Author Topic: This slays me (Read 761 times)

Matthew · « **on:** September 06, 2007, 08:16:15 AM »

I got ANOTHER beggar letter from a Novus Ordo (mainstream) Catholic organization "facing imminent financial ruin if YOU don't help!"

I get sick of these -- it's like they abuse the generosity and charity that so many Catholics have.

In my opinion, it's not charity to donate to your favorite "blog" or "internet time waster" web forum. Because whatever "good" they can point to, could be done JUST AS WELL on a more efficiently run web forum (such as mine). And they certainly can't say (in a shaky voice) "Oh.... Oh...but what if we went out of business? NO ONE could take our place! So many souls would be in jeopardy..."
Not quite. Catholic fora are a dime a dozen, and most of them cost little or nothing to run. It's only when you have PAID STAFF that they get expensive.

Hey, if "Catholic Answers" goes out of business, I'm sure someone a bit more efficient (cost-wise) will fill the void. Heck, they're welcome on Cathinfo! My costs are $0 a month, and even if I was paying for my hosting, it would be $10 a month (not $10,000).

I think Catholic Answers needs to find a cheaper webhost! Hahaha
Yes, I know it's not webhosting that costs them $10K a month, but I disagree that you need to hire staff for a web forum -- UNLESS you are so big that you have tens of thousands of $ coming in every month from advertising. It sounds like they MIGHT make $2000 a month, which would barely pay for one person making $10 an hour.

Notice how they say "curtail" and not "close" -- they know (as well as I do) that they could keep going as long as they can dig up $20 (for a month of webhosting) from their couch cushions. They don't want to admit how much needless "overhead" they have.

Here is a bit of their latest e-mail:

Our dire financial situation has placed a key part of our ministry at risk: our popular Internet forums.

Without a substantial infusion of money, we will be forced to curtail Catholic Answers Forums.

...

That's because we host and manage the site EVERY DAY of the month. And every month it costs over $10,000 to keep Catholic Answers Forums on the Internet.

The site does not yet pay for itself. In fact Catholic Answers Forums runs a deficit of nearly $8,000 every month.

Matthew · « **Reply #1 on:** September 06, 2007, 08:23:56 AM »

I got another beggar letter from Catholic.org -- just as desperate as this one.

Among their "good deeds" at risk was "organizing a trip to World Youth Day". Perish the thought of THAT good work being curtailed!
(...NOT!)

Matthew

Catholic Samurai · « **Reply #2 on:** September 07, 2007, 01:40:53 AM »

:really-mad2: Maybe if these N.O. charities and organizations would quit squandering their money on stuff like new social halls that look more beautiful than their church, extravagant bizzares for their faithless schools, the most advance hi-tech speaker system that money can buy today, pop-rock dances for their Life Teen group, they would have more than enough money to keep their "Charity" going!!

Dawn · « **Reply #3 on:** September 07, 2007, 03:19:49 PM »

Wouldn't WYD cost less to attend if it was B.Y.O.C. Bring your own condoms. They would then be able to lower to entry ticket price to each person. And, I am certain if given a podium Bono and U2 would contribute and even help with the costs. He could auction sunglassess that are replicas of the ones he gave John Paul the Great. This in a round about way would help the orginazations like Catholic Answers instead helping youths fund their way to WYD they would have more fund to spread the "Good News" about Universal Salvation

Trinity · « **Reply #4 on:** September 07, 2007, 04:21:08 PM »

Sarcasm, Dawn? I just put mine under spam and am not bothered anymore.

Magdalene · « **Reply #5 on:** September 07, 2007, 04:31:48 PM »

Since we are on the topic of donating money, what do you think of giving money to The Coming Home Network. It helps Protestant pastors who want to become Catholic get on their feet financially. Since their whole livelihood came from their congregation when they were a Protestant pastor, now that they want to become Catholic they have nothing to fall back on until they can figure out what to do for a job. The president is Marcus Grodi. Although the Coming Home Network is Novus Ordo affiliated, I think it is one of their better charities.

Hermit · « **Reply #6 on:** September 07, 2007, 05:00:04 PM »

Interesting question, Magdalene. I personally wouldn't donate money to the Coming Home Network. My main reason for this is, I don't want them "coming home" to the Novus Ordo. I find the title "Coming Home" somewhat ironic, considering if they remained Protestant they would feel "at home" in the Novus Ordo. I'd rather Protestants be introduced to traditional Catholicism first. It would be rather disturbing for a person to embrace the Vatican II religion as real Catholicism, and later hear arguments about Novus Ordo sacraments being invalid. This can really depress and confuse a person. I speak from personal experience, as one who was zealous for the Novus Ordo,
someone who attended a daily Novus Ordo Mass, and later became convinced it wasn't Catholic and therefore left.

The fact that the Coming Home Network assists Protestant pastors in leaving their churches is charitable. I'll admit that.