Holiday spirit

[clevermanka]

A friend of bobhowe writes:

Meantime, for those of our neighbors who did vote for Bush (against their own interest), I've been putting notes in Salvation Army kettles that say, essentially: "You claim to be a Christian. You claim to want to help the poor. Then why did you Christians help Bush win? No donation from me; I'm a Democrat, and my charity is going elsewhere."

What a fantastic idea. The bell-ringers will be gone at the end of the week. Make the most of the few remaining days and make up a few notes to stick in buckets, wouldja?

Comments

[fantomas71.livejournal.com]

Emotionally satisfying, maybe, but there are real people who depend on the Salvation Army, particularly at this time of year. I don't know...just seems kind of cold-blooded to me.

[arian1.livejournal.com]

Yeah, while I hate the religious right with all my being, I also don't think that the entire Christian faith should take a beating for them. I mean that's just a bad as what they do with Islam. Not that I subscripe to either religion, but it's just my take.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

while I hate the religious right with all my being
See, I don't hate anyone. I just think think they're idiots and they don't deserve my money. If there were no other organizations out there helping people, I might feel differently.

[arian1.livejournal.com]

Yes, a valid point. I was just having a discussion with someone less educated in the world at large this morning about how all people in the Middle East aren't terrorists and such and the sentiment sort of carried over here.

I think it's sad when a group of radicals, in any sense can hijack a larger way of thinking and mold it to be something polarizing and politically driven. Christians, Jews, Muslims etc..

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

There are people who make their living working at environmentally destructive companies, too. I don't feel bad not supporting their livelihoods.

I stopped giving money to charities with religious backing several years ago. There are many secular charitable organizations and I prefer to give money to people who will assist others without attempting to win them over to Christ or requiring them to sit through a religious service before feeding them.

[arian1.livejournal.com]

*nod*

[tattooedartgirl.livejournal.com]

here, here, I agree whole heartedly.

[chronovore.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the whole nature of "fait based initiatives" had me screaming incoherently at my computer monitor. What is it about the separation of church and state that Bush and his pals find so threatening? Oh, yeah: if we stop to think, instead of just relying on faith, we'll realize how badly they're behaving.

[arian1.livejournal.com]

Wow. Cold.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Strange. I don't think so. See my response to fantomas71. Bush's support of the "faith-based initiative" crap has really soured me on religious charity. It was bad enough before they had the possiblity of government funding. Now they get money from the church and the state? Nah, I don't feel bad about telling them my money goes elsewhere.

[next-bold-move.livejournal.com]

Well, I walk right past the Salvation Army bell-ringers anyway, so it doesn't seem any colder to tell them why I don't contribute to them.

[arian1.livejournal.com]

Yeah. See my above. Religion and politics. Fun fun. I thought I had seen the worst of it fleeing back to the states from Iran during the Revolution. But now it's a much more seedier sort of wielding that yes, I hate.

[redheadfae.livejournal.com]

I've been known to stop and give a lonely looking bell ringer a hug. Not their fault that the org sucks, but many of them need a bit of human kindness. They certainly don't get the money from the kettle anyway.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Precisely why I don't think it's appropriate to tell the bell-ringer what I think.

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

Occasionally one runs into bell-ringers who offer to take photos of non-traditional chosen families. That's pretty cool. I suspect, though, that he'd not have offered if he really knew....

Where locally can one donate household items for charity that doesn't contribute to the right wing?

Chris

[radcliffe.livejournal.com]

Depending upon the items, the shelter for women who are leaving abuse here in town does sometimes take donations. You could get more info on what from Headquarters 841-2345. I know things like shampoo, basic household items, diapers, towels, would probably be useful, but you might want to confirm. I have never heard of that place being affiliated with any other groups, so you could check on that too, AFAIK it isn't related to a church, or political bias.

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

Cool, thanks. What I'm looking for now is a place to drop off used household items that normally go to Goodwill or Salvation Army. Bags of men's t-shirts, for example....

Chris

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

I doubt WTCS will have much use for men's tees. =b If you don't want to take stuff to the Sally, perhaps you could drop the stuff off at the Social Service League on New Hampshire.