Give or not to give.

The recent earthquake in Nepal for the first time in months got me to donate to the DEC. I genuinely felt sorry for these people living in their own land, not asking for anything and disaster strikes. It was then that I realised I had not given to charities that I used to support for a good while. I pondered this and realised I had become hardened due to the govt giving 11 billion a year to foreign corrupt countries and that so many immigrants are queueing to get into UK so I can support them through my taxes. I now find that I take little notice of appeals from Africa and Arab countries for aid, they are just something that comes on with the adverts particularly on sky ( do they get reduced advertising rates ).anyway my question is am I the only one that has become callous in this way or has others felt this. I will endeavour to become more generous but will pick which charities I give to now rather than falling for the cob stories. As an aside I often wonder how much the rich Muslim countries give to charity, is it anywhere near 11 billion.

I give every month to the Children Society, and not very often to street collectors. I did give to the tsunami appeal, I recall I took £10 into Oxfam. Still not very much, since we have all our basic needs.

I generaly give to disaster appeals and when I have enough I do give to Oxfam as their work is widespread and often in disaster areas. I also give sponsorship money when I know someone fundraising by doing something like my Granddaughter did at the weekend A 5k mud run on Clapham Common. I dont give monthly as I dont know when I will have enough to be able to keep the promise I would have signed up to.

Everyone has to think about how much they can afford to give and how much is wise to give. I also think much of the aid given by our country is a concience salving exersise on politicians part and much gets mis-appropriated. NGO make much more effective use of money than governments.

I give. Local Hospice.

Angel1.

Thank you for your comments. Got to admit that local charities never crossed my mind, I now will be giving to local rather than national charities. This will ensure that my donation is used locally and that international charities can have a share of the 11 billion given by the govt. should major disasters such as Nepal occur then I will consider giving to each as it occurs.

Regarding your comment of muslim countries, muslims are bound by their religion to be charitable. I can't remember exactly how much and what it is called, but it is significantly more than Westerners tend to give.

Regarding your comment of muslim countries, muslims are bound by their religion to be charitable. I can't remember exactly how much and what it is called, but it is significantly more than Westerners tend to give.

That's interesting, do you mean overall as an individual or as a society/culture?

Do Westerners bath in the glory of charity in order to cleanse/absolve themselves, or is it a case that mass advertising simply brings in the money through pricking the collective conscience. You never hear of Muslim charity, especially as it's more 'significant' should that have foundation.

I'm not sure "I give to......." answers the op's question other than to pat ones own back. Are Muslims more modest in the way they show charity through humility? Is there a Muslim equivalent to 'Children in need' in Islamic states?

Must agree with Cassidy on her points. Can say that have never heard of any Muslim charity other than red crescent. It speaks volumes that the current flood of refugees from muslim States and of Muslim religion are not fleeing to other muslim States but coming west. The only stories in the news are how the workforce building the sporting venues are treat like animals, is this the religion of Islam in practice. You state that their religion says that they should act in a charitable way. According to Islam you should be peaceful, you also should not drink,smoke,gamble or fornicate. Having worked in Sheffields night club scene for the last 30 years I have often giggled to myself how on Thursday nights you see young Muslim ( yes I spoke with them) smoking, drunk with a young slapper on their arm and going into the nightclubs then on to the casino.Then on Friday they would go to prayers, hypocrites. Before you start having a pop at me everybody knows someone of that religion who behaves in such a way. What religion says you should do and what you in fact do are two different things. My religion says I should be unbiased but I no longer can be,there are sections of society that I now whole heartedly detest. When I meet my maker I will ask him what he thought of the acts committed in his name by members of all religions. He may already have decided as he appears he has turned his face from humanity.

I always give when I can just can't stand being pushed into it by cold callers

My OH and myself decided a couple of years ago to not buy birthday presents and Christmas presents anymore for each other. Instead we give £50 on each of our birthdays and £50 at Christmas to a charity. Sometimes we choose where there has been a disaster, sometimes not. last year we chose Bluebell Wood children's hospice.

we have got to the age where we don't need anything, don't know what to buy anyway, and if there is something we need or want, we just go and buy it ourselves anyway, so it saves a lot of messing around, and we enjoy the feeling of giving to someone/something that really needs it.

I think that the answer is to not give if you feel that you're being pressurised or emotionally blackmailed into supporting something that you're not happy with, or which you don't feel has enough clarity to be confident that your donations will be used for genuine aid rather than red tape or other more murky purposes.

That shouldn't stop you from being able to donate to more local or smaller charities where it is a lot easier to check out how they work though.