Entry 22 – Donating Beyond Belief to Help Haitians
With the recent events in Haiti, I ask you to check out a site that has helped me sort through a number of charities in terms of their ability to provide the most help with the least religious overtones in their helping.
The Haitian people are suffering immeasurably in this latest natural disaster, and I think, regardless of your faith, or lack thereof, we can all agree that helping these people in their ‘hour of need’, so to speak, is a good thing to do.
I just recently saw an article in the Huffington Post, published on New Year’s Day by Valerie Tarico, that caught my attention. The article, entitled, “Hey Atheist — Put Your Money Where Your Heart Is” is about a new foundation that attempts to put a nicer ‘face’, if you will, on atheists and agnostics who are concerned about humanity every bit as much as theists and religious people. The foundation is called ‘Foundation Beyond Belief’ at http://foundationbeyondbelief.org and offers much information on various charities that are providing help to people in need simply because it’s the right thing to do, not because of any theistic belief system.
While I think in times like these, whatever you give to help to whatever charity is much appreciated.
But, as an agnostic, I want my donation to go to agencies who are helping the needy, and doing so without a religious agenda.
This is not a ‘knock’ on these religious charities. You do good work, and in the end, sincerely, I am glad you exist.
I just think it’s time for, as Tarico’s article speaks to, atheists and agnostics to demonstrate that we have emotions too, and just because there is a NATURAL disaster from what we believe are NATURAL causes, we don’t just turn away from those NATURALLY affected. We want to help as much as the theists do, we just don’t ascribe any SUPERNATURAL pretense to our helping, or appeal to a SUPERNATURAL being for relief.
WE, the human beings of planet Earth, are the relief. We must do our best to help our fellow human beings on the planet at all times, but especially during the most dire of times for people affected by forces beyond their control. There should be plenty of ‘room at the table’, so to speak, for people who want to help without religion, and those that want to help with.
Thank you for reading this entry, and I hope you will find time to do something to help out during this most difficult time for the Haitian people,
TRC
The Recovering Christian 