Southern Baptist Unholy Water

An NBC News affiliate serving the Cape Coral area of Florida recently reported (10/29/05) that canned water, donated for relief after Hurricane Wilma tore across the state, was being withheld from the public because it had been donated by Anheuser-Busch, which conflicted with the beliefs of those distributing the aid, the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). I assume it was actually the Southern Baptist Disaster Relief (SBDR), which is a relief agency run by the SBC, but I’m not sure.

Never heard of them? Turns out that SBDR is the third largest disaster relief agency in the U.S., right after the American Red Cross and The Salvation Army. President, Bush and his brother, Governor Jeb Bush, recently thanked the SBDR for their relief efforts and held them up as an example for others. This was reported online by The Christian Post. Also noted was a recent Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) case management grant worth $66 million that was awarded to various faith based organizations (wasn’t Halliburton even considered?).

Yes, these groups do wonderful things for disaster victims, and yes, they are much needed in times of crises, but not distributing drinking water to hurricane victims because of an Anheuser-Busch logo on the side of the cans? How can you possibly justify these actions, or more accurately, this non-action. Imagine a worst-case scenario where an someone needs clean safe water to mix with baby formula, or mothers caring for unborn children and in need of water to keep hydrated. I’d like to think God would say, “Come on, just give them the water.”