# What would you do with twenty bucks from church? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 16, 2002, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-with-twenty-bucks-from-church/143149 "2002-12-16T19:56:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![auntie\_em](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@auntie\_em](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/auntie_em)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2002, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-with-twenty-bucks-from-church/143149/1 "2002-12-16T19:56:35Z")
So my mom went to church yesterday, and surprise! The congregation was told that “an anonymous donor” had donated a sum of money to the church, and specified that everyone who came to church that day was to be given a $20 bill. Each person’s $20 was to be used to do something nice for someone else: donated to a charity, used to buy a meal for a friend, etc. My mom is giving hers back to the church with her next tithe. What would you do with it? ---
**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2002, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-with-twenty-bucks-from-church/143149/2 "2002-12-16T19:58:39Z")
Buy a Darwin fish bumper-sticker.😃 ---
**Author:** ![In\_Conceivable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/4bbf92/32.png) [@In\_Conceivable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/In_Conceivable)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2002, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-with-twenty-bucks-from-church/143149/3 "2002-12-16T19:59:38Z")
Toys for Tots ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2002, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-with-twenty-bucks-from-church/143149/4 "2002-12-16T20:01:11Z")
Make a homeless person’s day. ---
**Author:** ![auntie\_em](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@auntie\_em](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/auntie_em)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2002, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-with-twenty-bucks-from-church/143149/5 "2002-12-16T20:01:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by js\_africanus \* > \*\*Buy a Darwin fish bumper-sticker.😃 \*\* Heh heh. 😃 Would you put it on YOUR bumper or someone else’s? ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2002, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-with-twenty-bucks-from-church/143149/6 "2002-12-16T20:02:45Z")
Drugs and hookers, man! Drugs and hookers! * * * I scream, you scream, we all pracitce VooDoo for Ice Cream! ---
**Author:** ![auntie\_em](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@auntie\_em](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/auntie_em)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2002, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-with-twenty-bucks-from-church/143149/7 "2002-12-16T20:06:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by gatopescado \* > \*\*Drugs and hookers, man! Drugs and hookers! > \*\* Now is that for YOU or is it a gift? ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2002, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-with-twenty-bucks-from-church/143149/8 "2002-12-16T20:47:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by auntie em \* > \*\*Now is that for YOU or is it a gift? \*\* Its both if you share the drugs with the hooker before you do her. ---
**Author:** ![In\_Conceivable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/4bbf92/32.png) [@In\_Conceivable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/In_Conceivable)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2002, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-with-twenty-bucks-from-church/143149/9 "2002-12-16T20:48:01Z")
I think he meant drugs _for_ hookers. ---
**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2002, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-with-twenty-bucks-from-church/143149/10 "2002-12-16T22:04:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by auntie em \* > \*\*Heh heh. 😃 > Would you put it on YOUR bumper or someone else’s? \*\* Mine. I’m not _that_ mean…😉 I’d like to nominate **Kalhoun** for the “Best Human Being of the Day” award. ---
**Author:** ![Homebrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Homebrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homebrew)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2002, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-with-twenty-bucks-from-church/143149/11 "2002-12-16T22:07:37Z")
Donate to the Human Rights Campaign or an AIDS Charity. ---
**Author:** ![Xavier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/2bfe46/32.png) [@Xavier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xavier)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2002, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-with-twenty-bucks-from-church/143149/12 "2002-12-16T22:13:44Z")
> [@](#): > > Drugs and hookers, man! Drugs and hookers! ::Wipes away tear from his eye:: The noblest man I ever knew. The noblest! ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2002, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-with-twenty-bucks-from-church/143149/13 "2002-12-16T22:20:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by gatopescado \* > \*\*Drugs and hookers, man! Drugs and hookers! > > * * * > > I scream, you scream, we all pracitce VooDoo for Ice Cream! \*\* So, what’s $20 get you these days? A couple aspirin and a lap dance? ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2002, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-with-twenty-bucks-from-church/143149/14 "2002-12-16T23:31:45Z")
\*Each person’s $20 was to be used to do something nice for someone else: donated to a charity, used to buy a meal for a friend, etc. My mom is giving hers back to the church with her next tithe.\* Well, that’s not a bad thing to do, but it short-circuits the intent behind her getting it in the first place. The Salvation Army is one thought. Another is to emulate Kansas City’s “Secret Santa,” who goes around the poorer sections of town and hands out $100 bills to folks who look like they could use a bit of help. It’s hard to know how “deserving” the recipient is, and it’s on a smaller scale with just one twenty, but it could really brighten someone’s day. ---
**Author:** ![scout1222](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/34f0e0/32.png) [@scout1222](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scout1222)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2002, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-with-twenty-bucks-from-church/143149/15 "2002-12-16T23:34:05Z")
My workplace gives food/toiletries to Mama’s Kitchen, which is a local charity that works with AIDS patients. I’d probably take the $20 to the store and buy some canned/dry goods and drop the stuff into the donation box. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-with-twenty-bucks-from-church/143149/16 "2002-12-17T00:17:32Z")
Is somebody maybe trying to pull a ‘parable of the talents’ stunt at the church? - maybe the bills are marked somehow and they are going to check how many come straight back into the offering plate (returning it with no profit - the equivalent of the foolish servant who buried it in a field). Eh? ---
**Author:** ![auntie\_em](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@auntie\_em](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/auntie_em)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-with-twenty-bucks-from-church/143149/17 "2002-12-17T14:06:30Z")
Hey, **Gary T**! Long time! And I agree with you about giving the loot back to the church. At the very least, I thought it showed a slight lack of imagination . . . But then, if it were me, I’d probably get all twirly trying to think of the best, most interesting thing to do, and it would still be sitting on my dresser a week from now. And fascinating thought, **Mangetout**. . . But personally, I’d rather know how many people just shoved the $20 into their wallets and spent it on themselves, as if they found it on the sidewalk or received it in a Christmas card. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![iconoplast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3d9bf3/32.png) [@iconoplast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iconoplast)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-with-twenty-bucks-from-church/143149/18 "2002-12-17T21:20:53Z")
I think I’d anonymously use it towards the purchase of someone behind me in line at a store. ---
**Author:** ![Siege](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@Siege](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siege)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-with-twenty-bucks-from-church/143149/19 "2002-12-17T22:11:15Z")
I see a lot of Giving Trees this time of year with wish lists from kids and adults who won’t be getting much for Christmas, if anything. That’s where my money would go, with the change going for food for the local food bank. CJ ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-with-twenty-bucks-from-church/143149/20 "2002-12-17T22:37:28Z")
I vaguely remember reading about a church that did that. And it was a “parable of the talents” thing. They had a certain amount of time in which to do something with the money. ((And now I can’t find the article)) but I seem to remember some people either combining their money or doing something that made their $20 go pretty far. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-with-twenty-bucks-from-church/143149.md?page=2)