to ask for your help in writing an objection to Operation Christmas Child?

[autumnwinds]

Our local primary is supporting OCC and has published a piece in the village magazine explaining how wonderful it is and how much the local children enjoy it, what a difference it makes to needy children, and inviting local residents to donate too. The piece omits any reference to the evangelical christian literature that is distributed with the parcels and the way that the gifts are used as a tool to agressively convert recipients to christianity.

I would like to write a reply for publishing in next month's issue trying to give the full picture so that people can make an informed choice about whether to donate to this charity, and to suggest some alternatives that don't come with the religious baggage.

As I don't have a child at the primary yet I'm not sure about tackling the school itself about it (they are not a faith school, so not sure they should be supporting this). DC will be starting next year so I might save that fight for next xmas!

Anyway does anyone have any ideas about a few lines I could write, something succinct and unemotional? I feel quite cross about it but don't want to come across as an equally fundamentalist atheist. I've been looking for some evidence on the web for people who want to know more but most of it is not well referenced...

Can you point out to me where the op said that's what she intends to do? Because I don't see it.

Well, what else is it if you're trying to tell an entire school that the whole thing is disgusting and they should be doing something else instead?

I was reading about someone who put a letter and their address in the box they sent and ended up with a sort of pen pal relationship with the child that got their box.

I didn't realise that was allowed? I can't see anything on the OCC website about it either.

what children in the third world need is not boxes of plastic tat which has travelled half way round the world. What they really need is sustainable help.

Yes, you're right, They're poor, and 3rd world. What the heck do they want a bit of fun presents for?
Water, and sustainable help for you people. You don't need any frivolities.
There are plenty of charities out there that provide clean water, etc. That's something entirely different. Should we discount this one just because someone, somewhere has deemed toys not needed?
Says who?! How patronising.

YANBU - housefulofchaos.com/reasons-to-not-support-operation-christmas-child/ this might have something useful in it including other schemes that are culturally sensitive and appropriate.

IME many people do not realise there is an agenda behind OCC.

"I would like to write a reply for publishing in next month's issue trying to give the full picture so that people can make an informed choice about whether to donate to this charity, and to suggest some alternatives that don't come with the religious baggage".

"trying to tell an entire school that the whole thing is disgusting and they should be doing something else instead?"

Are you really saying that these two sentences mean exactly the same thing?

Er, ok then. [hmmm]

Another problem that doesn't seem to occur to people is that they are going to non-Christian countries where they observe different religious festivals.

Yanbu to want to write a balanced article. I did some research as I had exactly the same concerns, on phone atm so cannot link. If you Google Franklin Graham (US leader of OCC umbrella charity Samaritans Purse ) you can find his anti - Islam quotes. Also the US Samaritans Purse site is much more explicit than UK version about how the main aim of OCC is to convert as many people as possible to Christianity, rather than being a purely altruistic endeavour.

YABU because potentially you are trying to boycott a charity that does a lot of good for children who have nothing at Christmas. Christmas is a christian festival you know? Just saying...

The OCC website is extremely clear, on front page and throughout, about the Church-based component and (vaguely optional) proselytising component.

There is no way the school has chosen this in ignorance of what it is supporting (unless you think they launch a major appeal without googling the recipient). Which is why I think you need to start with the decision-making process in the school if you want to make a change.

Knocking the school's campaign, now it has launched, is unlikely to get the results you want.

But perhaps, instead of negative campaigning, you could see if the local paper would run a positive piece on other Christmas causes to support?

Plastic tat? Speak for yourself - I never put plastic tat in our boxes.

Christmas is a Christian festival not observed in non-Christian countries...just saying

I got our village school to stop supporting OCC a couple of years back. I printed off some of the hateful things said by Franklin Graham about Islam and homosexuality and asked them if this was something they wished to be associated with. The Head had no idea that it was an evangelical organisation, naively thought it was just 'nice thing to do'. They hadn't realised that Christian literature was provided etc. I am sure many schools are similarly ignorant.

For me, it is a terrible thing to offer a gift to those in poverty while linking it to 'God'. And that they specifically target non-Christian countries is just hideous.

The important thing really in this context is to applaud the generous aims, whilst giving people other options for doing similar without the Christian/Evangelical slant.

Other good ways of giving at Christmas would include giving to Barnardo's, Women's Aid, Water Aid, Oxfam, Mary's Meals, local food bank, etc etc.

In this case I think OP should say something along the lines of "I was glad to read in the last edition about how enthusiastic the local children have been getting about their OCC shoeboxes. If any other readers have been inspired to give generously at Christmas, maybe they'd like to consider some other worthy causes such as ..." - so offering alternatives without explicitly criticising OCC itself (which wouldn't get anywhere).

I think people are confusing an acknowledgment of the fact that OCC is a Christian charity with the fact that it's an evangelical charity which causes as much upset as it does joy, actually (imo) doesn't behave in a very Christian way and has an agenda completely outside of the wish to be charitable.

I'm all for making people aware of what OCC actually IS so that they can make an informed decision before they donate.

The only people using language like disgusting and haters are those objecting to the OP's desire to help people make an informed choice.

I agree utterly with Horry. It's a very good idea to provide people with options. Lots of people like to do more for charity at Christmas and giving them choices is an excellent idea.

This is the letter I sent to ds's school in 2009 that directly led to them stopping their support for OCC (which they had done for many years previously)

Dear X

Last year my son took great delight in choosing items to go in the shoebox for Operation Christmas Child. This year we are very disappointed not be able to participate. The reason is this newsletter www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/Newsletter/october_09.

The web page link on the school website states "Where it's appropriate our local partners also make available to children a booklet of Bible stories, including the original Christmas story - the birth of Jesus."

The newsletter gives a different story - "Every box you pack represents one more child who will have the opportunity to hear the Good News of God’s love."

As a committed Christian I find the thought of my son's school supporting such an evangelical cause to be deeply disturbing. I do not think that aid should be viewed as a conversion opportunity. I am concerned that children who may be Muslim, Hindu, Bhuddist etc do not get an opportunity to benefit from this aid because there is no opportunity to convert them to Christianity.

We were in South Africa for half term and spent time visiting a children's centre AIDs charity project in a township run by a friend. The children who visit the children's centre have next to nothing. They rely on a soup kitchen run by the charity to have one hot meal a day and many of the younger children do not have shoes or much in the way of toys or possessions. Those are the children I thought about when we supported Operation Christmas Child last year. Being mostly Christian they would be able to benefit from this scheme but what about the thousands of other children of other faiths who would be deliberately excluded? Their need is as great.

Aid should be offered without strings attached and should be available to all. I have no issue about supporting a Christian charity. My concern stems from the fact that the Christian charity supported by [School name] excludes all those of different faiths. Surely it would be preferable for [School name] to support an inclusive charity rather than one like Samiritan's Purse. I understand that the Rotary offer a similar scheme. It is obviously too late to do anything about this year's collection but I hope you will give serious thought to sourcing an alternative for next year.

Yabvvvu, so what it's a leaflet about Christianity, what haters

Woah... left for an hour to make a draft excluder out of leftover brown material that on reflection now looks like an enormous dinosaur poo. Not quite the effect I'd been going for. A bit like this thread really.

Anyway - thanks for all the responses, both harsh and sympathetic. It does seem to be quite an emotive issue, and I've came to the same conclusion as scaevola, in that there's not much to be gained by appearing to diss the school's efforts this year. Even though my intention is to inform those who aren't aware of the evangelical associations (as I wasn't aware either till recently), rather than rubbish the efforts of those who have already donated, or promote my own agenda. Instead I'm going to write to the head to ask if they would consider supporting a different scheme next year, that is not connected with any faith.

As for whether christmas being a christian festival - that's another thread entirely!!!!! FWIW I think it is entirely possible for a person to give generous and thoughtful gifts to needy children in other parts of the world without having to follow or promote any particular God(s). You don't have to be a christian to be charitable at christmas.

piglet it is the strings attached to the giving of leaflet (and shoebox) that most people object to.

Actually a big u turn good points bisjo

"dinosaur poo"

What would be Christian would be to send these shoeboxes to children with no strings attached.

Not use them as a foot in the door to convert people.

'Christmas is a Christian festival not observed in non-Christian countries...just saying'

The presents are given in the spirit of christmas.