Homeless man jailed after Church insists on pressing charges over stolen cookies worth $2.25

[Melinda]

A homeless man stole cookies from a church in the 10700 block of Okeechobee Boulevard. A deputy found him sitting by the building’s entrance. He said he had been looking for assistance, pulled on a door and it opened. He helped himself to the cookies, but a cleaning person saw him and called 911. A church employee arrived at the scene and said the church would press charges. The man was arrested and taken to the county jail. The value of the cookies was $2.25.

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/news/crime-law/homeless-man-jailed-after-stealing-cookies-from-ch/nghbS/

I'm told this is the Churches website, but I haven't been able to confirm this for a fact, so I will send them a contact query only.

Just sharing another example in a long line of Xtian love - the kind that makes one's heart hurt.

[PoliticAverse]

1. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat,

I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,

http://biblehub.com/matthew/25-35.htm

[Treant]

9. For I snitched cookies when I was hungry

and you tossed my ass in the pokey.

--ConservaBible Ryan1:23

[C Moon]

11. :D :D :D

[BrotherIvan]

12. DUzy!

Ryan 1:23 - Priceless!

I think God should give these folks a call...

[demmiblue]

20. Lol!

[ReRe]

21. Oops!

[TeamPooka]

53. WWJD = Press Charges. #obviously nt

[flvegan]

2. That's What Jesus Would Do. So many "Christians" shaming His very name every time

they invoke it.

"I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ." Paraphrased, maybe.

[kelliekat44]

3. Nice way to put it. So many "Christians" shame the name "Jesus Christ." Many don't even know

what He stood for.

[FreakinDJ]

56. The way some "Re-interpet the Bible" - any thing goes

[edgineered]

4. On their website, under either Ministries or Missions,

noticeably absent are any efforts for helping others. Just themselves.

This is only an observation, not my thoughts about what they should or could do instead. Another observation is that the beautiful fountain is not a koi pond, the cookies were not meant for the fish.

[onethatcares]

52. I thought that their motto was strange too

"Celebrate, Connect, Contribute"

I guess that means to their collection plate.

[Iggo]

58. That ain't a motto. Those are directions.

[SummerSnow]

5. My father use to tell me ..

If he was ever in court, he rather have 12 drunks and hookers as jurors than 12 church people deciding his fate

[msanthrope]

66. Brilliant man. nt

[PADemD]

6. contact info here

http://www.fbcrpb.com/about-fbc/contact-us.html

[pnwmom]

62. Yes -- THAT one looks like the correct address. The link in the OP has a different address. n/t

[tblue37]

7. Who would Jesus starve and arrest? nt

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

8. Fortunately, the hungry guy didn't still the collection plates. Business as usual.

[MrScorpio]

10. Les Miserables Part 2: American Justice

Throw in some arbitrary car chases and some obligatory explosions and we're all good.

[Takket]

37. Remember that scene in les mis

Where valjean steals some silverware and the bishop has his sorry ass tossed in jail?

[MrScorpio]

39. That was the very first thing I thought of...

In the Bizarro version, of course.

[DeSwiss]

13. FBCRPB responds:

FBCRPB • 4 hours ago

A young man entered the closed church building several weeks
ago while the custodial company was cleaning. He went into the kitchen and took
some cookies. The building was empty with the exception of a contracted
cleaning lady. He startled her and she dialed 911. The PBSO (Palm Beach County Sherriff Office) officer contacted one of our non-pastoral staff who lives near the campus. The officer was familiar with the situation and explained to her
that the young man was just put out of his home by his family because of his
disruptive and destructive lifestyle. The young man appeared to be under the
influence. Since he was wandering around the neighborhood, the officer
suggested the best course may be to press charges for the incident which would
enter the young man into the system where he could find help. The church staff
member agreed. Although our church partners with PBSO to provide hundreds of meals for needy families, this time we agreed with the officer’s suggestion that the young man needed more help than just a free meal.

We have contacts with rehabilitation programs. We do
refer individuals to such programs and in retrospect we might have done so with
this individual. Following the lead of the officer in this case seemed
reasonable at the moment for our representative who was called to the church
facility with the responsibility to secure the building.

Thanks for giving us the opportunity to share another facet
of the story.

- Patheos broke the story first apparently, and when FBCRPB got wind of it they put out this ''explanation''(?) on the blog where it first appeared.

I'm almost inclined to believe them because only the sincerely deluded could ever believe that one can get ''help'' by going to jail.

K&R

[Treant]

16. Strange, that.

They have contacts with rehab programs but jail was the very first thing to pop into their little pointy religious heads.

How convenient. But I guess a homeless man can't cough up too much in the way of a "thank you" offering if and when he's clean, so...

/only partially snark

[DeSwiss]

18. The first impulse is usually the true one.

- Just sayin'......

[edgineered]

28. The custodian now knows her freedom is worth less than one of their cookies. nt

[jmowreader]

32. "Disruptive and destructive lifestyle"? Hmmm...

Is it just slightly possible he was kicked out of the house for being gay?

[Treant]

65. That was my thought

But since it's not substantiated, I wasn't sure.

They might have meant his drug use and behavior from that.

[jmowreader]

67. It could have been a LOT of things

Maybe he dropped out of school, or brought home one bad report card too many. He could have been caught having premarital sex. It could have been drugs or drink.

[Are_grits_groceries]

34. I sent an answer to this response:

I read your response part of which is noted below.
You are a truly pathetic excuse for a Christian anything.

Perhaps one of your pastors or representatives could be bothered to find out who this young man is. He has a name and he obviously needs help.

You tout your connections with rehabilitation programs so why don't you put down the collection plates and see if he could find help in one. He is not going to find it in jail where you sent him or on the streets where he will probably end up again.

Do I expect you to help everyone? No. However, you could help this one person and maybe he will find the strength to right himself. It's the least you could do AND the least Jesus would expect of you.

"We have contacts with rehabilitation programs. We do
refer individuals to such programs and in retrospect we might have done so with
this individual. Following the lead of the officer in this case seemed
reasonable at the moment for our representative who was called to the church
facility with the responsibility to secure the building.

Thanks for giving us the opportunity to share another facet."

[Live and Learn]

35. 'Enter the young man into the system,' from which he will

receive no help and never be able to escape. Our justice system has become "The Hotel California."

[onethatcares]

36. "enter the young man into the system"

from which he will never escape.

On comes the charges for probation, court costs, restitution and whatever the "system" can come up with.

Probably another trip to the pokey for not being able to get a job due to having a criminal record for "theft of cookies"


gauddammmm pharisees.

[Live and Learn]

45. +1 Exactly nt

[Iggo]

59. Bullshit.

[SunSeeker]

14. Horrible people. nt

[Are_grits_groceries]

15. I sent them this email:

I would like to know what religion you practice. You are listed as a Christian church. However, after reading that a homeless man was jailed for stealing $2.25 worth of cookies from your building, I am certain there is a mistake.

I would suggest you publicly correct this error, but I think you already did by your actions.

Perhaps you need a refresher?
Matthew 25:36-46

35 for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; 36 I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.' 37 Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? 38 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 39 Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' 40 And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.' 41 Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: 42 for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; 43 I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.' 44 Then they also will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?' 45Then He will answer them, saying, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.' 46 And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

[freshwest]

17. Good for you. Let us know if they respond, okay?

[ReRe]

24. Exactly!

This is exactly what came to my mind. Shame, shame, shame on that "church." They could have done what they said they meant to do by pressing charges against him. That was no church, that was just a righteous Holier-than-thou social club.

[stillwaiting]

42. A righteous Holier-than-thou social club is the perfect description for most right wing churches.

Perhaps SELF-righteous might be a little bit more accurate.

[ReRe]

43. That's right...

Self-self-self.

Me-me-me.

Money, money, money.

Mine-mine-mine, etc., etc., etc.

[Liberal_in_LA]

26. k&r

[Initech]

70. I wish I could recommend this post!

[Xyzse]

19. Sad...

Seriously crazy.

[zentrum]

22. Any real Christian

...is a socialist.

[tooeyeten]

23. Wonder about their position

On the banisters?

[Spitfire of ATJ]

25. Found the mugshot....

[notadmblnd]

27. Let a man steal a few cookies, he have himself a little snack that day

Throw him jail for it, and he'll eat for at least 90.

It's the Christian thing to do.

[Purveyor]

29. If there is a God and he/she decides to pull up 'our' file...we are in a world

of hurt.

So far it seems he/she is to busy with other tasks...

Hope he spares the animals at least.

[tblue]

30. I think it's this church

http://www.fbcrpb.com

The street address matches the police blotter. I can't believe people could be this cruel. We really should shame whoever runs this church.

[Paladin7]

31. Here is the church info

Based on the address on the police report, this is the church, the First Baptist Church of Royal Palm Beach, where the homeless man was arrested for taking $2.25 worth of cookies. This is their website:http://www.fbcrpb.com/

[Iggo]

64. Thanks!

And Welcome to DU.

[emsimon33]

33. The guy could have been Jesus

Don't Christians read their own Bible?????

[eShirl]

38. Maybe he thought it was a miracle and God wanted him to have the cookies.

he had been looking for assistance, pulled on a door and it opened. He helped himself to the cookies

[KG]

40. religion LOL

[Orrex]

41. What are the charges, exactly?

If a "cleaning person" was at the site, and if a "church employee" had to go to the scene, this suggests that it was non-standard hours. Are they charging him with theft of the cookies or with breaking and entering?

[rug]

48. Burglary.

BURGLARY

A homeless man stole cookies from a church in the 10700 block of Okeechobee Boulevard. A deputy found him sitting by the building’s entrance. He said he had been looking for assistance, pulled on a door and it opened. He helped himself to the cookies, but a cleaning person saw him and called 911. A church employee arrived at the scene and said the church would press charges. The man was arrested and taken to the county jail. The value of the cookies was $2.25.

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/news/crime-law/homeless-man-jailed-after-stealing-cookies-from-ch/nghbS/

[Orrex]

49. Well, that's the category on the police blotter, sure

But I wondered what the specific charges might be.

Crime-wise, burglary is different from the theft of $2.25 worth of cookies.

[rug]

54. The difference between a felony and a misdemeanor.

[Orrex]

55. Exactly.

[sunnystarr]

61. Maybe they need some cookies

sent to them at the church and labelled "Cookies for the Hungry"

[randome]

44. But religion does so much good in the world!

God, I hate religion.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]The night is always young. It's never too late.[/center][/font][hr]

[spanone]

46. did jesus say 'arrest the poor' ?

[Trillo]

47. Christianity is a severely flawed religion.

One of its biggest problems is hierarchy. "Some are more equal than others."

If this guy had found a package of cookies lying at the side of the road, and picked it up to eat it, would anyone care? Same with an unlocked door, in an institution which professes feeding the less fortunate, why would anyone in that church care?

This church just displayed its intolerance, and hypocrisy. Nope, Christianity ain't a religion of love, far from it.

[polichick]

50. Jesus Christ!

[City Lights]

51. Jesus wept. nt

[NCjack]

57. His mistake: He stole some cookies instead of $1 Billion. nt

[pnwmom]

60. That's probably NOT the website for the Church involved. Different address.

There's a Baptist church in the 10700 block of that street. This Church is some distance away.

[closeupready]

63. Nearly 100 years ago, Bertrand Russell wrote, "Why I Am Not A Christian",

and if he were alive today, this story would serve as further evidence as to the wisdom of his thoughts about Christianity, and more generally, organized religion.

And it sickens me that my federal taxes are being used, partially, to finance the activities of this voodoo nonsense organization that would press charges for something like this.

[Dark n Stormy Knight]

68. He shoulda known better than to steal less than a million bucks!

[quaker bill]

69. Our cookies are free

and like it says on the sign "all are welcome".

[catrose]

71. When people darted in my church to steal from the kitchen

we started leaving bags of groceries by the door with a sign inviting people to help themselves.

Must have been reading a different Bible than this other church.