Does anyone find it striking that there are no atheistic charitable organizations?

Question

Do a Google Search for yourself. You find a lot of sites defending why they don’t have charities but you don’t find them supporting anything other than themselves.

Doesn’t it seem like atheism just another word for narcissism?

Answer 1

Those who do not believe in God never think in terms of serving the mankind.

Answer 2

There are a lot of charities that are not backed by religion. or do you think the American Cancer Society does not count? The athiest simply don't have to take a cut off the top of any charity they choose to give to. Maybe they don't feel it is necessary to pay level after level before the money goes where it is needed. The pres of each Christian charity dines on steak and lobster all the while saying "here poor child you owe this bowl of rice and cup of milk to Christianity, we won't let you starve, and go to our school to learn all about Jesus".

Answer 3

There are few charities that take money for the sole purpose of spreading the word of Atheism, as so many religious organizations do.
However- here is one:
http://richarddawkins.net/foundation

In fact, most charities and foundations in the world are *not* in the name of religion. Atheists just don't need to promote Atheism this way.

Answer 4

*sigh*

Keep trolling, Blinky.

The International Red Cross is a secular organization.
The vast majority of American hospitals are secular organizations (I should know: I'm a nurse, with 30 years hospital experience in three states). All hospitals treat the indigent and uninsured regardless of their ability to pay. That's federal law (Hill-Burton Act).
90% of the AIDS charities are secular.
The American Heart Association, The American Lung Association, and the American Cancer Society are secular in nature.
Maybe you can't find the non-denominational charities because you're looking in the wrong places. Before you fly off the handle with ill-informed, hare-brained and generally bullsh*t statements like this, do better research.

Answer 5

You are absolutly wrong. There are plenty of charitable organizations that do not have any religous afiliations.In addition Athiests do not congregate because there is no religous basis to do so Atheism by its very nature is not organised in any real way.Plus its not like there is nothing in it for the church they line their tabernacles and pay for their churches with the money they raise most of the money goes back to the main church entity they have to pay their dues plus their morgages and their high over head so the way I see it the churchs support themselves first and foremost the Catholic shurch spent 1 and a half billion dollars settling sex abuse cases so you really dont know what your talking about

Answer 6

Actually the largest personal charity in the world the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation was started by an atheist.

Please don't lie in the future. It merely reflects poorly on other Christians who would rather not be associated with the hateful and dishonest bigotry you have displayed here.

Answer 7

This past Saturday, I went out to lunch with a few people. During that time, an elderly woman (I would guess in her 80s) came in and sat in the booth behind us, alone. I kept waiting for someone to come in behind her, but it never happened.

As we paid for our order, I asked the waiter if I could pay for the woman's order. It wasn't much, just a danish and a soda, but I did so for no other reason than altruism. I didn't do so to "look good in the eyes of God", a pat on the back, or anything like that. I did so because good deeds are their own reward. I never even said so much as 'hello' to the woman.

Wonder how many Christians would do something like that? Especially since it involves tipping...

Answer 8

Atheists do not have an atheist organization. They do not band together and start funds. But a great many of them contribute to existing funds, and I think with a little research, you'd find atheistic board members on many charities.

Unlike Religious groups, atheists do not have an organization with which to begin a charity. Logic skills, folks.

Answer 9

im a christian, but im gonna have to take the middle ground on this question... there dont seem to be any Atheist foundations out there because there isnt really an "Atheist Church or Congregation"... but there are a few of them run by atheists and agnostic filanthropists.
I think people, atheist or religious, are drawn to do what they feel is right and good and charitable. My personal belief on that is weather they believe in HIM or not, He puts it in all of us to try our best at doing good.

Answer 10

There are lots of them, if you choose to really look.

Here's an interesting excerpt from positiveatheism.org

"This brings us to the most disturbing feature of religious “charities.” For they are not motivated primarily by a compassionate desire to alleviate human suffering or the generous inclination to advance the cause of human happiness. This was well shown by many of the pronouncements of one of the most celebrated of Christian charitable leaders, the late, but still revered “Mother Theresa,” who said: “I think it is very good when people suffer. To me, that is like the kiss of Jesus...” The same fundamental indifference both to human suffering and happiness is at the root of Christian groups’ opposition not only to abortion but also to birth control and assisted reproductive technologies. Nowhere is this better shown than when religious charities are forced to choose between humanitarianism and their own theological teachings. Holy spirits beat flesh and blood human beings every time.

Thus the chief motivation for Christian “charity” is not love of humanity at all. It is love of Christian dogmas and doctrines. For Christian teachings do not hold that good works are good in themselves. Rather, good works merely serve to show the inward theological correctness that Christians believe is necessary to win entry into heaven and escape damnation. Good works are merely the “signs and wonders” that prove Christianity’s divine authority. Most of all, good works are the bait to lure potential converts and the cost of being “saved.” All of which demonstrates not that the Christian religion is morally superior, but that it is morally bankrupt.

Meanwhile, it turns out that there are secular schools, hospitals, clinics, homeless shelters, and other charities that do without Christian theology and Christian “morals.” In fact, there are two varieties of them. There are those sponsored by various government agencies. And there are the previously mentioned private organizations, both non-profit and for-profit. Both public and private secular institutions have been far more successful at alleviating human suffering and promoting human happiness than any religion has ever been."

Answer 11

Actually, most of us are quite involved in charities, we just don't feel the need to attach the word "atheist" to everything we do. Rather than crow at the lack of atheist charities, ask yourself whether the place of worship to which you belong works with people of other faiths or philosophies, such as Interfaith Alliance. If not, why don't they? Arrogant self-importance? A need to feel superior to others? Our Humanist community regularly teams up with our neighbors of faith--Episcopalians, Methodists, Quakers, Wiccans, Unitarian Universalists, Jews, and Muslims--to work on community outreach projects.