Posted on 10/24/2011 5:28:01 AM PDT by Cronos
A Metro Nashville Council member is suing the Southern Baptist Convention for $1.5 million.
Ron Nollner and his wife, Beverly, filed the lawsuit against the nation's largest Protestant denomination and related entities last week.
The lawsuit states the two went to New Delhi as missionaries in 2009 and were hired by the Virginia-based International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention to oversee construction of an office building there.
However, the lawsuit claims they were fired after Ron Nollner complained about illegal and unsafe building practices at the job site and said the project's architect and builder were paying bribes to get approvals for completion.
A spokeswoman for the International Mission Board said the board hasn't received a copy of the complaint, but believes in treating all personnel with integrity.
Uhhhh....
Well....
Hmmmmm
Since that is standard operating procedure for 99% of the world, someone should have explained it to him. I would have started by quoting Proverbs 17:8 "A bribe is a charm to the one who gives it; wherever he turns, he succeeds."
I was going to say it is too early to tell either way, but yeah, unfortunetly this is just business in most places of the world.
Maybe they are mad that they didn’t get a cut.
So he went to New Delhi and was surprised to see unsafe building practices?
Really?
Baptist ping
I see....and you believe this is an endorsement of the practice?
Proverbs 17:8 “A bribe is a charm to the one who gives it; wherever he turns, he succeeds.”
and he sues the entire Baptist convention HERE in the States. Doesn’t make any sense...
I would have started by quoting Proverbs 17:8 "A bribe is a charm to the one who gives it; wherever he turns, he succeeds."
The Bible elsewhere condemns bribery. I would take this as an observation, not a prescription.
No, I believe it’s a statement of fact. Another statement of fact is that most cultures do not see bribes as corruption (I believe they are, but I’m referring to how other cultures view them). They believe it is perfectly acceptable for you to have to bribe an official to get permits and the like through the system.
These things should have been explained to the couple before they headed over there.
Many of the Missionaries I know refer to bribes as “unexpected taxes”, since a tax it is.
I believe their complaint was that the bribes served to official overlook UNSAFE BUILDING PRACTICES!!
Much different than simple greasing the skids!
Amen.
1 Cor. 9: " 19 Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. 21 To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. 23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings."
Does anyone seriously contend Paul didn't run across his share of corruption in the notoriously corrupt Roman Empire? If I remember correctly, there were at least two occasions where jailers tried to stick him up for a bribe.
So did he immediately launch into an anti-corruption campaign to clean up the Empire, which would have been really tough as the Emperors during this period (Claudius and Nero) were the most corrupt of all, or did he work within the (corrupt) system so as to be able to keep working for Christ?
I would support them 100% about the unsafe building practices. That is something that should be addressed if there was sloppy oversight on that.
There’s a lesson here. Don’t be a pest when you’re only a guest. Telling folks they’re engaging in bribery (what they call “gratuities”) doesn’t work well. The fellow was a missionary not a cop.
Must be the translation, KJV has it as “A gift...” Bit different.
Exactly. Most places you can refuse to pay such gratuities and you will still get the permits and other required paperwork, eventually. If you don't have several years to wait or don't want to have to repeatedly file amended paperwork as the powers that be find technicalities to delay you with, then you pay a gratuity to someone to oversee your paperwork and ensure that the small problems that arise are handled right away and that all the paperwork is in order. Your choice.
Besides, if I'm not mistaken, they do have police and others who are in charge of investigating such accusations of unsafe practices, he could have filed a complaint with them and if he was really concerned that someone might be injured or killed due to the illegal practices, he could have paid someone a gratuity to make sure his complaint was handled as quickly as possible and that all of his associated paperwork was in order.
Basically, the guy's a dolt. If he wasn't smart enough to fight fire with fire he shouldn't have been there in the first place. Thailand is far worse than I've heard India is and you can have someone out to investigate an unsafe working condition or unsafe building practice the day after you file a complaint if someone who knows their system takes a personal interest in making sure it moves quickly through the system. Naturally, you'd want to show your appreciation to someone who is so conscientious and who is every bit as interested as safety as you are.
JMHO
I believe their complaint was that the bribes served to official overlook UNSAFE BUILDING PRACTICES!!
Much different than simple greasing the skids!
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