Why does the Catholic Church prey on old people?

VinLieger

Sounds like your pissed at the church cus you think there wont be as much for you to fight for once he passes, on, your a sickening individual from the sounds of it, boasting about stealing €1000 from your uncle is disgusting

EoghanIRL

Cults pray on the weak , naïve and susceptible. They'd be out of business otherwise .

The One Doctor

You stole from your relative, OP. Your position is untenable.

Tomo.Murphy

What part of it do you not get? They're sent to a lot of people in the parish. They're not a targeted money making campaign (well, not in the way you seem to believe it is). I've had envelopes like that sent to me multiple times and I'm the furthest thing from a vulnerable old man.

The Peanut

Can the thread title be changed to "Why do greedy relatives prey on old people"?

Can the OP not understand the reactions of people? Unless the comments about the watches were thrown in as an attempt at humour, it is totally unacceptable.

Greenmachine

Preyer for prayers. Rolls right off the tongue. My Wafer.

Timberrrrrrrr

Young Blood wrote: »

Do you think the church will pay for the nursing home?

Someone GIVING VOLUNTARILY to the church is different to someone TAKING WITHOUT PERMISSION! I have no love for the church and wouldn't even go inside one if you asked me but you sir are a self confessed theif and no better than a sneak thief who burgles homes in the middle of the night.

Timberrrrrrrr

EoghanIRL wrote: »

Cults pray on the weak , naïve and susceptible. They'd be out of business otherwise .

So do thieves

nibtrix

Gowlasauras Rex wrote: »

This thread most certainly not go as the op planned

Or did it? Looks to me like he's getting exactly the reaction he wanted...

The Bould Rabbit

Young Blood wrote: »

Recently my grand uncle entered a nursing home after been assessed by a doctor as not being fit enough to live alone.

I went through his personal belongings in his home and packed them up. I found boxes of anonymous donation cards for the Catholic Church.

Tbh it sickened me. The man was barely able to take care of himself never mind his finances and here was the Catholic Church preying on a vulnerable old man like him.

Is this a common thing in Ireland? Considering the envelopes were marked anonymous, there's no telling how much savings the Roman Catholic Church made off with!

I'm sure there are many other cases of this in the country. Imo this is no different from con-men preying on the rural elderly.

But in fairness, I did make off with two brand new watches still boxed, a Tissot and a Seiko, with a total value of around a thousand euro, so it's not all bad!

You were doing reasonably well till you got to the last sentence.

Then you revealed yourself to be a a despicable disgusting thief.
Although I reckon the whole story is bullshit which makes you a despicable and disgusting liar.

So what are you? A thief or a liar? Either way you have proven to be a despicable and disgusting individual and will never be trusted round these parts again.

You've dirtied your bib now and burned your bridges. You shall walk forever on the other side of the road here on After Hours, shunned by decent folk who shall regard you as untouchable. Your children will not be allowed to play with the other boys and girls and grow up to be delinquents like you.

Your name is mud. More like Bad Bad than Young Blood.

You've let your parents down.
You've let your brothers and sisters down.
You've let your dog down.
Hell, you've let yourself down lad.
You need to have a long hard think about what you have done.

You'll never get a visa for Merica now.

kylith

Young Blood wrote: »

Do you think the church will pay for the nursing home?

Are you paying for the nursing home? Even if you are why would that give you licence to steal from him? Are you planning on selling the watches to pay for the nursing home?

suicide_circus

EoghanIRL wrote: »

Cults pray on the weak , naïve and susceptible. They'd be out of business otherwise .

As bogie as the are, the CC look for voluntary anonymous donations. Cults such as Scientology have mandatory contributions and your level of salvation is based on the amount of cash you hand over.

neckedit

Young Blood wrote:

How can you argue that someone with a mental illness does anything voluntary?

how can you argue that stealing from someone with a mental ilness is justifiable?
You are as low as they come.

The Peanut

suicide_circus wrote: »

As bogie as the are, the CC look for voluntary anonymous donations. Cults such as Scientology have mandatory contributions and your level of salvation is based on the amount of cash you hand over.

They're not actually anonymous. We receive a box of numbered envelopes for the year; the number tracks to our names/address on a spreadsheet somewhere. At the end of each year, we get a letter detailing how much we've donated as we're entitled to claim tax back.

Chloris

Surely he's trolling, given the oxymoronic position he put himself in with his initial post.

"Why do the church prey on vulnerable people, asking for donations?"
"I stole two watches and €1000 from my elderly grandfather. "

Does not compute.

suicide_circus

The Peanut wrote: »

They're not actually anonymous. We receive a box of numbered envelopes for the year; the number tracks to our names/address on a spreadsheet somewhere. At the end of each year, we get a letter detailing how much we've donated as we're entitled to claim tax back.

Oh right, didn't know that. Still at least you can claim it against tax and it is voluntary.

the cats pajamas

i call shenanigans.
It might be for my own mental health but I refuse to believe OP is anything but a troll.

Should he not be though, stop coveting your uncles things.
what's his is his no matter how young or old he is.
You have no claim to anything of his.
I have seen this sort of stuff in others, lot so kindness to the soon to be departed with hopes of many returns and you are vastly underestimating your uncle if you think he'll leave anything to someone so transparent.

I hope your uncle is comfortable and happy for as long as he can be .

eviltwin

Young Blood wrote: »

Recently my grand uncle entered a nursing home after been assessed by a doctor as not being fit enough to live alone.

I went through his personal belongings in his home and packed them up. I found boxes of anonymous donation cards for the Catholic Church.

Tbh it sickened me. The man was barely able to take care of himself never mind his finances and here was the Catholic Church preying on a vulnerable old man like him.

Is this a common thing in Ireland? Considering the envelopes were marked anonymous, there's no telling how much savings the Roman Catholic Church made off with!

I'm sure there are many other cases of this in the country. Imo this is no different from con-men preying on the rural elderly.

But in fairness, I did make off with two brand new watches still boxed, a Tissot and a Seiko, with a total value of around a thousand euro, so it's not all bad!

You steal property from your own grandfather and yet its the Catholic Church that are the bad guys?

People like you make me sick. That poor man. What did he do to deserve a toerag like you for a grandson?

qt3.14

Young Blood wrote: »

Its not theft, im holding them in trust.

"Made off" doesn't really suggest that. You're a thief

minikin

"The watches were just resting in my house"

Gannicus

minikin wrote: »

"The watches were just resting in my house"

"They are just waiting to be moved on to another house."

Baggy Trousers

To answer the OP, older people have a much bigger stake in the game than younger people and tend to get even more "devoted" (even financially) the closer they come to the pearly gates. They never had the luxury of the internet and the ability to openly discuss religion/belief so they are less likely to back a different horse now.
I don't think Roman Catholic Church Inc will have the same influence whatsoever on the current generation and future generations.
They know that and that is why they are changing their revenue model and cutting costs which is why you will see women priests and marriage allowed within the next decade or so.

endacl

Young Blood wrote: »

But in fairness, I did make off with two brand new watches still boxed, a Tissot and a Seiko, with a total value of around a thousand euro, so it's not all bad!

Swop for anything in my ads?

RobertKK

Young Blood wrote: »

No, I just think anonymous donations are targeted at people like him!

Wrong. I live alone and I get the box of envelopes from the local church and I am far from elderly.

Mountain out of a molehill.

As far as I am concerned the church is a part of the local community whether one likes it or not, and your relation has a right to support the church whether you like it or not.

His money, his choices, just like those watches he bought and which you took.

Rubberchikken

you took his watches?
if he wanted to donate to the catholic church or to aliens is his business.

maybe you should make sure someone else gets to mind those watches for your uncle.

witchgirl26

My mam gets those envelopes in too - they are posted through the letter box of everyone in her parish. No targeting more like mass distribution. And if he still had the envelopes then obviously he hasn't sent them anything back so hasn't been "duped" into giving them money or targeted or preyed upon.

Except maybe by yourself. Seriously you think it's ok to take 2 expensive watches from a man you have openly said can't look after himself any more?! Really? I looked after my granny in her house & I never, ever, would have thought to take anything from her house, before or after her death, without express permission coz otherwise that's stealing.

And the nursing home offering to take the house as payment upon his death? That's actually quite normal for people who are going into nursing homes & not expected to come back out. They will make that offer but it is subject to the house being owned by the individual going into the home etc but they don't ask that straight off - they'll just make the offer.

mrsbyrne

Young Blood wrote: »

Recently my grand uncle entered a nursing home after been assessed by a doctor as not being fit enough to live alone.

I went through his personal belongings in his home and packed them up. I found boxes of anonymous donation cards for the Catholic Church.

Tbh it sickened me. The man was barely able to take care of himself never mind his finances and here was the Catholic Church preying on a vulnerable old man like him.

Is this a common thing in Ireland? Considering the envelopes were marked anonymous, there's no telling how much savings the Roman Catholic Church made off with!

I'm sure there are many other cases of this in the country. Imo this is no different from con-men preying on the rural elderly.

But in fairness, I did make off with two brand new watches still boxed, a Tissot and a Seiko, with a total value of around a thousand euro, so it's not all bad!

You heard that your parent's uncle had to go into a nursing home so naturally you went to his house to see how much cash and goods you could steal. Obviously he doesn't need this stuff anymore and you do and anyway you deserve it.
So disappointingly all you can find are 2 watches. You also find envelopes which are dropped off in every house in the parish so if church member want they can contribute to the upkeep of the church.
To your horror you realise that the old man may have been giving it to the church instead of giving it to you.
I don't blame you for being mad. You should ring Joe Duffy right away.

Baggy Trousers

There was a time (very recently too) that lay people (usually two women) would come to the house to collect the "offering" envelopes. It was supposed to add social pressure to pay up. I remember having a very interesting conversation with them and they stopped coming.

Smokeyskelton

It is possible this tale is made up, and it is unlikely that the OP seeks a serious moral discussion on AH.

It is also possible that the OP has merely misstated the original question.

He / she asks "Why does the Catholic Church prey on old people?" Maybe OP meant to ask "Why do old people pray in the Catholic Church?"

Young Blood

Young Blood wrote: »

No, I just think anonymous donations are targeted at people like him!

What you think and what is fact are not the same

Mal-Adjusted

OP, did you make a thread basically saying "**** the church, amiright?" and sit back expecting a million thanks?
Tell the truth now.

mrsbyrne

Young Blood wrote: »

Do you think the church will pay for the nursing home?

Why do you think that the church would pay for his nursing home!? Im sure your uncle is availing of the Fair Deal Scheme?
If yii go back to his house and look again I can tell you you'll get good money for his:
Passport
Birth cert
Drivers licence
Medical card
Free travel pass.
It's not as if he needs any of these things now.

EoghanIRL

suicide_circus wrote: »

As bogie as the are, the CC look for voluntary anonymous donations. Cults such as Scientology have mandatory contributions and your level of salvation is based on the amount of cash you hand over.

Pressures voluntary donations. Is that an oxymoron ?

the groutch

EoghanIRL wrote: »

Pressures voluntary donations. Is that an oxymoron ?

you've obviously never heard of schools' "voluntary contributions" then

suicide_circus

EoghanIRL wrote: »

Pressures voluntary donations. Is that an oxymoron ?

Where's the pressure?

Buona Fortuna

Just realised, today is St Knut's day.

Explains a lot.

EoghanIRL

suicide_circus wrote: »

Where's the pressure?

The church sends donation envelopes to your personal residence . The envelopes have your name and you have a number to identify your envelope .

Maybe not all churches do this but it is something happening a lot recently . This would put pressure on a lot of people who are regular church goers.

Most church donations aren't anonymous any more either = more pressure.

guest2014

Young Blood wrote: »

Recently my grand uncle entered a nursing home after been assessed by a doctor as not being fit enough to live alone.

I went through his personal belongings in his home and packed them up. I found boxes of anonymous donation cards for the Catholic Church.

Tbh it sickened me. The man was barely able to take care of himself never mind his finances and here was the Catholic Church preying on a vulnerable old man like him.

Is this a common thing in Ireland? Considering the envelopes were marked anonymous, there's no telling how much savings the Roman Catholic Church made off with!

I'm sure there are many other cases of this in the country. Imo this is no different from con-men preying on the rural elderly.

But in fairness, I did make off with two brand new watches still boxed, a Tissot and a Seiko, with a total value of around a thousand euro, so it's not all bad!

obvious Troll

Hercule

Old people who deal with mortality on a very regular basis (thinking about their own, losing people close to them) find great comfort in the Catholic church (or most religions for that matter) - It might seem daft to people who think its a big con but the church gives old people a great coping mechanism, as well as a social outlet.

I would have thought that the church's efforts to get money from the elderly were quite insidious too, but as is mentioned before, people have the right to piss away their money on whatever they see fit and only excluding cases where they exploit senility, (watch any TV ads that are on during bargain hunt re-runs - they are certainly not alone in this practice) the elderly do get something out of it.

thelad95

On the off-chance that the OP is actually serious, it sounds like he's just trying to absolve himself of guilt for his own deplorable actions by taking the moral high ground over everyone's favourite whipping boy, the Catholic church.

It hasn't worked to be honest. Chances are your grand-uncle receives offers from supermarkets in the post as well. Are they preying on old people?

humanji

If the OP isn't trolling and is serious, then it's probably for their safety that this is closed to reduce their chances of being lynched.