top
I don't know if you realize how much this goes on Gid. This is a big problem in the churches today. We have so many calling us for needs while they are spending their money on alcohol and cigarettes. Do we give it to them anyway? For how long?


Is it your church's money, or is it God's? KFC, you've hit on the main reason I don't give my tithes to the church. Because the churches see it as THEIR money, and they're going to guard it jealously, which I see NO justification for in scriptures. None. If it is God's money, it is His right to get angry, not yours.

If utilities are a problem, you can pay the utilities without a dime passing into the person's hand. Same with food. Same with gas. Same with car repairs. If you pay the bills, then you KNOW it is not being used for some other purpose. There's no guessing.



This man that would not go down the street to a place for $10 wanted something for free.


God forbid a man should want a place to lay his head for free. Can you imagine Christ arriving at the home of one of his disciples and his disciple sending him to the inn? That wasn't a man she turned away, it was Jesus (Matthew 25:31-46).
Reply #29 from JoeUser Forums Top
Our Pastor is always saying everything is not the Pastor's job.


The man asked for a PASTOR, though. She completely ignored the man's request.
Reply #30 from JoeUser Forums Top
utilities are a problem, you can pay the utilities without a dime passing into the person's hand. Same with food. Same with gas. Same with car repairs. If you pay the bills, then you KNOW it is not being used for some other purpose. There's no guessing


yes, but that's what I'm saying. They SAY they need bills paid but when we offer to pay the bills they don't want that. They want the money to pay it themselves or so they say.

We are to be good stewards of God's money, personally and corporately. Yes, all belongs to God. All the more to be wise in handling it. There's more on money in scripture I believe than any other subject matter. Sometimes we get in God's way when we help people when we should not. And like it or not, there are professional moochers out there. I've met a few and it's getting more and more of a problem.

KFC, you've hit on the main reason I don't give my tithes to the church.


Ok, than if anything you are not trusting God here. If it's God's money, don't you trust that he'll put it to good use using the church? Is it God's money or Gid's money? You asked me.....

If you think a church is being abusive than I don't blame you. If it's because you just don't agree with what they are doing that's another thing. But there are many expenses for a church to run properly and tithing is a part of that. We should be supporting our local body whenever possible.

But I am the last person that would say that it HAS to be put into a chuch building. I believe church is people afterall and if you see that it would be better to support a local food bank so be it. I have no problem with that. I personally don't give money to any organization that is not furthering the gospel. That's where I believe our tithes should go. To further God's work in getting the gospel out whether that be a church, or Christian organization or another Christian or non Christian. I'm a big supporter of Compassion and Good Samaritan (Franklin Grahams work). There they provide spiritual and physical means with my support. I like that.

Why are you harping on all the bad churches anyway? What about the good ones? How is this bringing Glory to God? Is it that hard in your area to find a good Godly church? Are you discouraged here Gid? If so, I just want to encourage you to know it's not always like this.
Reply #31 from JoeUser Forums Top
Ok, than if anything you are not trusting God here. If it's God's money, don't you trust that he'll put it to good use using the church? Is it God's money or Gid's money? You asked me.....


The church is misappropriating it, KFC. I wouldn't give my tithes to most churches, because they're not using it properly.

I DO tithe, KFC, I just won't give my tithe to people who have been unfaithful with its handling, as the church has so consistently been. I'm more concerned with those inside the church who are stealing the money than with those outside of it.

yes, but that's what I'm saying. They SAY they need bills paid but when we offer to pay the bills they don't want that. They want the money to pay it themselves or so they say.


See, and THAT is a reasonable response by the church. But many churches won't even do that. And many more will pay utility bills, but not deposits, which does precious little good when you can't get utilities turned on in the first place.

Why are you harping on all the bad churches anyway?


Because SOMEBODY needs to, KFC. It's time we stop ignoring the fact that most churches have stopped following God. If bad churches want me to stop harping on them, then they know what they need to do to change, don't they?

Is it that hard in your area to find a good Godly church?


18 years as a Christian, and 've yet to find a Godly church, KFC. I have found MANY Godly Christians, but I've found NO Godly churches. And some of those Godly Christians are pastors, so it's not always a roblem with the leadership. It' a problem with how we are letting secular opinion govern the running of our churches, and there are MANY problems.

I'm not judging the heart of a single Christian, KFC. I AM, however, questioning the churches, and whether they are allowing themselves to be led by the Spirit or are simply governing according to the latest trends. I deal with broken people daily, people who have been abandoned as "hopeless cases" by the Christians in these churches, and I think that if we throw away a single soul we are being poor stewards. We're supposed to have a passion to seek and save the lost, and that doesn't only "include" these throwaways, that IS these throwaways.

I'm not discouraged, KFC. Far from it. I'm simply wanting a place where these "throwaways" will receive the warm reception they should receive from those of us who follow Christ. And that simply isn't the case around here. You can't share your testimony in many of these churches for fear that even one gossip in the congregation may abuse the information you've shared in confidence. You can't put aside your past when you walk in the doors because many of these people hold grudges for life. And the one church that I THOUGHT offered some hope for relief is not an option precisely because they refused a chance to help our family when our family truly needed it, due to circumstances not entirely within our control. A $50 tire cost them the growth of their ministry, basically.

I'm harping on these things because somebody needs to, KFC. It is time we wake up to our responsibilities as Christians and stop passing the buck. We have an out of control welfare system because Christians WOULD NOT do their duty, and we are reaping the benefits of our dereliction in the poverty and hopelessness of the inner city. Somebody needs to say something, and somebody needs to do something.
Reply #32 from JoeUser Forums Top
Why do bad things happen to good people? Because God has a sense of humor.
Reply #33 from JoeUser Forums Top
and I have a VERY hard time swallowing KFC's claim that this Pastor literally asked his congregation to keep people away from him.


Well don't worry LW, you can take a big swallow. I did not claim this. I said our Pastor encourages all to do the work of God. It's not just the Pastor's job. He challenges us all to do God's work. He does not like to be put on a pedestal. He HATES IT. He even said "puke" in a discussion about other Pastors being put up like that or when some in our congregation try to do it to him. He discourages us when we try to do too much for him. He's a very simple man that is not in any way a worldly one. He actually does not enjoy Pastor Appreciation Day at all. Pastors were never meant to Lord it over their people but to gently lead as a servant.

In fact he would rather roll his sleeves up and help somebody else. I've seen him clean throw up in the nursery shooing the mom away so she could be in the main sanctuary for a play.

The lady in question has very good judgment. She is also very close to the Pastor and a giver in all sorts of ways. He had no trouble with what she did. Only because we live in such a tourist area we get this stuff all the time. Right now we are in peak season. People travel to come here and then demand a church put them up. And when I say demand...I mean demand. We've been told we "have to" because that's what churches do. That's not what Christ meant when he said to take care of the poor. This is not the same thing.

I'm really sorry Gid about your not finding a "real" church family. I've been there as well and I do see a big difference in a church that is "spiritual" and one that is not. Makes the world of difference. I do think tho a Pastor has alot to do with it still. It doesn't mean they all are spiritual people going there, but the ones in leadership positions would be because the Pastor would be challenging them like ours does. He meets with us all once a month as a group and encourages us to be Godly leaders. So the core group is making a difference in the lives of the people around them.

This church started with 4-5 familys in 1998. We now have over 300 people and are the largest church in the area by far and it's part of a mainstream denomination. Maybe you and a few families should think about starting up your own church and I'm not saying that lightly.

I really mean it. Maybe God is doing a work in you to do so. From what you've written it seems that way to me. All you need is 4-5 praying families to start up and a sincere heart to do the will of God.