Matt Wilbourn, one of the founders of the Muskogee Atheist Community donated $100 to the Murrow Indian Children’s Home. His donation was returned because the MICH gets most of its funding from the American Baptist Churches Association and “accepting a donation from atheists would go against everything they believe in.”
Matt upped the ante to $250. Still refused. He and his wife then started a GoFundMe page to see if they could raise $1000 for the charity. At the time of this post the total amount pledged is $12,670 and climbing.
I encourage everyone to donate until we find out how much money it takes to convince a Baptist to do the right thing.
Okay, my last line is a bit unfair. I should have said “until we find out how much money it takes to convince these particular Baptists to do the right thing.”
No Samaritans allowed, I see.
In the comments section of the GoFundMe page someone provided a link to the charity’s board of directors. Anyone so inclined might want to drop each member a line politely asking them to please take the money for the kids.
Obligatory background music for this thread: https://youtu.be/68cbjlLFl4U
Aw-w-w, man! That was my trump to play. Two hours east of me.
I recently made a comment about the goodness of Christianity and the sickness of Christianity in another thread. I did not mean that there are good Christians and bad “Christians.” I meant that Christianity itself changes some people for the better and other people for the worse.
You could top Merle by posting a video of your own rendition….
That seems to be true of all religions.
I’m inclined to believe that religion provides cover for peoples’ natural tendencies.
But religious communities can certainly corrupt their members. The worst example I can think of is Jonestown, which led parents to kill their children.
The problem I see with religion is not that its ideas are incorrect or wrong, but that religion as an institution tends to demand conformity and tribal loyalty.
Well, sure, but I think it is generally the people who invent the religious dogmas that benefit from them. Look at the priest caste in ancient Egypt, ditto maybe for Greece and Rome, which morphs into the wealth and string-pulling power of Catholicism. When you can make up the rules, human nature sways you to make rules that suit you.
I am outraged. Outraged I tell you!
Where are their morals?
Whose morals?
To which, as early as 1971, the cogent reply was The Youngbloods’ “Hippie from Olema” (here).
Status update from the GoFundMe page:
“We are going to give all but 5,000 of the money to Camp Quest Oklahoma. The remaining 5,000 will be anonymously donated to the Murrow Indian Children’s Home. If they find out that I’ve said this and they know that it’s me anonymously donating it and they still won’t accept it, we will donate it to a local church who will then donate it to them. We’ve had support from churches all over this nation today and I’m sure that one of them would be glad to donate the money to Murrow and I trust that they will. Whether the Murrow Home likes it or not, they are getting 5,000 for those children from all of this. Keli and I would like to thank everyone for their donations and support. We will continue to let the GoFundMe account rise until it stops.”
The total currently stands at $26,800.
Information about Camp Quest secular summer camp is available here.
They probably think of atheism as child abuse and for that reason do not wish to accept donations for children from people they believe abuse children.
Thoughts?
I know, right?
They ought to have morals like all the rest of us!
Wait a minute.
Who says what the right thing is?
If they have a public association with a very christian group then its reasonable to not accept from a atheist group. Would they accept from a gay group? no!
Why is this group interfering? is there more to the story?
I’ll take the money. GOFUNDROBBBYERS. Real money please no british money.
I hadn’t heard that before, thanks. I suspect my short stint as a late night country and western DJ would have been even shorter had I tried to sneak that one in.
If the goal is to benefit the children* then the board of the charity should be willing to take money that is freely offered. Wire transfers should eliminate any atheist or gay cooties on the funds.
This board apparently values their personal beliefs over the needs of the Murrow Indian Children’s Home.
The GoFundMe has ended, with $28,280 donated.
* “Won’t someone think of the children?”
Robert, do you not see the irony in a christian group raising money to support an Indian children home, and not accepting money from certain groups because they do not agree with their views? You do realize that Christianity is culpable in many of the atrocities that have been perpetrated on aboriginal people in the various countries that they have expanded into?
I’m going with “no” on both of those.
God works in mysterious ways.
No. I don’t see irony involved or fables about christian hostilioty to natives.
Its a relationship between christian motives and some group. Its not just more free money.
I;m not saying Don’t accept the money but i think theres more to it.
They might suspect its really some activist group trying to deny the christian motive to help.
A full hearing is needed. however who gives the money matters. If it was the kkk everyone would blame them for accepting the money.
It matters.
The Friendly Atheist has provided an update: The Murrow Indian Children’s Home is refusing to take $5,106.47 from an atheist, even if donated anonymously. They further refuse to take it via the intermediary of a local pastor.
I’m sure the kids are very happy that their food and clothing is untainted by the kindness of atheists, even if it means they get less of both.
Patrick,
Lulz: http://www.murrowindianchildrenshome.org/Board.html
I see Mike Gene has blogged about this here.
LoL. Makes you wonder whether if that fictitious group came here and asked for money keiths would donate to it.
Check thé comments. Thé group appears to be legit.
RELIGIONChristian charity that rejected atheist’s $28K donation now complains they’re ‘extremely behind on funds’
Perhaps they could donate it to some Catholics. They’ll accept funds from anyone.
http://www.evolutionnews.org/2016/09/jerry_coyne_ain103116.html