Another point of view

Up to this point, all of the comments I've received about this ministry, both on this blog and elsewhere, have been loving, supportive, kind and gracious. Thanks to everyone who has offered support in so many ways.

Today I received two comments that expressed another point of view. Because I like to think of myself as an equal opportunity blogger, all opinions are respected here and I have re-posted those comments here. Because both posters posted anonymously, I am unable to respond to them personally, but it occurred to me that there may be others who might benefit from both the comments and my replies.

First, concerning the sale of our prayer shawls as a fundraiser for Grace Bay House, I received the following comment:

"It's beautiful but I don't think shawls should be sold! That was not the intent of the originators of this particular ministry. Find another way to raise your funds."

As a point of clarification, we are in the process of raising funds to purchase Grace Bay House. For those who may be unaware, the purpose of Grace Bay House is to provide 4-day rape recovery workshops for women who have been sexually assaulted, and to enable these women to stay at Grace Bay House during these workshops at no charge to them. Please understand that the people who are purchasing these shawls are fully aware that 100% of the proceeds of their purchases are being donated to Grace Bay Charities and that's why they are purchasing the shawls. When Grace Bay House opens, all retreat guests will receive one of these prayer shawls at no charge.

Nonetheless, this does raise an interesting point. I'd be interested to hear what other readers have to say. And of course, if you or other readers have other fundraising suggestions, by all means, please let us know as we are always open to fresh ideas and new methods and we have a very aggressive fundraising goal with a short time frame in which to meet it.

Another vistor left the following post:

I think your cause is well thought out and very worthy.

My problem comes with the question of religion. I don't practice Christianity, and often find that those who do can be quite exclusionary. We each find God in our own way, and for me there are far too many "Christian fill-in-the-blanks." I think you are a good woman with a good cause, I have contributed before, but I find this a bit overwhelming.

First of all, thank you so much for your contributions and your support. You have no idea of the impact contributions such as yours are having on women that I'm meeting every single day as a result of this ministry. I agree with you completely that there are some people who call themselves "Christians" who act like anything but that. That's sad because it makes it so much more difficult for the rest of us. Make no mistake, I'm not perfect, however, I do strive to have a perfect heart towards this ministry and the women we are reaching out to.

It makes me sad that religion is even an issue with this project because rapists do not discriminate. Gender, age, income, social status, physical appearance, race and even religion have no bearing on who becomes a victim. Likewise, Grace Bay Charities makes no such distinctions about the women we are called to serve. The women we are reaching out to come from all walks of life and while they may have notable differences, they all share a common painful past. The bottom line is that Grace Bay Charities needs everyone's help because it is through your financial support, your love and your prayers that these women are beginning to see the light at the end of a very, very dark tunnel.