Choose Charities Carefully


I’m all for feeding the hungry. The Bible commands us to do that. I also agree we should be good stewards and not let food go to waste. However, that doesn’t mean we must always gorge ourselves at every meal. During my childhood, my parents exhorted my sister and me to be part of the “clean plate club” at dinnertime. When I resisted eating certain foods, my mother often said, “You should eat that. There are starving kids in Africa.” I usually replied, “Let’s send it to them.” Mom didn’t like my response.

Last Sunday, I evangelized in Jacksonville, Florida. Across the street from a downtown park, I noticed a group of people offering free meals. I approached them and asked if they were part of a ministry. One of them said they were from Food Not Bombs. I figured this was an anti-war group, but didn’t question them about that. Instead, I proceeded to hand out gospel tracts to individuals eating nearby.


Still, my curiosity was piqued to eventually go online to learn more about Food Not Bombs. This organization started in 1980 after a protest to stop a nuclear power station in New Hampshire. A year later, the founders shared their first full meal outside a stockholders meeting of the Bank of Boston “to protest the exploitation of capitalism and investment in the nuclear industry.”

 

The Food Not Bombs website claims they aren’t a charity, but have a donations page. They believe money spent on defense should be redirected to feeding the hungry. Benevolence programs should really be the church’s responsibility, not the government. Also, war is sometimes necessary when our freedom is threatened. If patriots hadn’t fought in the Revolutionary War, the United States would not exist today. If Union troops hadn’t defeated the Confederacy in the Civil War, blacks in Southern states might still be enslaved.


Like Black Lives Matter, there are numerous reasons why I will not support Food Not Bombs:

  • Their website offers a download of “THE ANARCHIST COOKBOOK - A must read during the uprising.” Rebellion is a sin (1 Samuel 15:23). We should always submit to authority unless they direct us to do things that violate the higher laws of God.
  • Food Not Bombs calls the Trump administration “a cabal of satanic Zionist child-raping cannibals sending us to war.” As a Christian, I fully support the state of Israel. They are God’s chosen people despite their government’s imperfections.
  • Many Food Not Bombs chapters give away condoms. That promotes fornication. Birth control methods should only be used by married couples for family planning.
  • Food Not Bombs raises concerns about climate change. I don’t believe environmentalists’ claims that the Earth is warming and sea levels are rising. 
  • Food Not Bombs promote veganism because of “violence against animals.” 1 Timothy 4:4-5 says, “For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.”

It’s advisable to investigate any organization that approaches you for a donation. When doing street ministry, I’ve been hit up for money for various causes such as stopping drug abuse or preventing school violence. My donations go toward ministries that prioritize preaching the gospel. Changed hearts ultimately result in changed lives now and for eternity.


“I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.” - Luke 16:9 (NLT)


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