No Sanctuary for Hurricane Victims At Mormon Church. Church Cites Policies As Reason.

By: Don Caldwell


Is being Christian also belief in everyone for themselves, or is about being “Christ-like” towards all in need?


Excerpts italicized:

The water in Haiti's seaside town of Leogane rose to the doorsteps of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. But if you're local, and homeless, you needn't have bothered coming here for help. Help is for Mormons only.


The LDS church is one of the biggest and most modern buildings in Leogane, with the capacity to safely hold and protect 200. The church's hurricane policy? Only church members can seek shelter there. On Friday, 36 congregants and family members slept at the church.


On Friday afternoon, a dozen women sat on the ground and in chairs outside, underneath the shadow of the church's enormous satellite dish, while church staff more or less ignored them


They didn't receive food or water, sleeping mats or mattresses. On Friday afternoon, a dozen women sat on the ground and in chairs outside, underneath the shadow of the church's enormous satellite dish, while church staff more or less ignored them


A local Mormon mother, 25-year-old Tanya Favery, sought shelter here before the storm. She thinks the Mormon-only policy is wrong, but she is resigned to her role, as a grateful beneficiary


"It's not normal, as a Christian," Favery said. "It should've been done otherwise. People could've come here and found Christ. But I'm not the decider."

Is being Christian also belief in everyone for themselves, or is about being “Christ-like” towards all in need?


The article goes on to describe how the leadership of the Mormon “church”, had to seek approval through various committees (bureaucratic stuff), and how they it would be too difficult to help so many people outside of their church.


Did the early Christians (namely Christ himself) give up at the idea of how daunting a task it would be to bring the Christian message to the masses? Did they not have a policy of helping everyone they could, instead of finding political excuses to do nothing but help themselves?


Would Jesus be proud of what these" “Christians” (as I believe they call themselves) are doing? Should that not be the first thing you (or a Church) should ask yourself (or itself) when making decisions? 


Knowing that this is only one part of the Mormon Church (and it is easy to judge an entire group by the actions of a few), I hope that the policies enforced by their Bishop (and committees)  are not the policies 
held by other parts of either the Mormon church, or any Christian church for that matter…

(ORIGINAL LINK) No Sanctuary at Leogane, Haiti, Mormon Church During Hurricane Tomas