Late in November the Seattle Times published an article discussing a suggested initiative to allow homeless people park their cars in empty church parking lots at night (ironically, web link for the article contains "carcamping"). In true bureacratic fashion, a caseworker will screen applicants. They’re going to spend $30,000 on the caseworker. If that’s what they’re paying this person altogether I would imagine that they’re hiring from the pool of homeless car campers. The purpose of the caseworker is to connect the homeless to services and help them get housing. Called Seattle Safe Parking, the program appears on the surface to be a benevolent action by the homeless "task force" to provide them with a place to park for the night where they won’t get towed or ticketed or arrestead.
When I first read this article, I thought it was a good thing for them to do. And it is. But not as altruistic as it looks. While it’s true that there are people who are deeply concerned about the homeless in this country, it looks to me (admittedly from the outside looking in) like most of these programs are really about getting the homeless out of sight – at least for the night. The Seattle task force was only created after a homeless woman froze to death on the street. It took her death for the officials to take notice of the situation.
Reading a little further down, only one church has actually offered their parking lot. Assuming that the members and clergy of all the churches consider themselves to be Christians, that should be a surprising statement, but it’s not. The same people who will follow you around preaching about the salvation that Jesus Christ can offer those who believe have very little compassion for the people they’re trying to hide away from sight. Those believers who tell me (and tell me and tell me) that compassion and love are what the world needs to get on track are withholding it from people who really could use a little compassion and love. Out of all the churches in Seattle, only Our Redeemer’s Lutheran Church stepped up to the plate.
I’m not Christian. I’m really not a believer at all, unless you count belief in the inherent selfishness of people. More wars have been waged over peace and love than the abuse of human beings. Christians proclaim that by accepting Christ the world will be saved. I guess accepting Christ doesn’t include a warm place to sleep or a little something to eat. Jews believe that the way to repair the world (implying that at one time it was whole to begin with) is through acts of loving kindness. Only could you take that act of loving kindness and go behind the building so no one sees? I’ve been told that living a moral life is not possible without religion. Is that so you have someone to blame when you inevitably fall short? I’m pretty sure I will be able to share my lunch with the homeless guy on Chauncey Hill even if I don’t have god to share the credit with me. I don’t think that the lack of a belief in life after death will cause me to go out and murder people. Right and wrong are not absolutes, and I don’t believe they’re dictated by a higher being.
In the end, as Richard Dawkins says, there are no Catholic children, or Muslim children, or Jewish children – there are children. And they all need to eat and have a safe place to sleep. At least they can sleep in cars in the parking lot of Our Redeemer’s Lutheran Church in Seattle.
Powered by Qumana
