Couple sold Katrina gift

[KG]

Church fears good deed may have been misplaced
By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published November 22, 2006


MEMPHIS - A church that wanted to do something special for Hurricane Katrina victims gave a $75,000 house, free and clear, to a couple who said they were left homeless by the storm.

But the couple turned around and sold the place without ever moving in, and went back to New Orleans.

"Take it up with God," an unrepentant Joshua Thompson told a TV reporter after it was learned he and the woman he identified as his wife had flipped the home for $88,000.

Church members said they feel their generosity was abused by scam artists. They say they are no longer even sure that the couple was left homeless by Katrina - or that they were a couple at all.

MORE>>>> http://www.sptimes.com/2006/11/22/Worldandnation/Church_fears_good_dee.shtml

[MADem]

1. Take it up with God....damn! No good deed goes unpunished! NT

[angstlessk]

2. Just why would a church give a house to a couple? No kids?

When there were thousands of single moms and couples with 3-4-5 kids who needed housing? I smell a rat...was it supposed to be tit for tat..and the tat never got done?

[Horse with no Name]

3. Did the church give it as a gift?

If so, they have no say.
So they took the money and went back HOME.
I don't see anything wrong with it personally.

[William769]

4. As I said in a thread last night about this.

The couple is a piece of shit.

[Deja Q]

5. No doubt Joshua will be going to hell...

Not because he sold the gift, but because he insulted the one who gave him the gift. Biting the hand that feeds.

The church congregation has a point too. Though did they not do as much checking that they could have done before giving such a gift? (a little cursory searching hurts nobody.)

[SutaUvaca]

6. Hmmm.. could there be another side to this story.

This story is a bit short on background.
Wonder if the church had some expectations in return from that couple.
Some religious pressuring?
Were they married at first and then split up and the church reacted negatively?
Just sayin' - I figure there's some missing info in this.

[Horse with no Name]

7. Sounds like a great deal is missing

One also has to wonder if the "church money" came from all that faith based money that our government gave the churches to help the survivors.
*IF* one person was able to get enough money out of the government(and I have no doubts about where this money came), then it was worth whatever they had to say or do to get it.
The money should have gone directly to the people to start and not the churches.
Many of the churches were DENYING help to those that were not of their faith. So if this couple lied to get the help they should have been given in the first place, I, for one, don't give a flying fuck.
I hope they took their $88k back to New Orleans and are successful in rebuilding their lives there.