Kimberly Winston describes the strange actions of some charities that have rejected contributions from atheist groups.
Dale McGowan, executive director of Foundation Beyond Belief, a humanist nonprofit, said his group’s grants have been rejected at least eight times. The foundation, which has given away $1.4 million, does not proselytize for nonbelief and requires that its beneficiaries — some with religious roots — do the same.
It starts with a “Gosh, thanks,” he said, and ends a few days later with “Thanks, but we can’t accept that.” McGowan thinks those who reject FBB’s grants — usually $10,000 each — worry about the perception of being associated with atheists.
And that, he said, is a mistake. “I don’t think most religious people give for the glory of God or because scripture tells them to. I think they give because they are good-hearted people and they feel empathy for others, and that is really no different for those with a nonreligious world view.”
It is a truly strange mentality.
Although I’m sure that’s true, there is probably the niggling fear in the back of a few minds that somehow our money comes from profits on blasphemous videos or selling barbecued babies or conducting Satanic rituals, and that this time, unlike on any previous occasion of suspect financing in the history of mankind, God will smite them for accepting it.
@ Friendly: I don’t think most religious people who handle money have anything like that much of an honest belief in their god. It’s just pure tribalism with an extra helping of don’t LOOK at it because that way you don’t have to recognize it for the petty, small minded nonsense it really is.