Advice Column about Fundie Fundraising for Missions

[Screamapillar]

3 hours ago, GenerationCedarchip said:

I tend to question some of the missions I get asked to support (like - no lie - someone asking for support to open a Christian-themed roller rink in Appalachia), but I'm careful where I say that because I know it's not a popular view in most of my circles, too.  I do give to some folks that I think are well-organized and doing good work, but there are definitely some strange things going on out there.

Have they been to Appalachia? Pretty much everything in Appalachia is already "Christian themed". (This is not to disparage Appalachia. I'm half Appalachian myself. They do love them some Jesus there!) The last thing people there need is someone telling them about Christianity, they're well aware already.

[Jingerbread]

6 hours ago, artdecades said:

Maybe it's a generational thing since I am also a single 20-something in a big city, or maybe I am just an a-hole but I don't really look at these types of columns for actual advice. It's more of a chuckle at the situation and seeing what the person comes up with. I am not claiming to be representative of all readers, I just really have a bit of a friend-crush on Mallory.

Emily Yoffe had some very serious questions come in that she didn't answer in the column.  She talked many times about how she often would be up late messaging people who had issues too serious to print, and getting them help.  A lot of people do turn to columnists for serious help because they're desperate and don't know who else to turn to.

[FundieFarmer]

That sounds like an awful lot of responsibility. I suppose you do take it on, but...I'm in the same boat. I don't particularly put a lot of stock in advice columns either, unless it's writers of a certain matter (say, Emily Post and I have an etiquette question, etc). I'd call a hotline before I'd write an advice columnist. Who knows how long an answer would take, or if a conspicuous answer would cause more problems?

To each their own. I have no doubt it happens, I just don't get the choice when there are other options. Definitely not my cup of tea.

[Peas n carrots]

Emily Yoffe had some very serious questions come in that she didn't answer in the column.  She talked many times about how she often would be up late messaging people who had issues too serious to print, and getting them help.  A lot of people do turn to columnists for serious help because they're desperate and don't know who else to turn to.

Dating myself here, but there was an episode of Clarissa Explains It All that on this very subject. Clarissa got a coveted job as an advice columnist at the school(?) newspaper. She thought she could handle the pat questions of a middle school aged kid's concerns about school and dating. However she got a latter one day from someone who was depressed and suicidal - she then realized how over her head she was and ended up giving them info on how to get help.

I may have got some details mixed up, it's been a minimum of 20 years since I saw this episode. I'm pretty sure in the same episode her mom made tofu for dinner, brother Ferguson did something to annoy her, Sam crawled in through the window, and a diary entry was written on her ginormous desktop computer.

[Jana814]

15 minutes ago, Peas n carrots said:

Dating myself here, but there was an episode of Clarissa Explains It All that on this very subject. Clarissa got a coveted job as an advice columnist at the school(?) newspaper. She thought she could handle the pat questions of a middle school aged kid's concerns about school and dating. However she got a latter one day from someone who was depressed and suicidal - she then realized how over her head she was and ended up giving them info on how to get help.

I may have got some details mixed up, it's been a minimum of 20 years since I saw this episode. I'm pretty sure in the same episode her mom made tofu for dinner, brother Ferguson did something to annoy her, Sam crawled in through the window, and a diary entry was written on her ginormous desktop computer.

I remember that episode. (Was a big fan of that show).  I remember how she was unsure also.