Posted on 11/25/2004 5:34:53 AM PST by truthandlife
A pro-family organization has issued an alert to those who may be considering giving to one of the nation's largest charities this holiday season. The group's spokesman is warding donors away from United Way, and he also wants shoppers to know a thing or two about Target stores.
Bob Knight, director of the Culture and Family Institute, says the United Way has been crossed off his gift list. That is because the well-known charity refuses to share its money with the Boy Scouts of America while it openly supports numerous pro-homosexual groups with its money.
"I don't know why people still give to United Way," Knight says. He contends that people are already giving to government bureaucrats by paying taxes, so he asks, "why would you give to a group of private bureaucrats who have decided as a group that the Boy Scouts are worthy of being kicked out of various chapters across the country."
The Scouts had been a long-time beneficiary of United Way funding, until pressure from the homosexual community led to the BSA groups nationwide being cut out because their national organization promotes faith and moral values and prohibits homosexuals from serving as scoutmasters. Since then, at least 50 United Way chapters across the U.S. have excluded the Boy Scouts from a share of their fund-raising drives, claiming the BSA's Christian values are discriminatory.
But it is the apparent discrimination against the Scouts by the United Way that has angered Knight. Although not all the nation's United Way chapters have severed ties with the BSA, he points out that "the national headquarters has done nothing to stop the trend." Meanwhile, a major portion of the money the charity collects is being given to pro-homosexual groups.
CFI's director is urging individuals who are seeking out charitable giving opportunities to consider the manner in which the BSA has been treated by the United Way, and the organization's ongoing financial support of the homosexual agenda. Personally, Knight says, "I wouldn't give them a dime."
Unfortunately the United Way is not the only major U.S. organization that is drawing the pro-family leader's ire. In a recent interview on the Christian Broadcasting Network, he mentioned the recent announcement by Target that the retailer would not be allowing non-profit groups to solicit outside its stores this year. This means the familiar Salvation Army bell ringers will not be able to set up their kettles and collect donations at Target locations this shopping season.
Knight feels people of faith should be outraged over the retailer's actions. "Millions of Christians give Target millions of dollars," he says, "and what have they gotten from Target in return? A lump of coal. I think they ought to be ashamed of themselves, and I think consumers ought to take this into account when they do their Christmas shopping."
Salvation Army officials say Target stores nationwide helped raise about nine million dollars through last year's kettle campaign. Major George Hood, a spokesman for the Christian service organization, says the new policy prohibiting nonprofits from soliciting outside the department stores will hit some local communities hard.
"One Salvation Army officer said to me that the Target money that's raised in his community represents 75 percent of the income that he has in that community," Hood says. "When you begin to strip budgets of 75 percent of a revenue stream, it means that some very difficult decisions will have to be made in those local communities about what they will be able to do during the holidays with families, and what they will be able to do all year long once the Christmas season is over."
Still, God is in control, the Salvation Army representative notes. He says he is trusting in that truth, and he also believes many Christians who normally might have contributed at Target will help make up any deficit in the season's collections by increasing their kettle donations at other retail locations.
Thanks for sharing it.....
FRegards,
I didn't donate to United Way prior to the Boy Scouts controversy because I want to choose the charities I support.
And since Target was a subsidiary of Dayton-Hudson, owned by Mark Dayton's family, they didn't get a lot of my money either. I'll just find a place with a Salvation Army kettle and drop off my donation there.
I did put some bills into the kettle at the Ralphs at Wilshire and Bundy last night.
The bell-ringer did laugh heartily when I said "Here's my chance to hit 'the target'".
Companies will try to force employees to donate. I refused to contribute at a plant where I had worked for 7 years. I had to tell 3 different people in the chain of command that I would not give a penny to that so called charity. I told the last one that I considered them to be harassing me. After about a week, my immediate boss warned that there would be trouble if I did not contribute. after I refused, I was given every dirty job that they had. I knew what they were doing, got very angry about it, lost my temper,and got fired.
I would rather give money to a wino than to the UW. At least I would know where the money was going.
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Way to go, VOA, Merry Christmas
http://www.lzxray.com/Ronnie3.jpg
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buffyt: We have lots of armtwisting at employer's about giving to UW. My son has been involved in BSA since he was young(Eagle soon!) so when they started discriminating against the Boy Scouts I sent this letter to Human Resources. I cc'd and mailed copies of it to my local UW chapter and my son's BSA chapter/division/region offices.
Dear Mrs. HR Person,
Please inform me how to remove the United Way contribution from my payroll deductions. Yes, our LOCAL United Way has not directly participated in discrimination against the Boy Scouts of America but....after correspondence with LOCAL and national United Way representatives AND researching their activities in this area, I will no longer support the United Way.
Although not locally, the United Way itself has come down with a cancer-like disease. Some infected parts of this body called United Way have, while imposing funding cuts on the Boy Scouts of America, implied that I should continue to fund them. The United Way's actions indicate to me that they assume I should want my ten year old son to go on camping trips supervised by and learning from "men" who love other "men". The have assumed incorrectly.
Because some cancers require surgical removal, I wish to surgically remove United Way from the "supply line" and contribute DIRECTLY to the Boy Scouts of America. Because of the financial damage caused by United Way nationally, my direct contribution to the Boys Scouts of America will be increased to far exceed my current payroll deductions.
Thank you for your assistance in this matter.
Sincerely,
Johnny Crab
JC
I did put some bills into the kettle at the Ralphs at Wilshire and Bundy last night.
The bell-ringer did laugh heartily when I said "Here's my chance to hit 'the target'".
I was fired from a job in the early '90s for refusing to have money deducted from my checks for the United Way. The domestic violence shelter (feminist war room) family haters started the United Way trend against families a long time ago. They are also behind the homosexual activism on the part of the United Way. They take a large portion of United Way funds to continue their lifestyles and propaganda campaign.
I wasn't aware of any unfair slight to Starbucks--but now I'm informed. I like the business. Any hope on finding poor little Penny? (g)
I wonder if it would be possible for a store to arrange with the Salvation Army to have a store employee ring the bell and collect donations (receiving permission from the Salvation Army to use the appropriate trademarks, with the Salvation Army receiving 100% of proceeds)? If a store did this (at a cost to the store of $80/day or so, which would likely be outweighed by the goodwill such a move could generate) it would totally lay to rest any claims that they selectively allowed solicition since the bell ringers would not be solicitors).
I hereby establish the Boy Scout defense ping list. Anybody who wants on, say so here or freepmail me. Also, if anybody knows of a freeper with a Boy Scout ping list of any sort, please let me know.
LOL! I kinda enjoyed the "fool" story better.
I would love to get a copy of "the list". Know where I can get one?
Unfortunately, I no longer have it. I retired some seven years ago and when I did I tossed a lot of stuff in my desk, including the list of organizations supported by my region's United Way.
You should be able to contact the United Way in your area and get a list of the "charities" (some really aren't charities, they're interest groups) they provide funding for.
BTW I just heard on a local radio station that Salvation Army allows individuals to be bell ringers anywhere they like, the radio announcer's wife was standing in front of a Neiman Marcus at Northpark shopping center as a bell ringer and collecting donations, cash, creditcards etc.
Merry CHRISTMAS!!
Ever since the United Way turned on the Boy Scouts of America, they haven't gotten a dime from me.
The last year I taught school,2000-2001, the new music teacher featured non-traditonal winter program. It was the ultimate in PC nonsense.
The third and fourth grades sang a little ditty called, "I Am a Mineral". At the start of the song the children were instructed to kneel on the ground with their heads touching the floor. When the MIDI they were to slowly rise and begin waving their arms "Like trees in the wind". Here is the first lines of the song, "I am a mineral sitting in the ground. I am a mineral sitting in the ground. Silver, copper and magnesium, yum, yum ... "
In the past many of the girls wore their best party dresses for the program. I sent a note home suggesting that pants would be a better choice. Dozens of little girls displaying their panties, with their skirts over their heads would have been humorous, but I did not think it would thrill all the proud parents and grandparents in the auditorium.
By the way most of the songs for the program were written by the music teacher's husband. They were hoping to become professional children's concert performers like Raffi.
The first graders sang, "Woodman, spare that tree" and the sixth graders did a rap number with cans and bongo drums called, "The Recycle Can Can".
There was nary a mention of snowman, gifts or sparkling lights in the whole program. It was a cheerless presentation.
Merry Christmas and God bless us everyone!
Done; and thanks.
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