In a couple of weeks in my home town we are holding a christmas party for the disabled people, children and adults from the town and the towns surrounding the area. Everybody in these towns knows of the party and they always to their best to help organise and contribute. This has happened every year for the past six years.
And every year I have gone around the shops in the towns and asked for donations for the raffel. Every shop has always give me something - even charity shops like Oxfam.
Recently in one of the towns a christian bookshop was opened. I went in last week and explained about the party and the raffle and how everybody contributes. And they downright refused to give me anything! Even after I showed them proof that I wasn't trying to take anything for myself.
I thought christians were supposed to care for other people? Was I really so wrong?
I know this isn't a question. I just wanted a rant because I just couldn't believe it!!
2007-12-03 07:41:16 · 17 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
It's true, they may have been giving to other charities. It just got to me.
I did speak to the manager - I always ask to speak to the person in charge of the shops I go to.
Ah well, it's no big deal I guess. Just something small that really irked me. Thanks for the responses though!
2007-12-03 07:52:06 · update #1
well, one other possible scenerio is that christian book stores don't sell as much as retail stores. since everything is branded "christian". you said this store recently opened? i costs thousands of dollars to start a store of any kind. in fact, most businesses take up to five years before they really start seeing any profit. maybe they just don't have the extra funds for that right now.
and second of all, not all charities are good. some charities are horrible at handling money, spending it unwisely. kind of like the quote, teach a man to fish. or they might have a different focus on what they want to give their money for. i don't give to every charity out there. does that make me a bad person? i could't afford to give to every charity even if i wanted too. there are things i give to and things i don't. and i hope that not everyone thinks like me, otherwise it's going to be really one sided.
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oh, and i want to add, we don't really know, no one here knows why they refused. we can only speculate. none of us have the right to say what they did was right or wrong. we don't know their situation or position on the issue.
2007-12-03 07:57:07 · answer #1 · answered by Joshua's Dhrama 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you know for a fact that these store owners don't give anything to charity, you have a right to rant. They may have just given all they could to some other equally good cause and felt that since their shop was so recently opened, they were stretched to the limit. I am giving them the benefit of the doubt, of course. It's entirely possible you just ran afoul of some stingy cheapskates. But blessings to you for helping the disabled.
2007-12-03 07:48:12 · answer #2 · answered by ? 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Was it just a small independent store? If it was a large chain like Barnes & Noble or Amazon, or any of those they may have to donate through their organization. But if it was a "mom & pop" kind of store they may not have the money to donate. They are trying to survive in the world against those big companies. They may have already made a charitable donation to another organization privately. Please don't judge them harshly, I'm sure there is a reason.
2007-12-03 07:47:11 · answer #3 · answered by Amama 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
They probably thought you were trying to exploit them since they are a Christian book shop, either that or they just put Christian on the front of the store knowing a bunch of people would buy from them just because of that.
2007-12-03 07:46:35 · answer #4 · answered by ehrlich 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
So you learned how to log onto the internet before you learned that people are individuals with the ability to act in an individual manner regardless of who or what they, or you, say they are....
Now if only you could learn that these little epiphanies happen all the time to everybody through the day and are not worth crying about publicly...
2007-12-03 07:51:21 · answer #5 · answered by u_bin_called 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You could have spoken to the wrong person, the store could be run by a non-Christian that just saw a good way to earn money, you could have come on a bad day, or they just may not be a charitable Christian (doesn't mean we all aren't).
2007-12-03 07:46:51 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
That's really a sad situation. Did you talk to a manager, or just a saleperson? Sometimes the salespeople are just dorks--of course, so are the managers sometimes too. I'd say maybe try asking again, just a different person. If you already talked to the manager, I'd say the store is really bogus, and I'd boycott the place.
2007-12-03 07:47:41 · answer #7 · answered by Starfall 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
you're not wrong but you are acting like since 'everyone donates' that it's such a big deal if a store decides not to. maybe they are already involved in a lot of charities, that doesn't mean oh i have to say yes to everyone that asks...they will be losing so much money. don't take it personally
2007-12-03 07:47:28 · answer #8 · answered by Sarah 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You are right , they probably give to Christian charities. I give very little to charities that are not sponsored by a Christian organization any more.
2007-12-03 07:54:44 · answer #9 · answered by ? 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I am sorry..I hope that your raffle goes well..I can only hope that just opening their store they were broke and not stingy. Don't forget to make up a flyer and send it to all the local churches..well in advance.. You might be surprised.
2007-12-03 07:46:30 · answer #10 · answered by PROBLEM 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋