[Angeheade]

So the Red Nose Day appeal has basically started. For those who don't know, in England we do something called "Red Nose Day" or "Comic Relief" every year, where we raise a s**t load of cash via comedy and the sale of red noses to send aid to places that need it. (Kids on streets, Africans with AIDs. That sort of stuff.) It's great for people, the comedy is fairly rubbish, but it's characters like Doctor Who in Eastenders and that sort of junk, so you've got to love it. I don't do much, but I do a little, and I'm a minute part of something that ends up raises tens of millions of pounds over the course of about a month.

However; a school near me is doing nothing to help raise funds, as it is a Roman Catholic school, and the funds go part way towards helping abortions.

Which, in case you need me to tell you this, is f**king disgusting. I don't care who you are, or what you do, this is one of the few times a year you are outright asked - and almost expected - to do 'something funny for money' to help people who need it the most, and you won't help because you'd rather have more kids living in poverty because the mothers couldn't get abortions?

This is why I hate your religion. This is why I hate.

Bit of a vent topic, but I'd just like to put this out there, and it's more serious than stuff that goes on in the Vent. ie. It doesn't involve a cat on a piano.

YJ

[CymnMaync]

Damn Catholics >

---------- Post added March 17th, 2011 at 12:27 AM ----------

I'm Catholic though >.>

[nretdjuend]

I am pretty liberal, and I do whole heatedly believe no one should be forced/nudged into giving up the fruits of their labour. Furthermore, the community at large should also have no say in what someone believes/follows and we have no right to tell someone they aren't allowed to practice their religion.

I do find religion to be a load of rubbish, but at the same time I respect their right to do it. I don't think this Catholic school should even be expected to donate at all if it means that it would mean helping abortions. If we do expect them to forfeit their religious beliefs, we would be no worse then those nuts who protested the funeral of soldiers or those who do stuff like this.

I am atheist myself, and I would hate it and find it a violation of my rights if I were ever told that I had to 'donate' to a religious school so they could get textbooks. It would indeed mean that the quality of education children receive in those schools would be downgraded, but at the same time no one has a right to make me go against my doctrines, just as I have no right to force others to forgo theirs.

With that said, they ought to do something to help since their own religious beliefs must surely encompass charity, giving to the less fortunate, etc. and they are using public funds I'm sure.

I have no idea on the exact situation, but do they normally help out? If so, why don't they just donate their proceeds elsewhere.

[Edifsdubs]

With that said, they ought to do something to help since their own religious beliefs must surely encompass charity, giving to the less fortunate, etc. and they are using public funds I'm sure.

Yeah. I'm pretty sure that they do charity work in some form or another, that doesn't involve giving people abortions, like handing out food to the poor and what-not. Just because they're choosing not to do charity work on the one day, that the rest of the country suddenly decides to be charitable on, doesn't mean that they're not doing charity work at all. Hell... They might even do more charity work in a month than one does in an entire lifetime. Of course, I don't really know the people, so they could very well be keeping their money to themselves or funding something ridiculous, like child slavery networks or the Westboro Baptist Church.

[Mambattedge]

In Australia, we also have 'Red Nose Day' and 'comic relief' and the proceeds go towards helping fund the research into SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome).

I would never wear a red nose, or do something 'funny'...heaven forbid....but I will often buy a pen, or a 'Pink Ribbon' or a flower (Daffodil). Most often though, I will just make a $5 or $10 donation to the cause.

There are just so many of these blasted appeals out there though, that one gets tired of seeing them all....'Red Nose Day', 'Pink Ribbon Day', 'Daffodil Day', 'Bandaged Bear Day', 'Legacy Day' etc as well as stores raising money for the Queensland Flood Relief, The Red Cross, Local Sporting Teams, Volunteer Fire Fighters and a whole host of other things.

As for the Catholic School, yeah, it sucks....but students/parents can make independent donations if they want to and like I said, there are so many different Charitable Organisations out there, why pick just one? That seems very biased imho.

I can understand why the school won't do it, but if they have actually come out and said 'we will not help because the money goes to fund abortions'...that is just wrong. At least they should have some diplomacy and say 'we already have charities we donate to'...or something like that.

[*Playergirl*]

I can understand why the school won't do it, but if they have actually come out and said 'we will not help because the money goes to fund abortions'...that is just wrong. At least they should have some diplomacy and say 'we already have charities we donate to'...or something like that.

That's the right thing to do. Lying about it is worse. Also it would be hypocritical for them to lie which goes against their moral beliefs, but wouldn't be willing to help out with the abortions.

[tattcasetle]

The money spend by CR in funding family planing charities is very small; "less than 1% of all funds spent has been allocated to family planning charities.". It's likely that even less is actually spent on abortions, even if you don't agree with abortions it's likely that you'll agree with the 99% - at least to me this would be enough to get me to donate and support Comic Relief. That said, I don't think we should be forcing organisations or individuals to donate to charity - I don't donate to charities for particular appeals because sometimes all that money isn't needed for that particular emergency and would better be spent as a general donation on charity that I trust.