Donating to causes you can only partially agree with

[ebia]

This comes from something said on another thread, but I'd like to generalize it a bit.

Should we withdraw all support from a cause that we can largely agree with over some point that we can't agree with?

For example, if a library is buying books that you disagree with (along side books that you do agree with), would you withdraw your support?  Lets face it, no-one is going to support all the books a library buys.

Say the library is buying both Christian books and anti-Christian books, why do we automatically say "I'm going to withdraw my giving because they are spending my money on anti-Christian books", when the atheist would presuambly say the same about the Christian ones?  Why not take the view that your money is supporting the Christian book buying, and the atheists money is supporting the anti?

[sincereheart]

Hmmmm..... Interesting.....
I don't know how far you want to go with it, but it sent my mind spinning in many directions.

Should we withdraw all support from a cause that we can largely agree with over some point that we can't agree with?

My initial reaction is "Yes" for the simple fact that there are so many more causes that I can wholeheartedly support. However, I haven't thought through every instance and so may find that not to be the whole case....

For example, if a library is buying books that you disagree with (along side books that you do agree with), would you withdraw your support?  Lets face it, no-one is going to support all the books a library buys.

The way I handle that specifically, in real life, (knowing you're using it generally) is to actually buy and donate whatever books I'd like to see on the shelves. As opposed to just giving money... And by my checking out the books that I find appropriate, it lets the library know which ones I 'support'.  

[Symphony]

Yep, it's a good question.

I run into it with helping support different Christian missions or charities.

After I get to know them, I find out reasons why Not to support them.

But as long as the good outweight the bad, then I continue.  

Maybe ebia's point is, that sometimes it's so much only a matter of how one looks at it--and even, sometimes, how one does the math.

Every 'cause' seems to have its bad points.