how do we as atheists feel about companies using customers to donate money?

[Paraselene]

It's the same trickery as the dollar for a lottery ticket.

[Lemonvariable72]

Depends. There is one charity here that does this and its been going every year for as long as I can remember. Its for the IWK, one of the most important children's hospitals in the country.

[Alex K]

They do it here as well, and I never donate this way. I'm not saying that it is a bad idea, I just don't like being asked at random places to donate here and now.

But yes, I don't know what that has to do with atheism either ...

[Thumpalumpacus]

What? I don't know, we'll have to bring it up at the next gathering of the secret atheist society.

You know what my atheism compels me to do do: nothing.

[Longhorn]

But yes, I don't know what that has to do with atheism either ...

Yea, unless there is some god of forced donations the existence of whom we could debate....

[comet]

for example i went to taco bell and they said would u like to donate a dollar to "help a local teen graduate highschool" and i hate when businesses do that because apart from all the rumors that very little of that money actually makes it to a charity, i feel like if they want to donate money they shouldn't piggy back on their customers, instead they should donate their own money.

and the thing is i do believe in chairty and i myself donate quite a bit where I can, but when I go out to eat I go for food not to be cheeped out into donating 1$ for a charity that I can't even find a website for. Also it's tough because my parents are from india and my skin is brown so if the people behind me in line see i say no to the donation they will say "oh that cheap indian didn't donate" - so I feel pressured to because my people have a bad enough reputation as it is, aside from all the others who think I am some how linked to al-quida, but have they have no idea that I served in the US military right outside of highschool and how much money i do donate every year.

past a non belief I got little in common with you.  

[Secular Elf]

I went through KFC last week or so to grab a quick bite. The nice lady asked me to go to the website and respond to some questionnaire or something. I promptly forgot about it.

[vorlon13]

I probably should start a thread, but I don't mind the point of sale shakedowns near as much as the office secretary circulating a collection envelope for yet another co-workers kid's graduation, pregnancy, miscarriage, or marriage, or death in the family, or promotion, or grandma's hysterectomy.

One might think over the long run the amount you put in over the years would kinda sorta balance with what comes back, however, for me, I never failed to put in at least a fiver, no matter how specious the occasion, and I've never seen a nickle on the return ledger. I did get a hallmark card from one place on my last day there.

[LastPoet]

Usually,  I offer food to the food bank here on portugal, when they do their drives. I volunteered there, sadly not enough time lately. I still like to offer some food to those that can't help it. Even if there are abusers taking advantage of charity, better to feed just 1 hungry child than nothing.

[Brian37]

Corporate charity is as it stands now really no better or productive than religious charity. It isn't designed to help is as much as it is done to make the entity look good. If humans are to use charity ethically the idea should be to work to reduce the need for it. Better pay for workers would do that. Free health care and free higher education would do that. Affordable living would do that.

Charity should have a goal of going out of business, not become a business. Charity is not a bad thing when done right, but right now it is way too much used as PR.

The best charity to me is to give more to workers and affordable living so they can do things without help. Charity should be a last resort, not a default. The dependency we have now is created by the top and the pay gap.