The Salvation Army's International Social Justice Commission was started in 2007 and is recognized by The United Nations. They address many issues in which most of us would agree, but the question arises as a tax-free religious organization, how is it legal that they can get involved in politics and be involved with the UN? Why are they updating their mission statement to fit the times? I agree with @Beth Gallagher that nowhere is it spelled out about whites apologizing and also agree with @Bobby Cole that the inference is there. Again I must question why their mission is staying current with politics? My experience with the SA is that they do many good works, but only when it is to their benefit. I have always detested the use of bell ringers at about every major store's entry, especially the aggressive ones.
I am an Atheist. My former group used to donated to some local organizations...but many others didn't want donations from Atheists. I would love to know how much help they received from the Vatican
I donate to a few organizations, such as Public Radio, ACLU,, Wikipedia, and such. Am I expected to know if such organizations are atheist? BTW, I am a card carrying atheist, but have all the respect in the world for people and organizations that are not.
I'm thinking about donating to the Samaritan's Purse to help out with the Kentucky disaster. I saw them mentioned on TV as helping there. Does anybody know anything about them? How much goes to the victim's and how much goes into administration, etc?
Around 10% goes for administering a designated donation. Before I met Yvonne I had a small meeting with Franklin Graham and do consider him to be a person who runs a pretty tight ship. When one considers that some other foundations and charities [like the Clinton Foundation] eat up about 60%-85% before it goes to help anyone, Samaritan’s Purse is head and shoulders above most of them. Note: I believe there are 3 rescue missions in the destruction area of the tornado. I haven’t checked to see how operational they are but I’m sure if they’re working then they need some serious help. Rescue missions always feed people, help with clothing and help out with the homeless so everyone might consider donating to them.
I don't generally consider the religious nature of an organization that is designed to do good as some of the ones that were specifically promoted as being Christian were corrupt. At this point, I don't donate a lot anyhow and, when I do, I'd rather it go to someone who I actually know or to a cause whose results I can see. While there are non-profits who do good, in my opinion, the vast majority of them are scams operated by people who simply chose to make their business non-profit. Yes, I know there are exceptions but they fluctuate. As for donating to an organization run by atheists, that would depend on what they do. If they are promoting the organization as being atheistic, then the obvious conclusion would be that they are promoting atheism and I wouldn't be interested in doing that. I don't mind that they do it, but not with my money. In the distant past, I contributed to Wikipedia because it was a great idea, but it has become more of a repository for fake facts, controlled by liberals with progressive goals. Had they stuck to what seemed, in the beginning, to be a neutral point of view, Wikipedia would be one of the greatest things on the Internet, but liberal politics inserted itself and took control.
When a building in my area burnt down, many in our community bought blankets, deodorant, tooth brushes, bottles of water and many other essential items and brought them to the shelters where the people were placed. No, the community didn't want to donate cash.
Other than the obvious, I have found that many people donate items rather than cash because it becomes personal that way. Kinda like giving someone a present instead of cash for their birthday. In the case of disasters, cash does go a certain distance but when someone donates blankets, food and other articles of need, then it becomes personal in that the giver has to think about what is needed, get it and donate it.
Oh for sure, the ones I know are good generous souls just like yours truly. I used to give a little to political parties, but stopped that altogether.
I am an Atheist and, indeed, I have donated to "decent" causes. To think a person is corrupt because he / she is Atheist is to live in Lala land.
Yes I would support a worthy organization run by atheists. Provided they weren’t the “In Your Face” fanatics about it like some of them are. The nature of God is unknown to man at this time and those who pretend to know the answer don’t know what they’re talking about. Albert Einstein said "everyone who is seriously involved in the pursuit of science becomes convinced that a spirit is manifest in the laws of the universe—a spirit vastly superior to that of man, and one in the face of which we with our modest powers must feel humble. In this way the pursuit of science leads to a religious feeling of a special sort, which is indeed quite different from the religiosity of someone more naive."
The President and CEO of Samaritan's Purse is William Franklin Graham. His annual salary is $661,199 per year. There are some institutions and organizations in Kentucky helping disaster victims that are staffed by volunteers who receive no salary. https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/581437002
Rose Flowers, In all my years as an Atheist (71) and I come from an Atheist family as well, I have never seen / heard an Atheist attempting to change / convince a person 's mind....We don't use said approach because we want / welcome the people who have changed their convictions on their own. You can trust me when I tell you 95% of the Atheists originally were Catholic, Muslim, Jewish (most of them in my group), Protestants........even people who practice the two most popular philosophies (Hinduism and Buddhism) have became Atheist on their own. Now, to go back on the subject..........If I was not inclined to contribute to a religious organization because they jump on my face -and they do- I would be affecting the people who otherwise could benefit from my contribution.
In Rose’s defense, every single forum with a religious section and every Christian forum I have ever been on is inundated with Atheists either attacking believers or attempting to sway believers by rhetoric. That said, I’ve never seen a charity that was openly promoted by an Atheist group albeit I’m sure there are a few. One of the reasons I kinda like the idea of the Go Fund Me scenario is that from what I’ve seen thus far it’s more about humanity which leaves one’s religious aspirations and beliefs way on the back burner. To tell the truth, I have no idea what the religious beliefs of those who built the platform for the distribution of charitable donations are and I don’t think they are even advertised. With the exception of the last bit on the news where Go Fund Me made a decision NOT to direct donations to the rightful receiver(s) and re-direct those donations to Go Fund Me’s choice of charities, there’s a lot to be said about the concept.