Buying from non-catholic charities?

[Kyson]

I have been wondering about fair trade products, now that local parish flea markets are coming again this year. Would you buy a fair trade product from a non-catholic NGO that you couldn’t purchase in its catholic counterpart? After reading about some dubious uses of donated money from non-catholic organizations and articles about why buying is like a vote of approval, I am not pretty sure if I can buy without the risk of supporting something not-so-catholic.

I understand that the best choice is always donating to the catholic charities, but I was wondering about those fair trade products from other non-profit organizations being sold in the parish flea markets during Christmas that look like a more responsible choice than your average purchase yet you can’t adquire in a catholic charity shop. I would like to know what you guys think. Thank you very much.

 

[Lee1]

I don’t know if you have something in particular in mind but I buy something I want when I see it and if it’s a fair price and in what we call charity shops, thrift shops perhaps? I buy it. The only reason why I wouldn’t is if there was some specific controversy about a particular organisation.

I actually help to regularly run Catholic sales locally for my church and if there is something I want, need or like for some reason of course I buy from my church. The other shops I’m sometimes in are national charity shops, maybe for heart disease research or mental health charities or even animal welfare charities. I don’t have time to research every one of them and certainly not in depth.

 

[TheLittleLady]

I have been wondering about fair trade products, now that local parish flea markets are coming again this year.

A Catholic craft fair would be to highlight crafts made by the parishioners.

If you go to a community market or other shop, that is where NGOs would be selling wares.

We are allowed to buy things made by non-Catholics

 

[CilladeRoma]

Not necessarily. My parish has had a sale for years that showcases wares from all over the world that are supplied by a bunch of different organizations, secular and religious.

 

[TheLittleLady]

They would likely advertise that as a Bazaar or a Market or some sort of “World Wide Craft” sale.

Parish Craft Fair has a meaning, sort of like if you advert a “Parish Bake Sale”, people will expect baked goods

 

[Phemie]

Not necessarily. My parish has had a sale for years that showcases wares from all over the world that are supplied by a bunch of different organizations, secular and religious.

Similar to Ten Thousand Villages?
Mennonite Central Committee organizes this sale in my town each November. Never occurred to me that I shouldn’t shop there.

 

[SuscipeMeDomine]

If I’m looking to buy a whatzit as a Christmas gift and have the option of buying it from a national chain store, Amazon, or some charitable group that helps the poor in another country, I would feel good about buying from the charity. Not only am I getting the gift I was going to buy anyway, but I’m helping people who need it. What’s not to like?