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‘Tis the season for giving — but not always for receiving.

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posted on Dec, 19 2013 @ 06:47 PM
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As the holiday season peaks, atheist and humanist groups around the country have seen their charitable impulses rebuffed by both Christian and secular organizations. Recent incidents of “thanks, but no thanks,” include:

A group of Kansas City, Mo., nonbelievers was told their help was not needed after they volunteered to help a local Christian group distribute Thanksgiving meals.

A $3,000 donation to a Morton Grove, Ill., park, collected by a local atheist group, was returned. Park officials said they did not wish to “become embroiled in a First Amendment dispute.”

A group of Spartanburg, S.C., atheists was denied the opportunity to help at a Christian-run soup kitchen. The soup kitchen’s executive director told local press she would resign before accepting the atheists’ help and asked, “Why are they targeting us?”

And in what is perhaps the biggest rejection, the American Cancer Society, in 2011, turned away $250,000 from the Stiefel Freethought Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to humanist causes. Though the society never cited atheism as the reason, many atheists drew that conclusion.

Dale McGowan, executive director of Foundation Beyond Belief, a humanist nonprofit, said his group’s grants have been rejected at least eight times. The foundation, which has given away $1.4 million, does not proselytize for nonbelief and requires that its beneficiaries — some with religious roots — do the same.



continue to source article at religionnews.com


Helping other human beings should transcend nationality, religion and politics. I think this is kind of sad really it shouldn't matter what their beliefs for nonbelief is what matters is they want to help. It seems to me the people that are really going to be hurt by this are the ones who those services would go to benefit.

Aside from hurting those would go to benefit I can see why the atheist coalition would be any kind of find when the money is returned. The article explains it much better but basically they feel obligated to donate the money and the spirit that was given. Well hopefully things will get better as far as this goes but only time will tell.



posted on Dec, 19 2013 @ 09:01 PM
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Wow. That is pretty stupid stuff indeed.

Money or volunteering as you said should transcend religion etc. Does a $10 dollar bill from an atheist look any different to one being received from a religious person???

Bah humbug to them I say.


People who could've really used that help have been denied because of someone's zealotry.

Very sad.



posted on Dec, 19 2013 @ 09:06 PM
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Helping other human beings should transcend nationality, religion and politics. I think this is kind of sad really it shouldn't matter what their beliefs for nonbelief is what matters is they want to help. It seems to me the people that are really going to be hurt by this are the ones who those services would go to benefit.


Correct on both accounts. However, the reason for the rejection is that the atheist/non-believer will demand that religion be removed from the church or religious organization in which they have donated too. Should a Christian organization allow an atheist/non-believer to volunteer their service, the first time Jesus is mentioned, they will scream that they were offended. They are wise to not allow them within their organization/church to volunteer their help.

They (atheist/non-believers) purposely target Christianity while at the same time leaving Islam, Buddhism and other religious belief alone. Why is this, simple, because Jesus offends them by pointing out their and everyone else errors. They will place restrictions on their donations as the one foundation does but stipulating that if the religious organization/church accepts the donation they can not apostatize. This is clear proof they have an agenda to stop religious activities spreading their message. It matters not to them that this is what religious organizations/churches do while helping others.

If you are going to donate to a religious organization/church, be fully aware that they will spread their message and that you have no right to interfere with their doing so just because you donated.



posted on Dec, 19 2013 @ 09:07 PM
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Volunteer work and money can be spent elsewhere to good effect if that's the case. These groups should perhaps devote their efforts to creating new charitable organizations that can better serve those in need, rather than wasting time with existing groups whose belief system is apparently stronger than their desire to help those less fortunate.
edit on 19-12-2013 by ArchAngel_X because: Cleaned up sloppy grammar.



posted on Dec, 19 2013 @ 09:19 PM
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reply to post by pstrron
 


I am pretty sure that you didn't read the source article because it states pretty clearly that they are against proselytization for nonbelief and requires that its beneficiaries — some with religious roots — do the same. In other words they are not trying to change nor do they want them to change their beliefs or actions to fit the coalition’s beliefs. They simply see the benefit of what those institutions are doing and want to support them in their endeavors regardless of their religious beliefs.



posted on Dec, 19 2013 @ 09:23 PM
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you don't allow a blind man to help out as an ushure at a concert.



posted on Dec, 19 2013 @ 09:25 PM
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pstrron



Helping other human beings should transcend nationality, religion and politics. I think this is kind of sad really it shouldn't matter what their beliefs for nonbelief is what matters is they want to help. It seems to me the people that are really going to be hurt by this are the ones who those services would go to benefit.


Correct on both accounts. However, the reason for the rejection is that the atheist/non-believer will demand that religion be removed from the church or religious organization in which they have donated too. Should a Christian organization allow an atheist/non-believer to volunteer their service, the first time Jesus is mentioned, they will scream that they were offended. They are wise to not allow them within their organization/church to volunteer their help.

They (atheist/non-believers) purposely target Christianity while at the same time leaving Islam, Buddhism and other religious belief alone. Why is this, simple, because Jesus offends them by pointing out their and everyone else errors. They will place restrictions on their donations as the one foundation does but stipulating that if the religious organization/church accepts the donation they can not apostatize. This is clear proof they have an agenda to stop religious activities spreading their message. It matters not to them that this is what religious organizations/churches do while helping others.

If you are going to donate to a religious organization/church, be fully aware that they will spread their message and that you have no right to interfere with their doing so just because you donated.


BS. Atheist organizations do criticize Islam, and Buddhism is more a philosophy than a religion.

The reason Christianity gets criticized more is because there are far many more Christians in this country, it is the dominant religion, and is always trying to force its way into politics and public life. It is also the most aggressive in forcing its views down peoples throats in this country. Though Islam is also an aggressive religion, only about 1.7% of the country practices it. (Despite what crazy right wing Christian kooks say, Obama is not a Muslim).

Christians in this country complain about persecution when someone steps up and prevents them from cramming their views down people's throats via the legal or educational systems. They don;t know what real persecution is.

Try opening a pagan/New Age center in the middle of the bible belt, and you'll see real persecution. It happened to a lady I knew. The area we lived in, while mostly Christians, had a large community of Neo Pagans/Non-Abrahamic paths, most of whom were underground, since the Christians were completely intolerant of other beliefs. She opened up a center for them to gather and practice their religion. The local Christians welcomed her by picketing the place on opening day, throwing bricks through her windows, slashing her tires, vandalizing her car and store front, harassing and threatening notes and phone calls left for her, and her kids were picked on so much in school that she had to pull them out and home school them. (Not a bad thing, really, and ironic, too). Not to mention that those of us who went to the center were usually harrassed. I helped her clean up vandalism at least a few times (And was amused by Christian literacy, or lack of it. They couldn't even spell witch right when painting "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live" on her Ford Taurus.)

That is why Christians get criticized more, because they do things worthy of criticism more than any other religion, and are extreme hypocrites who only recite passages from the bible they agree with, ignoring the whole "love thy neighbor" speech Jesus gave.



posted on Dec, 19 2013 @ 10:17 PM
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reply to post by spartacus699
 


Really???

That's a great comparison....






posted on Dec, 19 2013 @ 10:29 PM
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spartacus699
you don't allow a blind man to help out as an ushure at a concert.

This line of logic would result in a metric f-ton of dead people if it was applied to good samaritans helping the wounded. Don't you think, with as screwed up as this country is, a couple of groups working together for a common good should be something to aim for as a goal? That "working together" thing? Or is that all just feel-good hogwash that only applies to certain groups? I'm an atheist, and I don't have too much of a problem donating to a church or religious humanitarian group, because it helps others. I donated all of my kids' outgrown toddler clothes & toys to the A/C repair man when he mentioned his church has a program for single poor parents giving them things like clothes, shoes & toys. I didn't think twice, I left him to do his thing with the exterior unit, & bagged up everything outgrown. When he was done & was fixing to leave, I handed him 4 13-gallon bags of stuff, and he left pretty misty-eyed & elated. Should he have just shoved it all back in my door or something?

Are you too stuffy & blind to see any kind of donation as being useful to other needier humans? What's wrong with people?
edit on 12/19/2013 by Nyiah because: (no reason given)



posted on Dec, 19 2013 @ 10:40 PM
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I do know that people don't tend to trust atheist groups motives a lot of the time.

Look at the ones who set up their "religious" displays demanding fairness and all the display amounts to is a mean-spirited attack on everyone else rather than a simple pronouncement of their own beliefs.

Something like that happens too many times and no one trusts you anymore. The atheists wanted to march in our St. Patty's day parade, too, and they were denied. No one trusts them. They can say all they want that all they wanted to do is to march and raise awareness, but everyone knows how they might choose to do that.

This might be a similar situation. Sure, you can say all you want that you just want to give money, but we don't trust you. And, what exactly have you done to make us trust you lately?



posted on Dec, 19 2013 @ 10:52 PM
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spartacus699
you don't allow a blind man to help out as an ushure at a concert.


It's spelled "usher".


Anyway, I certainly would not want a blind man ushering me, unless the seat numbers are written in Braille. So, by your analogy, I certainly would not want Christians, who are about the blindest people in the country, teaching their fairy tales as fact in my schools, nor do I want their bronze age moral and legal system in my courts. But this is a question of charity. I'll take an atheist help any day. Unlike a religious nut, an Atheist would give me something concrete that would help me, rather than give me "their prayers".

Sorry, Bible Thumpers. Your "prayers" are about as much use to me as a discarded cigarette butt. Atheists at least give real help. And don't expect me to subscribe to some masochistic, barbaric belief system in the process.



posted on Dec, 19 2013 @ 11:04 PM
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reply to post by Skadi_the_Evil_Elf
 





Try opening a pagan/New Age center in the middle of the bible belt, and you'll see real persecution. It happened to a lady I knew. The area we lived in, while mostly Christians, had a large community of Neo Pagans/Non-Abrahamic paths, most of whom were underground, since the Christians were completely intolerant of other beliefs. She opened up a center for them to gather and practice their religion. The local Christians welcomed her by picketing the place on opening day, throwing bricks through her windows, slashing her tires, vandalizing her car and store front, harassing and threatening notes and phone calls left for her, and her kids were picked on so much in school that she had to pull them out and home school them.


Sorry to hear this happened to your friend. However, I can see by this account that you are completely confused regarding Christians. Those that were doing such things were not Christians at all, they may say they were but are not. You re quite correct, they love to cherry pick verses rather than take everything as a whole.

Sorry to say, but those that think that just because they go to church, do good works, persecute other beliefs and or belong to xyz denomination will get them into heaven are in for a very rude awakening. So called Christians in the US think they are being or suffering persecution for their beliefs. They have no idea what persecution is but if they would like to find out, try India or just about any of the M.E. countries, there they will kill you and show you real persecution.

The OP titled the thread "Tis the season for giving", well when is that season? Try all year instead of just around the holidays. Now if everyone would just pull together and help those less fortunate than themselves without strings attached, the world would be a better place.



posted on Dec, 19 2013 @ 11:07 PM
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reply to post by ketsuko
 


Well if you are using that line or reasoning then may I ask why should anyone trust Christians have you ever heard of Westborough Baptist or KKK?

Or maybe we shouldn’t judge an entire culture on the actions of a few.



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