Chairity wont allow atheist to help.

[John V]

Oh look at that, more Christians being bigoted assholes. Never would have guessed.

Here's the atheist group's website:
http://www.meetup.com/Upstate-Atheists/

This group is open to all atheists, agnostics, humanists, etc.

You were saying?

But that's differrrrrrreeeeennnnnnntttttt!

[Cyberman]

It sounds a lot like that old joke about the Gay Mafia, who target homes of their enemies, break in and redecorate.

[Esquilax]

Here's the atheist group's website:
http://www.meetup.com/Upstate-Atheists/

This group is open to all atheists, agnostics, humanists, etc.

You were saying?

But that's differrrrrrreeeeennnnnnntttttt!

And you don't see the difference between an atheist meetup group wanting to be a... group where atheists can meet up, and a charity turning away volunteers for no other reason than their ideological position, then turning around and insulting those same volunteers- who went on quietly to do another sort of charity work- as having the devil with them, and accusing them of offering no money?

You don't see the word in that last bit that might make a group more amenable, by definition, to outside help? It's not like the atheist group there smashed their way into a christian country club or anything, this was a charity!

[John V]

And our believing friends who post here have no clue why we blaspheme religion, well guys, this is one example.

Sorry, I still have no clue.

There's an organization that wants to help people, but limits itself to people of like beliefs.

Guess what - that description fits both of these organizations.

[Captain Colostomy]

And our believing friends who post here have no clue why we blaspheme religion, well guys, this is one example.

Sorry, I still have no clue.

There's an organization that wants to help people, but limits itself to people of like beliefs.

Guess what - that description fits both of these organizations.

Why don't you help yourself to a nice steaming mug of shut the fuck up. My offer isn't only for christards, btw. Anyone as willfully ignorant as you should grab a cup.

[John V]

And you don't see the difference between an atheist meetup group wanting to be a... group where atheists can meet up, and a...

Christian charity wanting to be a place where Christians can provide charity? No, I don't see a difference.

then turning around and insulting those same volunteers- who went on quietly to do another sort of charity work- as having the devil with them, and accusing them of offering no money?

Went on quietly? Whiskey tango... They,re milking this for all it's worth - which isn't much.

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyath...-homeless/

http://www.goupstate.com/article/2013102...?p=1&tc=pg

[Esquilax]

Christian charity wanting to be a place where Christians can provide charity? No, I don't see a difference.

That's because you're a willful, persistent equivocator; charity work should be the one avenue where no help should be turned away, least of all on such petty grounds. And I can almost guarantee you that christians would be welcomed to participate in an atheist charity drive; it's important to note that you haven't actually come up with a parallel at all, you've just looked at an atheist group and assumed they'd turn away volunteer help from christians. Frankly, that's bullshit.

Went on quietly? Whiskey tango... They,re milking this for all it's worth - which isn't much.

Ahh, I see: so while the christian group involved is using their media attention to insult atheists and grumble about secularism, you'd rather target the atheist group who, after being turned away despite an offer of volunteering sans any representation for the group itself, opted to use the experience to raise awareness of an impromptu charity drive they would never have had to run if the christian group had been run by a good christian, and press for more donations from other atheists.

I can see how that blatant example of... collecting donations for the homeless, would seem so scummy to you.

[John V]

That's because you're a willful, persistent equivocator; charity work should be the one avenue where no help should be turned away, least of all on such petty grounds.

Why? What if no help is needed? This soup kitchen can feed up to 350 people at a time and is open every day. Ten atheists on one Saturday are apparently insignificant to their operations.

And I can almost guarantee you that christians would be welcomed to participate in an atheist charity drive; it's important to note that you haven't actually come up with a parallel at all, you've just looked at an atheist group and assumed they'd turn away volunteer help from christians. Frankly, that's bullshit.

No, you're assuming, and I'm actually researching. I quoted their website as saying that they're open to atheists, humanists, etc. They're excluding theists from membership.

I've since found an announcement regarding their care package giveaway which specifically says they'll accept theist help. Call me a skeptic, but do you think it's possible that they added in this bit og hypocrisy as a CYA measure?

Ahh, I see: so while the christian group involved is using their media attention to insult atheists and grumble about secularism, you'd rather target the atheist group who,

The earliest mention of this I can find is the Friendly Atheist post. Do you think he was contacted by the atheist group, or the soup kitchen? Unless you can find something earlier than this which was more likely initiated by the soup kitchen, the evidence indicates that it's the atheists who are publicizing this, and the soup kitchen was likely responding to a request for comment.

after being turned away despite an offer of volunteering sans any representation for the group itself,

Actually their first offer had them wearing atheist t-shirts. When turned down, they said they'd do it without the shirts. But, they had already made it clear that getting their message out was part of their motivation.

I can see how that blatant example of... collecting donations for the homeless, would seem so scummy to you.

Oh please, the Christians are clearly doing much, much more than the atheists in this case.

[Doubting Thomas]

I've since found an announcement regarding their care package giveaway which specifically says they'll accept theist help. Call me a skeptic, but do you think it's possible that they added in this bit og hypocrisy as a CYA measure?

And are you just hell-bent on painting the atheist group as being as big of bigoted assholes like the woman running the soup kitchen? Is it "two wrongs make a right" day? I really doubt that any atheist or humanist group would turn down help from religious groups unless those religious groups were intent upon preaching instead of actually helping.

[Esquilax]

Why? What if no help is needed? This soup kitchen can feed up to 350 people at a time and is open every day. Ten atheists on one Saturday are apparently insignificant to their operations.

Then they should have said that. But they didn't: instead, the atheists were told the reason they weren't being allowed to volunteer was because they were atheists. To try and spin this into a logistics issue is to ignore not only the words coming out of the organizer's mouth, but also the very reason this story became noteworthy at all.

No, you're assuming, and I'm actually researching. I quoted their website as saying that they're open to atheists, humanists, etc. They're excluding theists from membership.

Your assumption is that "open to atheists," is the same as "christians aren't allowed." Which it isn't. At all.

I've since found an announcement regarding their care package giveaway which specifically says they'll accept theist help. Call me a skeptic, but do you think it's possible that they added in this bit og hypocrisy as a CYA measure?

Right, so you found direct evidence contradicting your position, yet you refuse to abandon your original claim. Standard christian operating procedure, then.

The earliest mention of this I can find is the Friendly Atheist post. Do you think he was contacted by the atheist group, or the soup kitchen? Unless you can find something earlier than this which was more likely initiated by the soup kitchen, the evidence indicates that it's the atheists who are publicizing this, and the soup kitchen was likely responding to a request for comment.

The point isn't who started it, but what was done with the attention the story afforded. I thought that was pretty clear in the... exclusive focus I gave to the differences between the two group's approaches. But then... yeah, equivocator.

Actually their first offer had them wearing atheist t-shirts. When turned down, they said they'd do it without the shirts. But, they had already made it clear that getting their message out was part of their motivation.

And what part of "oh, we'll remove any mention of our group when we work there, so is that okay?" shows that the message was a part of their motivation? It's entirely understandable that they'd want to wear a marker of their group initially, you wouldn't slight a christian group for the same thing, but they sacrificed that immediately just so long as they got to help out anyway... and surprise surprise, John manages to accuse them of exactly the opposite of what that action implies.

Oh please, the Christians are clearly doing much, much more than the atheists in this case.

Again, I'm not starting a dick measuring contest. But you got on the atheist's back because they'd dared to get some media attention out of it, so I pointed out that that attention was solely directed toward gaining more help for the cause.

Why are you so desperate to find some non-charitable motivation out of this, but only from the people that aren't on your side?