Boots sale

skibster

pinky2681 wrote: »

I use to do the shoe box appeal until i found out that only the shoe boxes get given to children who believe in god and are a christian, so alot of needy children miss out and dont get given them because there not a christian.
taken from occ website:

The mission of Operation Christmas Child is to demonstrate God’s love in a tangible way to needy children around the world, and together with the local church worldwide, to share the Good News of Jesus Christ.

IMO god should love us all and children are to young to understand fully and focing them to accept a religion or refusing to give them a shoe box because they arent christian is down right cruel.

As the other poster said, you're incorrect. I'm as non-religious as they come, but I am familiar with this program and it's basically missions work -- trying to spread Christianity, meaning it definitely aims to help everyone, especially people who aren't Christian because they would like to convert those people. The part you quoted even supports that; it doesn't say you have to be a Christian, it says they're trying to spread the word. Yes, it would be nice if they would give the gifts without attaching a religious message, but they are after all a religious organization and there's no requirement that the receiver has to accept the message to get the gift.

RootedNomad

Don't want to get too political on a Grabbit forum, but OCC is owned and run by Samaritan's Purse, a fairly controversial US Evangelical organisations (Franklin Graham, Billy Graham's son). Also one of the wealthiest US Evangelical concerns. Directors have private jets etc and pull in several multi US$ salaries for more than one "full-time" job. Not too hot on stance vs other faiths either.

Worth researching to form your own view - I bellieve there are much better charities to support doing similar work. My childrens' schools withdrew support some years ago after researching Samaritan's Purse and now put together shoe boxes for other organisations.

macaud

The Shoebox appeal which I give to is run by Blythswood, a christian charity who send shoeboxes to ALL children and does not have a wealthy heirarchy. I would hate to think people are put off donating to this very worthwhile charity. It is a great cause especially at Christmas when we are buying all our own kids wonderful pressies and these poor little souls have nothing.
So continue to bag all these bargains folks and happy shoe box filling!

juliebunny

I went through the dilemna about donating a shoebox via a Christian charity a few years ago and decided that as I was doing boxes for 5 year olds, they would probably not be able to read any leaflet put into their box!

Giving and sharing is a Christian value and I bet those kids don't care where their shoe box comes from.

And whilst I understand the concerns about some of the Christian charities, there are others around who don't preach, and anyone who preaches about the origins of shoeboxes should make darn sure they know where all of their purchases come from - sweat shops, countries renown for cruelty and oppression of people and animals, or even shops that don't pay taxes in this country......ahem.... well this is a Boots thread and that does sort of bring it back OT!:rotfl: