Hi

1. I work for the housing department and part of my job is to make sure that lessees pay their service charges (ie. water and electricity,repairs, etc). Sometimes I might have to refer non-paying lessees to solicitors. Sometimes I get calls from lessee's that they simply do not have enough money because they are disabled or something tragic happened. We are allowed to be flexible in this case provided that the amount owed isn't too huge and that the lessee has a good paying history. But what if they don't? Am I like the servant who was forgiven by God but who himself beat up the person who owed him money? Am I sinning if I tell a lessee who claims to be in a wheelchair or who said that they have no place else to go that legal action will be taken against him/her because they haven't payed in the past or they owe lots of money?

2. I noticed that you get some churches who convert their crypts into restaurants or Cafes possibly run by private individuals. There's a passage in the Bible where Jesus walks into a temple and sees the money lenders and sellers trading there. Jesus gets angry and kinda tears the place apart because it is supposed to be a place of worship. Would this also apply to the above-mentioned matter?

Please note that i kinda rushed with my questions so i might have left out some extra details or sounded ignorant. sorry if i do.

God bless,

-- anon (-unavailabe@for.now), November 30, 2004

Answers

As to your first question about the rent/fee collection, I would not worry too much as long as you retain the attitude that it makes you uncomfortable to have to do this. You say you have leeway for authentic hard cases, and in those cases you can exhibit mercy and compassion. As to the other cases, well, people entered into legally binding contracts, to pay rent, to pay fees, etc etc. They have in other words made a vow to meet their end of the bargain. If they cannot do so, and if they have been granted as much leeway as is reasonably possible, it is not your fault, nor is it the fault of the housing authority. The Scripture refers to people being taken to court, where they will quite rightly have to pay what they owe, "to the uttermost farthing". You are allowed and encouraged to show mercy and understanding, but as an agent of the housing authority, you are NOT ALLOWED to change the terms of a contract, or toss it out, because the signatory is unable to pay. This is assuming it is a reasonable and fair contract, voluntarily entered. It is very sad when circumstances force people to renege on their commitments, and they may well be blameless. But your best recourse is to make donations as generously as you can, to agencies and charities that help the poor, homeless, and indigent. As to the matter of putting restaurants or cafes, or any other recreational facilities, in the crypt of a church, I have never heard of or seen such a thing. It is in all cases an abomination, one that justifies throwing the moneychangers out of the temple. Totally unacceptable. Only if the church is closed and sold off, without the crypt ever having been used as a crypt, would that be at all tolerable. One sees former churches being used for condo development, restaurants, dinner theatres, professional buildings, or what have you, and that is permissable, if it is no longer a church. But for an active church, never!

-- Ben Yarroe (thehcat@aol.com), December 28, 2004.

Is there any reason why all the previous posts on this thread have disappeared, leaving only the latest doctrinaire and intolerant response?

-- Steve (55555@aol.com), December 28, 2004.