December Corner Time!

[FundiesInMyFamily]

About the shoeboxes - I Hate it when charity work is served with a heaping side dish of Jesus. "Here (insert hethan religious person), I would like to make your life better, but only if you denounce everything you know and accept Jesus into your heart".

If you're going to help someone, and truely want to make their life better in some way, then do it just on face value - don't shove your values/beliefs down their throat while you're doing it.

[allyisyourpally5]

hmmmmm.....interesting (and slightly sad for me) tales of the shoeboxes - I do know that christian story books are thrown into the ones I give too, but from what I am aware the children do not have to "bow down to God" before receiving one. Being in the UK, I think most go to the orphanages in Eastern Europe. I may look to see if there is a more secular group who gives out the boxes too next year.

I feel so bad for Sarah-I do for Teri to an extent to, but they way she treated her daughter, it makes my heart ache. And the fact that Teri and Steve (HA! Mum first) are holding her back, well I just hope one day it slaps them in the face. Or better yet, Sarah slaps them in the face

[Spartan89]

I think it would be wonderful if people only helped out of the goodness of their heart, but that is not reality.

Example - the parents of my childhood fundie friend adopted four sisters from Nigeria. The girls were in an orphanage, underfed, and had difficulties with attachment, indicating a possibly abusive childhood. When they were adopted, they were expected to attend religious activities/pray with their adoptive family. Do I think that's ideal? Obviously not, but they are far better off here, with a family and access to an education, than they were starving and attention deprived in a Nigerian orphanage.

Even though charity "with a heaping side of Jesus" may not be a perfect example of selfless charity, it generally still does more good than harm.

[emmiedahl]

I think there are secular or at least less proselytizing organizations that do shoebox things as well. I helped out with one in high school that gave out the boxes to children in the Balkan conflict. I don't know it for a fact though.

[Witsec7]

I think there are secular or at least less proselytizing organizations that do shoebox things as well. I helped out with one in high school that gave out the boxes to children in the Balkan conflict. I don't know it for a fact though.

My town has a sister city in Uzbekistan and we do a secular version of the shoeboxes in Oct of every year.