Charity

Do the Right Thing

Articles — Mon, 24 Jul 2006 00:04:00 -0400

Ben Goldhirsh is zipped into his wetsuit, at the wheel of a cluttered old Ford. He pulls into the parking lot at Topanga Beach, kills the ignition and checks the surf. "Do you know Biggie’s 10 Crack Commandments?" he asks. (That’s the Notorious B.I.G.) "Interestingly enough, a lot of the life lessons my dad tried to pass on to me bear a striking similarity to Biggie’s 10 Crack Commandments." He laughs, a little uncomfortably. "Rule No. 1 is never let anyone know how much money you have."

I had asked about money, because Ben is getting a reputation in Hollywood… more

The Grahams: Preaching in a Political World

adminn — Tue, 11 Jul 2006 16:45:03 -0400

On Sunday, Billy and Franklin Graham preached to about 33,000 people at Baltimore's Camden Yards. In the audience were the converted, the unconverted and the curious. Oh, and I was there, too.

It was a display of theological power, that's for sure. But it was a display, too, of organizational and financial power and, potentially, political power. And it's the relationship to political power, around the world -- sometimes friendly, sometimes edgy -- that makes the Grahams' story so interesting.

Billy Graham, now 87, has been a force in American life since the 1940s; he has long… more

An 'Idol' Thought: Some Things Never Change

Articles — Tue, 30 May 2006 16:20:01 -0400

Three new phenomena in the media illustrate the oldest wisdom in show business -- there's nothing new under the sun.

Oh wait, that's from the Bible. But of course, the Bible, one of the oldest books in existence, is a never-ending source of artistic and commercial inspiration.

All of which reminds us that, if something worked in the past to enlighten or entertain, it will likely work again. And, if it didn't work in the past, watch out. Technology changes, but not human nature; it's human feelings that drive showbiz.

Let's consider three examples of same-old-same-old in the media:

First, American Idol.… more

Storm Trooper

Articles — Fri, 07 Apr 2006 00:00:00 -0400

What words does one use to describe the story of a Christian lesbian Air Force pilot-turned-journalist-turned-Katrina-relief-activist -- a story with a distinctly faith-based "thousand points of light"-y voluntaristic orientation? Two words leap to mind: "Cholene Espinoza." I can say that after reading her fascinating and thought-provoking memoir, Through the Eye of the Storm: A Book Dedicated to Rebuilding What Katrina Washed Away

Espinoza grew up in New Mexico and graduated from the US Air Force Academy in 1987. Becoming only the second woman to fly the U-2 reconnaissance aircraft, she was awarded the Air… more

Keeping the Faith, Globally

Articles — Sun, 26 Mar 2006 00:00:00 -0500

After three long years of war in Iraq, a growing number of Americans are deciding that the U.S. should turn its attention inward. An October poll found that since 2002 the percentage of Americans who think that the nation "should mind its own business internationally" has risen from 30% to 42%. Likewise, trade protectionism and nativism are on the rise. Is the United States destined to enter a period of isolationism? Probably not. That's because evangelical Christians, who make up somewhere between one-quarter and one-third of the U.S. population, won't let it happen.

Surprised? You may characterize evangelicals only… more

More's the Pity

Articles — Sun, 17 Nov 2002 00:00:00 -0500

How much money should the grieving families of the Washington area sniper victims receive? Is $5,000 enough? How about $50,000? Or how about nothing at all?

In the aftermath of the shootings, a local nonprofit organization appealed for donations to help families victimized by the attacks. After several weeks, the group had raised $50,000 -- to the dismay of its spokeswoman, who observed that "$50,000 divided among 13 families isn't a lot of money." In fact, it is only a minute fraction of the $1.6 billion mobilized for the families of those who died in the Sept. 11 attacks. Even… more

Sex Scandal Puts Onus on Catholic Donors to Demand Change

Articles — Thu, 04 Apr 2002 00:00:00 -0500

Who should pay for misconduct in a charity? That is the question that the Catholic Archdiocese of Boston faces as it continues to reel under the ever-darkening cloud of sexual misconduct by a significant number of its priests.

After the recent conviction of the archdiocese's most notorious pedophile, John Geoghan, the archdiocese settled the legal claims of a first group of his victims for an estimated $30-million. More priests have been named and more lawsuits are coming. By the time the legal storm clears, the ultimate cost to Boston's archdiocese could well be more than $100-million. Finding funds to cover… more

Nonprofit Groups Must Meet the Challenges of a World in Tumult

Articles — Thu, 04 Oct 2001 00:00:00 -0400

In the wake of the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, donations of time, sweat, courage, and cash should do more than just make us proud of Americans' capacity for caring. They should ultimately prod us to fashion a new way of thinking about the relationship between public and private action, one that escapes the rigid ideological positions that have taken root over the years.

For much of the past two decades, we have been beholden to two concepts of the relationship between nonprofit and voluntary action and government priorities. The first vision has been grounded in the… more

Most of Us Have Compassion for Those Most Like Ourselves

Articles — Fri, 20 Oct 2000 00:00:00 -0400

Presidential candidate George W. Bush has promised to "rally the armies of compassion" in addressing America's most pressing social problems. Single mothers? Absentee fathers? Drug addicts? Let's just mobilize family, neighborhood and community resources.

… more