Fox News reported Saturday that a Catholic Charity called the St. Patrick Center refused "wing money" from the local Hooters restaurant chain in St. Louis, Mo. The restaurant with the "barely there" clad waitresses was all set to donate 10 percent of all proceeds June 16 to the organization that provides assistance to homeless.
Kelly Peach, a spokesperson for the center said they received complaints from some parishioners and decided to no longer accept their donations even though they had received them for years.
One Catholic blogger said that the outfits worn by Hooters employees could "lead patrons into sin." Yes, there are scantily clad women at Hooters serving good fried pickles but there is no hanky panky going on. Obviously they do not have a lot of faith in their congregation.
This is not the first time that people have turned down money for ‘ethics’ and it will not be the last. Remember the Dixie Chicks and their refused one million donation to the Red Cross because of their politics?
Fifteen years ago I was to do a fashion show at a gay bar to raise money for a local Aids hospice. When my posters came out there was a furor in the lesbian community about the position my model was posed in. Because she was on her knees they deemed it a submissive pose and started a lot of trouble. It escalated so much in the media that I would get daily death threats on the phone. I arrived to open up shop one day and my windows were all smashed and graffiti nearly covered the front of the building. That was enough for me and I cancelled the show that would have raised thousands of dollars for a great cause.
Having been in business for decades it was never any secret what kind of clothing I carried nor was the fashion shot chosen for the reasons they complained about. It was simply bullies believing that they were right and they didn’t care less about where the money was going. Just like the parishioners of the St. Louis church that complained. Hooters is what they are and have never hid the fact what they are, and neither did I.
If only the church had been as vicious in handling complaints about the transferring of pedophile members of the cloth instead of simply firing them. Who is actually losing out here? It is the homeless enjoying the things that extra money could have bought or in my case Aids patients. It just does not make sense, does it?
WWJD?
I bet he would have taken that money in a second to help those in need. Now that would have been a hoot!
Text: Linda Seccaspina 2011
Images: Gabby by Ottawa Photographer Dave Grant
Belts by Dan O'Shea Montreal 1995 for Flash Cadilac and Savannah Devilles.
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Comments
Another right on post.
rated with love
R Poetess: I belong to the Church of England (Anglican). That is the church old Henry the VII set up. It is the closest to the Catholic church that you can get. There were some hanky panky dealings in my church re the black market babies.. He was kind of called out but he was never punished.
It makes me so ill.
Rugrat: Exactly
Peggy: I agree.. there are organizations that need it.
Great post. I often wonder what up tight people do when they are on the beach!! hahaha!
r.
"It was simply bullies believing that they were right and they didn’t care less about where the money was going." You hit it, some people love to believe they're superior and worship themselves. What I don't understand is why the worst among them dictate to the rest.
Susie: 6 elderly ladies bitching from the back
Joan H: You betcha
Rolling: Blogging today was not easy.. I cannot even begin to tell you
Scanner: Not only the church..sad to say
Jon: It is all over and that is sad
Miguela: now that is excellent and I totally forgot about that.
Rolling: LOL I have personally seen it in action.
Neil Paul: Please blog about it when it happens>>:)
Rolling: So much for the good of mankind
Hayley: You betcha!!
Christina:Wonder if they ever will..sigh..
The value of Political Correctness ( for example money only from restaurants whose women employees dress properly) gets a lot higher once you feel secure you have your daily "three hots and a cot"".
WRT "Near Occasion of Sin" - Personally I am more concerned about the damage to my soul from all the times I have walked by a homeless person having a bad day and didn't give 'em a buck. IMHO, how women dress is their business.
This kind of issue rarely arises here in Sacramento. I think it's because these services here are mostly run through Religious Orders instead of the local diocese and parishes. The orders don't have to answer to every crackpot donor in every parish. The political posturing between the Bishop and the orders' leaders can be pretty entertaining.
Disclosure; I am not Catholic. I spend some time at a large parish helping my wife in her role as music librarian and choir member. I do this work in the vestry of a large and influential parish, so I talk with the priests and highly involved parishioners a often. So this isn't a normal insider perspective.
Patricia K: I am the first person to admit I am not perfect and I have lots of faults . I actually did a blog on it last week.
My church has had lots of 'faults" too but they eventually admit it even though they are slow too. But they are punished.
But, I have had friends that went to Catholic Boys schools that were molested. For years 131 men took them to court for molestation. They finally won after years and years and the Catholic Diocese admitted wrong doing. What took so long? Why did they lie being men of the cloth?
The clergy in question who were quite elderly at this point were sent away on retirement with a package.
The men were left to live their lives with nightmares and fear. If it was only one case I wouldn't bring it up. But, there were thousands of cases. Molestation is not learning it is a sin. Lying is a sin and sad to say this problem is not going away.
They created more harm than good. Word bullies like in this instance are even worse.
Bobbot: Anyone remember Mary Magdalene???
peggy: I agree .. He did not start a church. He began love and faith.
And this was a prime example.
Monsieur C: I understand what you are saying but to make others suffer is ridiculous. Tell that to the bill I had for a bodyguard I had for a long time.
Then the bodyguard ended up trying to jump me. A lowly 100 pound staff tried to save me with her umbrella. God bless Dierdre:)
Anyone who would attend a church that accepted money from anyone ought to have his/her head examined.
Fact is, anyone who would attend a church ought to have his/her head examined.
Oh, wait. It's not doing good, it's looking good that's important. Right.
Maurene: Like Lamas said..
"It is better to look good than to feel good"
Fried pickles are my quarterly guilty pleasure (not from Hooters, though.) Love them!
Lezlie
Lezlie
Lezlie: I agree and that is one clever of a fried pickle answer.
Jerry: Did the Pharisees ever leave??:)
These are the crazy thoughts your posts inspire, Linda. And why I love reading you.
We DO however have a local pub (like a bar but spelt differently)
called The Exposed Tit. Priests welcome, but don't bring the kids.
"Press send FRed(tm) and in case there is a God and SHe's on OS, say a few Hail Marys or whatever they're called."
Rated with an Ugggggggggggggggg.
Some people like to keep their 'Goodness' level up instead of helping those in need!! Pfffft on them!!
Mimetalker: No, it was not an open call for me.. Just the facts mam..:)
As for OS, it is what you make it. I use it as a place to write and mention what bothers me in my menopausal mind.:)
I fully admit I am off the wall or out of the box. I stand proud hahahahaha
i think people who are anti- fur coats and want to destroy them all should give them to the homeless/needy. makes no sense to destroy what could help so many. same thinking.
and you know, somethings are more fun on knees, no matter sex or orientation. just sayin'.
BSB: you are so right.. It is very sad.
In any case, one of the points I was trying to make is that it is easy for people to see the hypocrisy and absurdity of the Church doing what you reported here—of refusing money from places it considers objectionable.
It is much less easy for people to see that the superstition we call “religion” is itself a form of hypocrisy and absurdity.
I have lots of friends and relatives who are “religious.” Some I like (I like or love almost everyone)…some I like a bit less…but the fact that they are (or are not) religious is not a factor in why I like them or like them a bit less.
I agree with you that acceptance of opinions probably makes it easier for us all to get along. But I also think it is time for humanity to wake up…to see the folly of religion (whether there are gods or not)…and get on to tending to business on our own. That is what we should be doing…setting up standards that allow us all to “get along”…and being more tolerant of one another. I suggest that religions make that damn near impossible.
I have belonged to a religion all my life. In reality I was born of a Jewish mother and an Anglican father. In Canada this particular religion (Anglican) is not considered Protestant deemed by its elders from ions ago in the UK.
After my mother had me she had a 2 year nervous breakdown and my Grandmother took control and had me baptized in the Anglican Church. My children follow no religion at all and I respect what they do. I have Pagan friends, Atheists, you name it and the same goes for them. I respect them and would never think of questioning.
I speak about what I believe in from time to time yet DO question things. But I am not and would never be like some of these believers and make decisions for the rest of us that they have no business doing.
It's a personal and private choice what each one of us does and it should stay that way.
"I suggest that religions make that damn near impossible."
I agree that a lot of them do and they should stop.
"The guys with the money make the rules"
I believe that you should start making shirts, there would be lots of buyers.
it is a well known fact (in my world) that i was raised in a catholic community, went to catholic school and spent many years working for a catholic charitable organization...
That said, it is also a well known fact that i am NO fan of the catholic church as it exists today and no longer consider myself to BE a catholic... and i am sure the church would agree.
but still... a few point here, in the interest of balance.
this was a catholic organization making the decision to refuse a donation, a very good organization - not exactly the head of the hydra known as "THE CATHOLIC CHURCH"... it is also an agency that is very committed to the ideals of "dignity" as it applies to the poor and homeless.
i suppose i cut them some slack at refusing to accept money from a business they feel has its employees dress in what they believe is an undignified manner, ya know...seeing as how theyre kinna about the dignity thing and they also have stated they believe that the costumes hooters insists upon are exploitive of the women who wear them.
and i know this makes people want to yell hypocrisy and mention pedophiles, but again...this is one small agency trying to do good work and follow its own vision and moral compass as an agency. i may not agree with their decision, but i wonder how many of their other supporters and members who have support their vision and moral direction would have pulled THEIR support had they accepted. and how many would be shouting hypocrisy had they accepted and then continued to talk about dignity in their work.
i guess i just cant make the leap from small agency to big giant church monster as easily as some. my experience has taught me that when youre talking a catholic organization and its relationship to the hydra head known as the catholic church, its often more complicated and less black & white than this one news story.
sorry for the long comment...just some food for thought.
for their holier than thou attitude! Ha! I see no
damn good reason for being a Catholic or anything
else, religion-wise, other than
feeling holier than those
not in the
in group.
As if Mary Magdalen didn't have nice...um..
YOU dear Linda are drawing ME into blasphemy.
I was gonna say if He, You know Who, was FULLY
human, and a damn man,
well then, even if he never
had any candy
he had big eyes..
give the money to Dentists-without-borders
and tell the dentists to tend to those within OUR borders
who got teeth trouble and no way to pay
Once again thanks for another well thought out comment like Frank. We cannot all agree and I love to hear both sides of an argument. I watched friends being led to mass every morning outside my school window and felt sorry for what I felt was a very very strict religion. So I feel for you and understand.
"i wonder how many of their other supporters and members who have support their vision and moral direction would have pulled THEIR support had they accepted."
I never thought of the possible backlash from parishioners. Food for thought. Thanks!
ignorance was indeed bliss... i grew up in s small church at a time when there was no hint of the ugliness later revealed about the catholic church. it was a warm and generous and kind world to my child's eyes. ...of course, then i grew up.
i left for reasons that had nothing to do with the ugly business later revealed and in the big picture am ashamed of the church i once loved.
Lorianne: Trust.. you said it all. Our minister told young girls when they were pregnant that he would take care of them. Oh yes he did indeed.. He sold them in a black market baby ring. It boggles the mind.
Chrissie: and I have seen those multitudes in action.
James: I'm good like that.:) Peggy is Canadian.. she does not give a crap.. but she is polite hahaha
There is an unintentionally funny story on Big Salon's front page by a guy who took his 2-year-old daughter to Hooters at 11 in the morning because he got the urge for fried pickles and got angry glares from the other patrons. Not exactly Father of the Year.
For fried pickles and wings?? I doubt his daughter had no idea where she was. Chucky Cheese it was not.:)
A church here in the KC area made quite a stink when a Hooters went in within a mile of them. Good grief, you can't even see Hooters from their parking lot! I guess they thought "sinners" would infest their church. Hate to break to them but we are all sinners. People just need to get over themselves.
LOVE the title!
Chelle: We are all sinners. Save us all and dish us out some salvation..:)
Kathy: Surely there has to be something there..:)
especially when it is right in front of you
note: protect the Arts too
warm wraps to you Linda
However, given that the Church has a certain set of beliefs, the charity may have thought that the grief entailed by accepting money from Hooters wasn't worth the benefits the money could buy. Plus, they may have feared alienating other donors.
I'd of course like to see the church liberalize on all sorts of matters to the point where such a donation wouldn't be such a big deal. And I'm sorry to hear of your own experience. While I'm fairly left wing on most issues, and certainly of AIDS research and gay rights, there's a self-righteous, holier than thou element on the left who are unceasing in their search for outlets for their sanctimony. Sounds like you heard from a few of them.
Warm wraps to you too.
Abrawang: It is just amazing to me though that they had accepted them all these years and then suddenly this came up. But you are right as Lorianne said.
"alienating other donors" is not something you want.
Because my store was so offbeat I always had someone complaining abut this and that. Especially my window displays.. :)
But this thing I tried to do had to be stopped because I was so afraid that some of my gay friends would be bashed as it had already started. I did not want anyone hurt and that was my bottom line. It was a shame.. a huge one.
Kathy: That was what someone said on TV.. no different than the beach.
Sheila: I would love to agree with you but nothing seems to change their minds
Some people cannot see the big picture...a donation is a donation and they should keep their pseudo ethics to themselves.
Sorry to hear about what you had to experience re: politics and your store.
R
seeing, but proximity of sexually uninhibited wiminz
feeding you with mighty breasts
and\a smile
u have no idea if its real
or not.
modern life, a perfect microcosm.
cuz the gals hardly know if they are serving serial murderers
or shy guys or idiots with a
hopefully correctible attitude
or an art james kinda old goat sheep
shepherd with
a lot of kids around
which make sexy chicks interested.
shepherd with
a lot of kids around
which make sexy chicks interested.
as in chickens James??? :)
So hooters girls lead to sin. Extreme of course. But if a public school kid happens to read bible quotes on a brick he will be damaged for life. Most certainly very rational.
WWJD?
BS goes both ways.
Oryoki: moral indignation everywhere these days
BTW - I think you are a gracious person. Some here have made it clear (in some not so nice terms) that you must be a living enigma
because you go to church and can have an intelligent opinion at the same time. Obviously you can see where he church has failed but I amuse it also provides you with something personal or you would not go.
You handled some harsh remarks very graciously.
I can take hits.. but it is not going to change my opinion
Margaret: I so agree
Books & Movies- Who knows what anyone thinks these days.
Christine: LOL Holy Cow.. that was a statement from you..:)