I just can't give to charity anymore. Is this bad?

The main reason I see is that every charitable donation I make simply allows the * Mafia to believe that governmental programs to help the poor are no longer needed.

I feel bad, but I can no longer enable the evil BFEE.

Sorry
Can

Is the purpose of giving to charity to assuage the needs of others, or to address your own needs?

I understand the urge to avoid bolstering *, but I don't want that to come at the expense of people who could really use a helping hand.

Peace.

Just don't give to any religious charities. Don't take away the possibilities of community and community improvement that exist on the local level -- donating to your local charities -- by insisting that the fed take up the slack by creating more bureaucracy. The more money that you want the federal government to take in, the more money you're putting into a federal government that is fully owned by the GOP.

There is NO reason to stop giving to charities to make a point and expand bureaucracy. If the safety net falters, and private charities can make up the difference, in my opinion, that's good. If not, and people are desperate on a grand scale, the crime rate will rise, and it won't be too long before the have-nots are flanking the subdivision.

That it's still best to give. Nationally, though, I am having a hard time. If they can point to charity as a backstop, I am afraid I and some like me will be 65 years old without a pot in whence to urinate.

perhaps you should give to political organizations that you believe will really help in electing leaders who will restore social programs.

But the very thought of enabling them to eliminate Medicare, Medicaid, etc. makes me even sicker. Is there time to win the war if we forfeit a few battles along the way?

You can still be helpful to the needy, nearby. We will always have the poor with us, (no matter who theB*shmafia eliminates).

alter your giving to reflect what's in your heart, but, fer chrissakes, don't let Bush change who you are as a person.

it's like making the switch to Costco from Walmart or other GOP supporting stores. You need the food and store items, but you feel good about spending the money at a very blue retailer.

business is way up. Emergency shelters for victims of domestic abuse always need help too.

This would be a good alternative...thanks

He doesn't care how much the charity takes in, the only things that he is interested in is OIL, EMPIRE, HIS BUDDIES - he will gather up resources but gives nothing in return, he really doesn't care about arming the military, the soldiers, the poor, social services, the government, he thinks that the government consists of just him and those he feels are necessary, (he can discard someone at any time when it's no longer advantageus to him). He will slash spending to social services anyway, what you give has nothing to do with it. (It's just propaganda he spins to hide his true objectives.) Kind of like the pope, excusing future actions by blaiming the weak morals of 60's youth. That was 40 years ago, what does it have to do with today's youth or today's society, the answer is nothing, but with circular logic you can bamboozle people.

care a damn what Idiot says.

They get 10 bags of dogfood from me each month, and maybe this would be a good way to take out my frustrations...

just need all the help we can get

(I have 4 rescue cats too)

My charity giving is to animal rights groups. Our nation needs to demand that tax money be used to take care of our citizens, not spent on the war machine.

the same reason that you stopped giving according to your post.

i will not give when my tax dollars are not being used to give and when so many others whose taxes ought to be collected are not collected but given back as tax cuts to the very ones who need it the least, who give the least and who care the least.

my message to the bushes is,don't come knocking on my compassion door when you are exploiting my compassion and that of more than half of the country's compassion.


sorry.

Planned Parenthood helps sooooo many low income men and women and they are constantly under attack.

Never mind that they do great things in areas besides contraception - like mammograms, pre-natal, all kinds of women's (& men's) medical treatment.

Back in high school, they helped me out several times with female type infections that had NOTHING to do with sexual activity - I was just too embarrassed to discuss them w/my dad (single parent home).

Also, animal charities ALWAYS need help. If not in $$$, they would love some volunteers to come in and help socialize the animals and pitch in at their offices.

If you can't give $$$, check out their "wish lists" - I have donated lots of office supplies I had no use for. One animal shelter I donated to regularly was thrilled to receive ball point pens and envelopes!

Kudos to you for giving to anyone in the first place.

...shortfall in government funding that the chimp has ALREADY engineered. Thanks to the chimp, the socialist revolution is inevitable even with your charitable contributions.

Go ahead and give to charities, but make sure they are not organizations that conservative religions use to force their political agendas on the needy. World Vision is a case in point.

Don't feel bad about charitable gifts. Your financial obligations to your family must be addressed first. Just remember that it's not the size of the contribution, but the motive. If it is to be seen by man then it is in vain. Charity is from the heart driven by a desire to assist a fellow human being that cannot help themselves. With the coming depression in this country families once again will be depending on each other to survive. Our priorities will be such that material things will be non-important and the days of just enjoying the simple things will be the "sauce" of life.

Yes, it's bad to penalize charities to spite Bush and the Republicans.

If you can't give to charity, then don't feel bad about it. But don't intentionally hold back donations that you would otherwise give because our government isn't doing enough.

Be the person you want others to be.

I very much want to and have to believe that you have good intentions in your own way, but really that attitude makes me feel very sad.

It is because we are enabling their Naziism by giving to the faith-based organizations that will replace the fair and honest governmental programs currently in place. If we continue to enable them, there will be a "religious test" you must pass before receiving aid.

I can no longer justify enabling this to happen in my personal moral code.

When the people of Ireland were starving to death, a bunch of English and American Quakers came with enormous soup kettles and fed people.

When the British government cut famine relief and the government functionary in charge of this disaster came to the Quakers to ask them what they planned to do about a particularly hard-hit area, the Quakers left in protest.

So, were they right?

Short term, more people starved than might have otherwise. Longer short term, the British government set up soup kitchens following the Quaker model. Except they used maybe 1/6th as much beef in the soup and people said it caused dysentary, and some of 'em said that they'd be told they had to renounce their catholicism to get it, but anyway.

Support the Peace Tax Fund.

I like Heifer Project International, which gives livestock to people and training on how to care for it, on a "We give you a goat, and you get milk and breed your goat, and in repayment, you must give one of your goat's female offspring to a neighbor who has no goat," deal. It's just not really the sort of thing governments do, though they ought to.

I'm sure there's plenty on this planet for you to offer support to without feeling like you're being trodden on. Cheers.

Heifer is a great organization! I love them, and they provide livestock to the countries and people in need of food! :) Good organization!

donees, but I will have to say I have a torn heart about this.

It's rock and hard place:

1. Donate to those that need it most and watch all governmental aid go away.

2. Donate to those that the government does not help, and pray that those who need it most don't get their programs further stripped.

I can no longer enable the Republikan Mafia to destroy the best ideas we have to offer. So I, with a broken heart, have closed my checkbook unless you are a dog or cat for the time being.

but then I think so because my whole profession is in the non-profit world.

I wish you didn't feel that way, but you're entitled to give (or not give) as you see fit.

Donate to these:

ACLU
Southern Poverty Law Center
Interfaith Alliance
Amnesty International
Green Peace
Sierra Club
The Carter Center
Public Radio
Votetoimpeach.org
Moveon.org

There are others I donate to, but I cannot remember them right now. I love to put their stickers on my vehicle alongside my Kerry sticker and cut off vehicles with a W sticker in traffic. I usually get the finger, but it just seems to add to my pleasure.

Do NOT under any circumstances, donate to a "Christian" charity. Most all of those are merely fronts for big salaries, TV shows, real estate partnerships, and fancy buildings.

That'd be Fairness and Accuracy In Reporting.

I was not even aware of FAIR. I have donated to a related organization, they are a news media watchdog outfit.

I am sure I overlooked a bunch. Doctors without Borders for example. Maybe we should get "republican" and create a list of "approved" charities.

They produced the Outfoxed documentary film. See it.

They also send out a magazine EXTRA! to their supporters. It's quite good.

Their website: http://www.fair.org/index.php

Fight the myth of the liberal media.

We've adopted that same strategery as you:

1. *NO* donations to any conventional U.S. charities, local, state,
   or national. Our donations just allow the Republicans to cut
   public services and still say "See? No harm done!".
   
   
2. We still donate (in a bg way) to openly-political groups in the
   United States (such as the ACLU, PfAW, Planned Parenthood, etc.)
   
   
3. We still donate (in a big way) to international charities (such
   as Doctors Without Borders, Amnesty International, etc.)
   
   

Yes, some perfectly worthy local charities are going to have to
go begging, but maybe a few more local people will start to realize
what government used to be for and why it is a lie when Republicans
tell them they can keep on cutting forever with no harm done. Maybe
they'll even start voting for the lefties again?

Tesha

As part of my protest against Shrubbie's re-election.

Every dollar I contribute to a charity of my choice is a tax dollar that is *not* going to support his evil administration.

I only wish I'd thought of this plan four years ago.

organizations like Amnesty International--they are opposing bushco. Also legal organizations like ACLU and one of my favorites the Southern Poverty Law Center (these guys take on the Klan, White Militias, etc.)

I do support food banks like 2nd Harvest--hunger is an issue of vital importance. No one should go hungry because of the rotten policies of this criminal admin.

I stopped giving to Salvation Army. I won't give to any churches, religious organizations or any other organization that supports this regime.

I believe in a lot of socialist ideas but that charity works best through private means not government administration. Taxation is forced giving so it is not charity. Charity means just giving, for the sake of giving, and not just because the IRS says you must pay so much(that is a bill)