| Click
here to read the Evangelising Booklet handed to children with the
shoeboxes Click here to see a video of the evangelism in action |
Introduction
We
write as concerned parents about the appropriateness of the promotion
in UK schools and charity shops of "Operation Christmas Child" (OCC)
which is run by the organisation "Samaritan's Purse."
Intrigued by an article in the Guardian
in November 2003 we researched into this and discovered that
Samaritan's Purse is a fundamentalist evangelical movement that uses
OCC as a well orchestrated method of proselytizing vulnerable children.
In recent years there has been strong criticism and withdrawal of
support of OCC by individual schools nationally and internationally and
by a number of organisations.
(Click here to read background on
why we are concerned.)
It
is only in the last few years, following complaints and an
investigation by the Charity commission that there has been any
indication (in the UK at least) that OCC has much of a religious focus,
let alone that evangelism is the primary purpose. To find out just how
much took some digging around the Samaritan Purse websites
and talking
to those involved. It appears that many people have been doing the
shoebox appeal as a tradition for years before there was much
indication on the leaflets handed out to schools and individuals as to
what the shoeboxes were used for. Subsequently these traditional givers
haven't had any reason to look into it, and so are often shocked to
find out what goes on!
I also get plenty of emails from evangelicals who claim that OCC is
quite transparent and everyone ought to know that they use the
shoeboxes for evangelism. I point out to them that they are transparent
in evangelical churches, in the USA and with people who they think are
sympathetic.
In the UK national and local press they are more guarded, and often
mislead people.
e.g.
The Rev David Applin, chief executive of
SPI, admits that a
religious pamphlet - "The greatest gift of all" - is distributed with
the boxes (though not inside them). But he denies that the appeal is
evangelical. "The
word evangelical has connotations and I prefer to think of us as a
Christian group,"
he says, adding that he
does not regard SPI as a missionary agency.
( http://society.guardian.co.uk/societyguardian/story/0,7843,861580,00.html )
However Compare this with what
Samaritan's Purse tell the
faithful in their Newsletters and on fundamentalist church websites:
From www.samaritanspurse.org/about/pdf/AR2003.pdf
"We
shared the Gospel with them and distributed Bibles," Victor said. "Each
time we do a distribution, it begins with a testimony that Jesus loves
you and died for you...Operation Christmas Child is one of the best
evangelistic tools because it is a gift," ministry partner Victor Kulbich
said.
"It opens the door to telling about Jesus."
If you've seen "The greatest gift of all" (see http://www.oocities.org/occcriticism/booklet.html) then it should be obvious that to deny its purpose is
evangelical is completely dishonest!
Also contrast the following:
"We're over there
trying to help them, we're trying to make the quality of their lives
better and we're not
over there to convert them." [Sean Campbell,
executive director of Samaritan's Purse Canada.]
vs.
The Christian organisation
"Ministrywatch" http://www.ministrywatch.org/mw2.1/H_Home.asp contains the following statement
at
http://www.ministrywatch.org/mw2.1/F_SumRpt.asp?EIN=581437002
The
conversion of the lost is the ultimate and expressed goal of
Samaritan's Purse. This fact distinguishes them from many
other
relief and development organizations, even some others which are
Christian in name and in charter.
Summary
The reason why this website is required is that many people (at least
in the UK) do not know the extent
of the evangelical nature of OCC and that Samaritan's Purse downplay their
evangelical nature in the UK publicity they give to the general
public. When I have told people in the UK that OCC evangelises and
shown them the booklet they hand out most people have been horrified
and stopped
taking part.
So one issue is of the public being properly informed.
However possibly the most "uncharitable" and unethical feature of OCC is that, as Franklin Graham himself said in a promotional video for OCC, "These gift filled shoeboxes provide powerful tools the local churches can use to evangelise people." In other words OCC use toys as tools to entice children to evangelical rallies. That is manipulative and is what has largely upset the Christian ministers who alerted me initially to OCC being problematic. (Note that the some of the strongest critics of OCC are Christian ministers- see the Guardian articles). Likewise Brendan Paddy, of Save the Children, when referring to OCC said it is dangerous when charities mix humanitarian work with the promotion of a particular religious or political agenda.
Another
issue is that the evangelised children are misled. OCC are known to
tell children that "these gifts were given by people who know Jesus."
Whereas in fact the gifts are given by a cross section of people, many
of whom are not Christian and would balk at being so included. Likewise
senior representatives of Samaritan's purse have flatly stated that
OCC is not
an evangelical mission which is dishonest.
The picture given to the public in the UK is that this is primarily a
Christmas present charity, whereas the truth is that it is an
evangelical mission that uses the shoeboxes as a means of evangelism.
If OCC plainly stated on their leaflets that "the shoeboxes are to
be used as an evangelical tool" then I would have less of a problem
with it, as people could choose to support that if they wanted to.
However at present many people who take part are ill informed and don't
even read what little there is on the OCC leaflet regarding evangelism.
Hence my website is an alert.
Here for instance is a response:
I am
so pleased I checked the Internet for information before I sent
the two boxes I had packed and ready to go! I would have been horrified
to think that I had unknowingly (and with good will) contributed to an
indoctrination I do not agree with. Thank you!
Meanwhile
the problem that OCC use the shoeboxes as an evangelical tool remains a
manipulative tactic that should trouble everyone. True
charity should
be unconditional with no strings attached. OCC state
that those who do not
accept their message are damned to eternal punishment. Anybody
familiar with the nature of evangelical Christians will know that this
desire to save people from hell can lead to heavy pressure as well as threats for those who
do not accept their message. As an illustration see some of the disturbing
email I have received from supporters of OCC.
For those who have already packed a shoebox there are plenty of alternatives, including other shoebox charities (even one by a former member of OCC who left to run a secular alternative). For details see here.
A note for critics of
this site
Evangelical Christian supporters of OCC - imagine if
you were giving to a charity that you thought was merely giving gifts
to the needy but was actually using those gifts to spread
fundamentalist Islam, would you want to know? If you are from the USA,
remember that the UK and US presentations of this charity are very
different.
If OCC plainly stated on their
leaflets that "the shoeboxes are to
be used as an evangelical tool" then I would have less of a problem
with it, as people could choose to support that if they wanted to. Even
if this was admitted, enticing children to evangelism with toys is
still manipulative. There are good
alternatives to all this, so there is little excuse to take
part in OCC other than to use toys as tools for evangelism.
In the UK at present many people who take part are ill informed and
don't
even read what little there is on the OCC leaflet regarding evangelism,
let alone dig around the deeper parts of OCC UK website to read the
reports to the faithful on conversion success.
Hence my website is an alert.
I am not the only concerned person. Schools, Christian ministers,
and a number of organisations have withdrawn support from OCC once they
discovered the proselytizing nature of the shoebox appeal. SACRE (the
Standing Advisory Councils for Religious Education) has written to
local schools asking them to view the websites of charities they are
thinking of supporting to check whether they are within the ethos of
their school. This was following complaints about Operation Christmas
Child to the National Association of RE Advisers, Inspectors and
Consultants. I personally know of three local schools which have
stopped supporting OCC once they became aware of its proselytizing
nature as well as other organisational bodies and individuals
withdrawing their support.
Samaritan's purse also downplay the nature of their evangelism
which is dishonest and worrying. Here is an alarming letter which I
received recently:
I came across your
website about Operation Christmas Child. I worked
for a company that did (and still does) a huge push to collect gift
shoeboxes from the community and from employees for OCC. In fact, our
company served as an OCC collection site.
Because of the position I held in the
company, my boss made me
go through the training for people working at collection sites. I was
appalled by what I heard. A man who had taken part in the shoebox
delivery spoke and said that he did not give the children their
shoeboxes unless they brought a friend to hear the story of Jesus.
Another said that any child who took a shoebox HAD to take a Bible as
well. There was tremendous pressure placed on children who received the
shoeboxes (and their families) to convert to Christianity.
After hearing that, I was even more
appalled when the trainer
encouraged us to "downplay" the fundamentalist, evangelical Christian
aspect of OCC. (Although we were only supposed to solicit donations
from Christians.) She knew very well that not as many people would
donate if they were aware that their "gifts" were actually used to
bribe children into accepting Bibles and converting to Christianity.
Next, we were all supposed to sign a
volunteer agreement for
OCC. The agreement stated explicitly that we were Christians working
for Christ. As I am not a Christian, I did not sign, even though my
boss wasn't very happy with me. I told her that if I signed the form, I
would be lying; and if she forced me to sign the form, she would be
violating my right to religious freedom.
By the time I left the training, I was
so disgusted with the
whole program that I flatly refused to take any part in OCC for the
rest of the time I worked for that company. Some of the other employees
tried to make me feel guilty about not even giving a shoebox, but I
replied that my time and money went to programs that did not use
bribery and coercion to "help" children.
I thought I might be the only person who had those concerns, so I was
so glad to come across your website.
Please feel free to use my story if you
like--just don't use my name.
Thanks again for going public with your
concerns about this program!
I have more evidence on the dishonest nature of OCC at http://www.oocities.org/occcriticism/concerns.html
Another posting I found that should concern OCC supporters is the following:
OCC
is not quite the good cause you
might think it is. There are many ways to help people.
Alternative charities, including alternative shoebox initiatives to
disadvantaged children without
the evangelism, are available
here.
Personally I
regularly give to charity, donate blood etc.
and have helped for a number of years taking disabled elderly people on
holiday.
However
if individuals feel Operation Christmas Child is something they wish to
support in full awareness of what they do then that is up to them.
However if you want to give gifts is it moral to use gifts as tools for
evangelism? You can evangelize without gifts and give gifts without
evangelism, how is it moral to entice children to evangelism with toys?
Unfortunately I have found it is nearly impossible to get supporters of
OCC to face this question or the dishonesty in OCC. See
this amazing conversation.
Our
main concern was initially just how few people had any idea of the
nature and
extent of the evangelical activities during Operation Christmas Child.
i.e. parents are contributing without being informed. All those we have
spoken to no longer wish to contribute and yet they were going to until
we told them what we know. More people are aware now than when we
started but there is still a shocking ignorance to be found on occasion
and we know of some people who flately refuse to accept that OCC
evangelise and will not even examine the evidence or read their
evangelising booklet.
Meanwhile
aggressive
reactions I have received from supporters of OCC do little
to reassure me as to the nature of the shoebox appeal. See the
interesting story behind why I am anonymous here.
Discuss
the issues
To
discuss concerns about Operation Christmas Child, or raise any other
comment that you want to be seen and aired publicly, then please go to
the public forum.
I do not comment on the public forum as it is for free, unmoderated
public discussion. If you want a reply then you have to email me.
However first please read the FAQ and example emails.
Read these first: