Yesterday I wrote about a wonderful couple I met Monday.

Today I'm writing about a horrible couple I met Tuesday.

They called themselves Christians.  I think a better title would be bad parents who lacked Christian values.  I talked with them for a few hours and their daughter waited patiently.  When I first met them their daughter mentioned she was hungry.  After two hours they still hadn't fed her.  They withheld food from their own daughter.  There was no reason.

When I was leaving they said "it was nice to meet you".  I said "bye".  That's really not how I handle things under normal circumstances.  I'm courteous regardless of how the customer is but there is no excuse for not feeding your child.  As I left I heard the daughter crying as they told her they were going out to attend to a social engagement and she was coming with them; but no, she couldn't have food before hand.  Yes, I let me own values come into play and I let my own value system affect how I didn't respond because it really wasn't nice to meet them. 

So here's what I wanted to tell them:

You know what?  You're bad parents.  Your daughter has been waiting for two hours patiently.  She told you she was hungry at 4:00.  You said just wait.  Now you could have done what any good parent would have done and said grab an apple.  After all, they're sitting right there on the counter.  It would have been no skin off our nose and your daughter would have been content — but no, your authority as a parent, or so you must believe with your warped value system, would have somehow been compromised if you had given her an apple.  She was quiet and good this entire time.  You could have given her a friggin' apple, ya louse!  I can only imagine what you do when she is bad — do you whip her or cage her?  When she's good you withheld food from your own child.  What is wrong with you?  And stop laying that story on me about how you're a great Christian.  You're a scumbag.  Don't corrupt my faith my even professing to be a Christian.  What did Jesus say?  Hmmm… What was that?  I think it was clothe the poor and FEED THE HUNGRY.  You know, I must have missed that passage in the bible that said 'when they do good deeds, starve them'.  So don't talk to me about Christian values.  You're not a Christian.  I am.  And you know what, I could teach you a few things about morality.  Hopefully your children won't share your same lack of values.  Hopefully they will get a real understanding for what Christianity means and that it doesn't mean you can starve your own children.

I would continue.

If you want to make up for your sins you need to go a day without eating.  Feed your children that day — they never committed the sin you committed against both them and God.  You must take responsibility and repent.  You must also spend a day working at a food bank or a food pantry with people you do not know.  There cannot and should not be comfort in your penance.  Then spend an hour researching the impact and affects of childhood hunger.  What you find will help you better understand what you did to another of Gods creatures.

Instead, I simply said "bye".