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by calvinmorrison·7y ago·view on hn ↗
spew generalisations elsewhere. Churches do work with older adults. Church communities give older adults a way to connect with other people, especially for those who are widowed, or don't have families. For me personally, I have been able to connect to an older generation that I don't have in my family and those are relationships that I treasure. It seems to me that these types of connections are EXACTLY what avoids loneliness and isolation. Churches are a big family, especially for those who are needy and infirmed. Be it going to deliver food to someone who cannot get out, or making sure to call them every week and check in, or picking them up and helping them get to the decons picnic, i think this is just yet another internet athiest with a sharp tongue who should probably sit down and shut up. maybe go to church and see what goes on there. Did you even read the artice?
2 comments
I tend to agree with you and I'm not a churchgoer. Roy Hattersley an atheist former English politician wrote about the relief of Hurricane Katrina

The Salvation Army has been given a special status as provider-in-chief of American disaster relief. But its work is being augmented by all sorts of other groups. Almost all of them have a religious origin and character.

Notable by their absence are teams from rationalist societies, free thinkers' clubs and atheists' associations - the sort of people who not only scoff at religion's intellectual absurdity but also regard it as a positive force for evil.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2005/sep/12/religion.uk

That's an old article. Take a look at current Kiva stats, for example:

https://www.kiva.org/teams?queryString=%28A%2B%29+Atheists%2...

The Atheist team is one of the top donors. There has been a significant surge in secular charity work over the past decade.

For a long time my church community (mostly in their 20's-40's w/ some folks 60+) frequently worked w/ our local volunteer organizations that specifically reach out to the elderly, disabled, impoverished, etc. This included yard work, resume/career support, counseling, making care packages and so on

I posted elsewhere that my first date with my now wife was volunteering at a hospice care center to provide some company to an elderly lady; she ended up dying before our eyes within a few hours. We spent another hour comforting her husband.

Sidebar - sometimes it makes me sad to see people stereotype people so easily online. Kind of feels like I have to carry the weight of and associated judgment of all those who did bad things in God's name or whatever. This is probably how good police officer, teachers, oft criticized good public servants feel.

Oh well, we all do what we can do. Thanks to all who continue to serve.