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Sleep Experts, Central Dallas Ministries Share Gift of Sleep with Those in Need
August 27, 2010 1:05 PM EDT
Dallas-Fort Worth mattress retailer Sleep Experts continues to share the gift of sleep with North Texas families in need with a donation of more than 50 mattress sets to Central Dallas Ministries, a faith-based organization focused on fighting poverty.
Dallas, TX (PRWEB) August 27, 2010 -- Local mattress retailer Sleep Experts continues to share the gift of sleep with North Texas families in need with a donation of more than 50 mattress sets to Central Dallas Ministries, a faith-based organization focused on fighting poverty.
Among the Central Dallas Ministries programs that will benefit from this donation are Transition Resource Action Center (TRAC), a program aiming to improve the self-sufficiency of youth aging out of foster care; CityWalk@Akard, a model of affordable permanent housing which recently opened in a 15-story office tower in downtown Dallas; and Destination Home, a program providing rental assistance and other support to chronically homeless, disabled individuals transitioning into self sufficiency.
To read the full report click here.
Thanks to Sleep Experts!
15 comments:
Well I will put SLEEP EXPERTS on my "do not buy" list. Do they know how far left your political philosophy is?
I guess my earlier post was censored.
My original statement(as best as I can remember) was:
Does Sleep Experts know how far on the left you swing?
Oh well, Sleep Experts will be on my "Do Not buy" list
No censor, Anon, just very busy today. "political philosophy" seems to fade into nothingness in view of my daily, close encounters with poor people. Who do you hang out with?
Thanks for asking. I'm self employed - so I "work" during the day. I do not depend on the government or other charity for my income.
Oh, I assumed you worked, like most of my low-income friends; that wasn't the question. Let me rephrase: with whom do you work? Any poor folks in your company? Any minimum wage folks or even $10 an hour folks? Any friends of that economic level?
Anon:
"Mind like parachute - work best when open."
- Charlie Chan
By that (or any other) standard, your mind is truly not working very well. Sleep Experts chooses to give 50 mattresses for people who cannot afford them, or who maybe just need a break (children aging out of foster care). No gov't involvement - no cooercion of any kind - and you somehow manage to see that negatively. You are bitter and sad.
Anon 2, thank you for your critique. My point was and is that the two big shooters at CDM (Larry James and Gerald Britt) are liberation theologists and neighborhood organizers. There are many neutral charities that Sleep Experts could support that do not contain such radical leadership.
Also, it is a valid question to ask a CDM sponsor or potential sponsor "are you, as a sponsor, aware of the radical leadership of CDM"? I'm sure that many Christian churches have been sucked into this whirlpool - only later, and with egg on their face, discover the radicalism of the CDM leadership.
Thanks
ANON 1
Anon 3:39, you are a riot! Thanks for posting and for putting us in such good company with your critique. Question: would you consider Jesus a radical in his day? Did he spend any time organizaing folks? How about the Hebrew prophets who railed against injustice in their economies? Were they status quo guys? Try Isaiah 10:1-4 on for size. There are thousands of texts like this in the Bible.
Not long ago I posted to Twitter something like this: "Mainline churches get the notion of justice because they use the lectionary to guide their readings of scripture in church. If you are forced to read the entire Bible, you can reach no other conclusion."
Its rather interesting that you would compare yourself with Christ
Anon 1:
You've missed the point entirely. What the H*#L do Larry's political or theological views have to do with the good work he gets done every day? Is he required to BELIEVE the right things (i.e. as you do) or can he get any credit for just DOING good things (regardless of his motivation)? So good only counts if it's done with pure (i.e.libertarian) thoughts? Seriously?
Again, a company GAVE 50 mattresses for people who need them, and because it didn't thoroughly vet Larry's nefarious thoughts, they should be punished by a boycott?! Do you hear yourself?!
Re-read Chan.
Anon 5:04, I can assure you that I wasn't comparing myself to Jesus; rather, I was holding him up as a legitimate model for life choices and values. And, you didn't answer my question about him and how others looked at him in his day; nor did you address the prophets. Before you dismiss people who ascribe to those values you need to consider the sources from which they logically arise.
We need to examine this: "How about the Hebrew prophets who railed against injustice in their economies?"
What exactly did the prophets rail against? The use of the term "economies" stands out to me. I don't recall any discussion in the Scripture about economic systems. So if you are using the term "economies" to describe a system, then you are reading into the text.
If the prophets "railed" against anything it was sin and the reblious hearts of the Hebrews. They did acknowledge the plight of the poor and the law of the Hebrews did have several components that looked out for the wellfare of the poor (julbilee, rights of beggars, etc.) But in terms of an economy, this was never a discussion among prophets.
More broadly, the term "government" is used with respect to God's future assumption of His throne by the sacrifical death of Christ ("the govt. shall be upon His shoulders" - thanks for the reminder, Handel). And in this more general sense, poverty will be aboliished. But the first and only cause of this better future economic impact is the fact that Christ dealt with our sin through His death.
It is the practice of proponents of liberation theology to misuse various texts to support an centrally planned economic system for a controlled system of wealth distribution and to drum up contention (the Exodus story in particular).
Larry may not be a proponent. However, much liberal thinking utilizes theological language to persuade is constituents. So we should ask: Larry, are you a proponent of liberation theology?
Anon 1:15, thanks for the post. To the contrary, the OT if filled with indications that the economic systems of Israel needed changing. The entire basis of the Year of Jubilee related to equitable distribution of wealth, with the central feature being the return of land holdings to the original owners every 50 years--basically economic fruit basket turnover! Amos speaks of selling the needy for the price of a pair of sandals. Isaiah speaks of law makers that make laws to oppress the poor. God's concern for Israel in bondage in Exodus is about economics, as well as miracle. If you read the Law, the poetry, the wisdom lit and the prophets and then throw in Jesus and James for good measure, you have economic truth all over the place. Read the epistle of James, the brother of Jesus and tell me it is not about economics and class issues/conflict.
I have read and I appreciate a good bit of the writings of liberationists; just as I do neo-orthodox, orthodox, evangelical and post-modern theologians. I'm not parked in any camp or school. I try to learn from many sources. If you read someone like Gutierrez carefully, I believe you will be opened to new insights that arise form the plight of the oppressed.
To think that we read scripture apart from our own personal context and situations is very naive. I confess, I read scripture with "urban eyes."
I guess that answers my question. You see economic justice everywhere I see grace. No one should trust in Larry James or James Cone to deliver economic justice. Won't happen.
Anon 2, it is you who have missed the point.Just as I would not support a charity headed by Muslims, neither would I support a charity headed by liberation theologists. Both groups have political aims that override any good done.
Those who contribute to such groups should know up front that by implication that are supporting the belief of the leadership. Therefore, it follows that full disclosure should be forthcoming on the front end of any donations. These blog archives are ripe with liberation theology do9ctrine and support for those that advocate this political belief cloaked in a Christian belief system.
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