Shoe Box Appeal - The evangelicals who like to giftwrap Islamophobia

[Andrew_C]

If your schools are collecting for the "Shoe Box Appeal" perhaps you could forward this to your head.

 

What many parents and teachers don't know is that behind Operation Christmas Child is the evangelical charity Samaritan's Purse. Their aim is "the advancement of the Christian faith through educational projects and the relief of poverty". And a particularly toxic version of Christianity it is. This is the same outfit that targeted eastern Europe after the fall of the Berlin Wall and was widely condemned for following US troops into Iraq to claim Muslims for Christ.

 

Giles Fraser: Evangelicals who giftwrap Islamophobia | World news | The Guardian

 

Co-op cuts Christmas box link with US charity | Society | The Guardian

Edited November 1, 2011 by Dos_Box
Reported remarks removed.

[garethEds]

If your schools are collecting for the "Shoe Box Appeal" perhaps you could forward this to your head. Unless he/she is a rabid right wing christian.

 

 

 

Giles Fraser: Evangelicals who giftwrap Islamophobia | World news | The Guardian

 

Co-op cuts Christmas box link with US charity | Society | The Guardian

 

These stories are from 2003 - do you have any up to date research material?

 

Gareth

[pete]

These stories are from 2003 - do you have any up to date research material?

 

Gareth

 

A two second Google search reveals their CEO is still a hateful idiot.

 

http://www.google.com/search?q=Rev+Franklin+Graham

[garethEds]

A two second Google search reveals their CEO is still a hateful idiot.

 

Rev Franklin Graham - Google Search

 

Yes I did that - but does anyone have any media reports? Proper research into the matter - other than a Google search on their CEO?

 

The original poster was happy to put up 2003 reports so would they back it up with later reports? Interesting read. Our school follows the Christmas Child scheme - I'm not amused by it as I read something in the Times a while back - don't remember when. I've tried searching.

 

Gareth

[witch]

How about this?

I cross checked it on CNN

On August 19, 2010, when asked by CNN correspondent John King if he had doubts that President Barack Obama is a Christian, Graham stated, "I think the president's problem is that he was born a Muslim, his father was a Muslim. The seed of Islam is passed through the father like the seed of Judaism is passed through the mother. He was born a Muslim, his father gave him an Islamic name." Franklin continues to say, "Now it's obvious that the president has renounced the prophet Mohammed, and he has renounced Islam, and he has accepted Jesus Christ. That's what he says he has done. I cannot say that he hasn't. So I just have to believe that the president is what he has said."[11][12] In a March 2011 interview with the conservative internet publication Newsmax, Graham claimed that Obama had "allowed the Muslim Brotherhood to become part of the US government and influence administration decisions," asserting that:[13]

 

The Muslim Brotherhood is very strong and active in our country. It's infiltrated every level of our government. Right now we have many of these people that are advising the US military and State Department on how to respond in the Middle East, and it's like asking a fox, like a farmer asking a fox, "How do I protect my henhouse from foxes?" We've brought in Muslims to tell us how to make policy toward Muslim countries. And many of these people we've brought in, I'm afraid, are under the Muslim Brotherhood.

Please note that he has been equally awful about Hindus and other religions - it is not restricted to Muslims.

Edited November 1, 2011 by witch

[featured_spectre]

I might be ignorant here, but aren't Christianity, Islam and Judaism have the same goal, just different ways of getting there?

 

As for the hatred against any religion, I myself do not have one and respect others rights to believe what they like, as long as it is not thrust in my face

 

Also, as for the people "Reverend" Graham, he is probably in line with the Westboro baptist church, and we all know what nutters they are!

[witch]

It isnt just that he hates other religions either, he uses poverty and the promise of gifts to make the poor turn away from their own religion - he gets them to sign things about Christianity that they probably dont even understand.

He is also secretive - many parents at one of my schools had NO IDEA that it was an Evangelical Christian organisation dedicated to getting as many of these children as possible into Christianity:

Their aim is 'the advancement of the Christian faith through educational projects and the relief of poverty'.

Nothing wrong with this if it is plainly known and visible, and not carried out by a sort of blackmail

[SYNACK]

I might be ignorant here, but aren't Christianity, Islam and Judaism have the same goal, just different ways of getting there?

 

Now, now don't bring logic and sense into the matter, how are the groups supposed to group into competing tribes if the whole picture is actually looked at. You'll have half the planet with nothing to do if they can't spend it hateing on someone elses interpretation of the same principals.

[Rydra]

A baptist church near me tried to convince my sister she was sinful for being a catholic when she attended a youth club with some of her friends. Thankfully my sister had an ounce of common sense and ignored these things, and in fact found many of their attempts amusing.

 

Some of her not-so-bright friends and family however were taken in by this and officially converted.

 

I find anyone who uses religion like a sales target to reach in a similar contempt to door2door salesmen, the computerised phonecalls offering whatever it is on miss-sold PPI ( I don't know what it is they are touting, as I hang up in the first few seconds), and possibly mouldy pineapple, but I'm thinking of upgrading the pineapple as it serves a purpose as compost if left in the right environment.

[FreeWill]

It's important not to blur the opinions of directors with the message of charities. Checking the OCC website it appears transparent in what they do with boxes and literature.

 

Surely it is down to the person donating to check if they agree with the message of the charity before donating items? Before donating to charities I always check where the money is going (justgiving taking their top slice, for example) - some people don't check.

[MK-2]

(justgiving taking their top slice, for example) - some people don't check.

 

justgiving don't take any money from the actual donations. they charge the charities a montly fee, but no money from donations are actually taken as far as i'm aware

[GrumbleDook]

We used to have some local Jehovah's Innocent Bystanders come round for tea and cake when I was younger ... it was good to get into conversation with them and there was never any "our version of religion is better than yours". We had brilliant fun the first time we took them into the local catholic church. They loved the voices in the choir, but thought it was too cold.

 

One of the things that adoption training has shown us is that too many people are tied down with religion and culture and thinking that to love and be protective of your own you have to break and knock others. That is not the case and in most religions and cultures you will always find some (or a large) element of openness.

[Guest Guest]

It's important not to blur the opinions of directors with the message of charities. Checking the OCC website it appears transparent in what they do with boxes and literature.

 

Surely it is down to the person donating to check if they agree with the message of the charity before donating items? Before donating to charities I always check where the money is going (justgiving taking their top slice, for example) - some people don't check.

 

I think the thing here though is schools, radio stations, etc choose this charity for people. If your kids school says "we're all giving to x charity" you would (rightly or wrongly) assume its all above board.

 

 

To me it seems very sinister to use the the suffering of others for your own [organisations] gain. Most of the Christians I know wouldn't dream of seeing something bad in the world and thinking "oh, there's an opportunity". In fact it would go against everything they believe Christianity is about.

[GrumbleDook]

I think the thing here though is schools, radio stations, etc choose this charity for people. If your kids school says "we're all giving to x charity" you would (rightly or wrongly) assume its all above board.

 

 

To me it seems very sinister to use the the suffering of others for your own [organisations] gain. Most of the Christians I know wouldn't dream of seeing something bad in the world and thinking "oh, there's an opportunity". In fact it would go against everything they believe Christianity is about.

 

Unfortunately, as with a number of religions, beliefs, cultures or anti-beliefs, you will always get some people that spout that if it is not *our* brand of whatever, then that is *why* things are bad in the world ... and truly believe it too!

 

Not limited to Christianity, Islam, Atheism, Communism, Fascism, etc ... but you can get what I mean. And this is before you get into sects and sub-groups fighting between each other.

[witch]

I think the thing here though is schools, radio stations, etc choose this charity for people. If your kids school says "we're all giving to x charity" you would (rightly or wrongly) assume its all above board.

 

 

To me it seems very sinister to use the the suffering of others for your own [organisations] gain. Most of the Christians I know wouldn't dream of seeing something bad in the world and thinking "oh, there's an opportunity". In fact it would go against everything they believe Christianity is about.

And this , surely, is the point of this whole thread - there are many many good people who do these shoeboxes every year with NO idea of what is happening in their name in some very poor countries.

Yes, there will always be cults, subcults and religions fighting but to 'use' decent people who just want to help is appalling, IMHO

[teejay]

It's perfectly clear in their FAQ what they do: Operation Christmas Child | FAQs about Operation Christmas Child

[Andrew_C]

It's perfectly clear in their FAQ what they do:

"What they claim to do" might be nearer the truth...

 

Others see things differently. I know people who truly believe they are helping kids in the third world by running a UK collection, they may know about Samaritan's Purse, or they may not. These are good people; those at the top of the organisation, however, have a different agenda.

[sidewinder]

justgiving don't take any money from the actual donations. they charge the charities a montly fee, but no money from donations are actually taken as far as i'm aware

 

They take 5% from each donation, though to be fair whenever I've used it I'm sure this has always been pointed out, and the charities are happy to use the service as it makes donating easier

[MK-2]

They take 5% from each donation, though to be fair whenever I've used it I'm sure this has always been pointed out, and the charities are happy to use the service as it makes donating easier

 

my apologies i stand corrected.