The Christmas shoebox appeal letters have been issued. Who is dodgy? Who is ok?

[Tinker]

We've had one re 21st Century Child. Will have to check but think isn't one of the prosletysing ones.

We had one re Operation Christmas Child. I haven't done anything yet as I seem to recall there being some heavy handed religious conversion tactics involved for the receiver

Yes, I think Op Christmas Child is not good.

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Our school has always done operation Christmas Child - we've done three Christmases so far. What have you heard about them then? We never hear anything back. Just send the box to school and that's it.

Think it's more full-on, as it where. Sticks Christian literature in the shoeboxes. See here

Were, were

"gift filled boxes and the Good News of God's Love"

eeeek

Yikes - Franklin made me jump! I see. Ours is a CofE school with a VERY Christian head so I can see why our school does teh Samaritan's Purse one. Personally, I don't have a problem with it but I totally understand why people might. You just want to make a child's life a little brighter at Christmas - not ram stuff down their throats.

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We do the Samaritans Purse / Operation Christmas Child as it's organised through our church. I think they're fairly open about being a Christian organisation and may well include religious info in their boxes, I guess many of which would be distributed to children who may have some contact with a mission etc anyway. Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that I think they're a well organised group and do organise a lot of gift distribution, but clearly if it's important to you to give via a secular organisation, you should choose another charity.

It's CHRISTmas. Therfore some religious connection is reasonable.

mw14 - yes, of course acknowledging the connection to a religious festival is reasonable - but isn't that based in the free chpice of the person dping the giving, rather than a 'condition' placed on the recipient?

Samaritan's Purse have come in for serious concern in their HQ in America, for lack of financial information which complies with the equivalent of the Charities Commission here, and they have been criticised by religious charities based here (Chritian Aid / Cafod), who all support the ethic that aid should be free of all religious involvement on the part of the recpient.

I think the idea of a shoebox of gifts is great for children - it's understandable, and a good introduction to giving to people we don't know. But personally, I would make my own donation in cash to a charity such as Save the Children.

Yes, Christian Aid, Cafod etc suscribe to the theory that aid should be free of all religious involvement on the part of the recpient. Other Christian charities do not, so those looking to give need to decide what suits their beliefs best. Though I do wonder why people who oppose religious involvement in this sort of scheme wait until Christmas, which is a religious festival, to do their good deeds.

I thought that to be a registered charity in this country you did have to refrain from 'spreading the word'. So strictly speaking, people or organisations which do this are not actually officially charities - but missionaries. Which people may also wish to support. But it is fair enough for the public to understand exactly what it is they are supporting.

And why Christmas? Well, you would have to work very hard not to be caught up in Christmas as a festival, and anyway, many people who are not faith-based Chritians still feel stongly about many of the philosophical and value-based beliefs of chritiantity - why wouldn't they (we!)? Amid the consumer-fest that is christmas, even us atheists might like to encourage our children to think of those who really need aid.

Batters, you wrote "but blu, that is just so, so shoddy, those of us who aren't Christian daring to have anything to do with Christmas..."

That wasn't my point. I was wondering why people who aren't Christians wait until Christmas to do things such as this? Surely better to spread your good deeds throughout the year?

Here is an article about the story behind Samaritan's Purse. There are strings attached. Our school no longer sends out shoeboxes after the teachers heard of this organisation's motives, and the local council advises schools to avoid it.

Why not raise money to buy interesting useful items (pigs / clean water / shelter / sports equipment) via Christian Aid ,which does not discriminate on grounds of religion,

or goats, school meals (!) or a teacher) from the Oxfam Unwrapped xmas catalogue if you want to help but don't want to involve religion?
The children love this kind of thing - they can relate to it, and there is no problem of making division between faiths.

Oh dear.

Have just filled 2 shoeboxes to be dropped off at dd3's playgroup tomorrow. Don't mind the Christian literature as is Christmas after all etc but do mind if there are conditions attached/dodgy practices. What a shame that such a lovely scheme might be blighted by evangelical dogma.