One Dove writes:
There's a campaign rolling across the Internet right now that involves anti-abortion activists sending red envelopes to President Obama in an effort to "change his heart." It's being called The Red Envelope Project.
I'm sure this is well intended, but I for one think it is a HUGE waste of much-needed money and time.
Wake up people! Red envelopes are not going to change Obama's heart. It's a nice thought and all, but if the war against abortion is ever going to be won, it won't be by mailing a boat-load of empty envelopes to someone like Barack Obama.
The campaign has good intentions but is it as strategically flawed as indicated above? One might well consider where the Obama administration will file the unwanted correspondence ...
I totally agree. Obama is not going to all of a sudden change his mind because the White House gets red envelopes. The intention is good, but he is so far liberal, there is no way he is going to change his mind because of this. A better way to spend the money would be to take a teenager or college-aged student to Starbucks and discuss the pro-life issue with them.
Obama didn't listen to the millions of Americans that were against the stimulus package. Does someone think that sending these red envelopes is going to change his heart. The pro-life movement often does fluff like this that make them feel good but doesn't do anything to stop abortion. Odds are he won't even see one of these envelopes. If he does know about them, it will be because his staff will tell him that the stupid pro-lifers are sending empty red envelopes. They will get a good laugh out of that one.
Those envelopes will go through the hands of at least several people before ending up in the President's dust bin. Perhaps it will stir the mail handlers to think/rethink their position on abortion. We each have our gifts. Not all are given the ability to speak with conviction and argue fluidly the pro-life cause. This is a little, very inexpensive thing on a per participant basis that could change a heart or two. The person who posted it believes it to be what God is calling her to do. I don't think we should criticize each other in matters such as this. I think doing so undermines our efforts.
What would you do instead?
Read an interview with the founder:
http://www.lifenews.com/nat4837.html
Red envelopes! Could be the martyrs' way of communicating: "'Go, tell that fox' ... fly a kite, because God and not anti-life tactics will win out in the long run." Good hope here can figure: "You know? Sometimes you never know!"
Although the people behind the campaign seek a "change of heart", Obama doesn't need to do anything about it for the campaign to leave it's mark.
It would be interesting to see the 50 million envelop target reached. What about envelops from outside of the US?
To all crape-hangers,
Elivate your thinking to the Spiritual. Prayer along with the envelopes will change his heart.
It's a good thing that Martin Luther King didn't listen to the prevailing mindset of his time
What a Person sees goes to the Mind, What he hears go Straight to the Heart, We participated wtih our Church members in the Red Envelope Campaign, and the FOCA letter and postcard campaign, over 650,000+ did stop, FOCA from being Signed as President OBAMA's 1st law in Office. The PRO-LIFE movement, must remember, United, we will Stand and Prevail, Divided, we will FALL and that is what the PRO-ABORTION People want, DIVIDED, Babies, DIE, We must use every means and ways, to get the Message out. We also sent the same envelopes to Congress.
I am just curious how will 50 million red envelopes appear. It is like planting 50 million tiny crosses on the White House lawn. I think it can make the politicians aware on the number of people who care about this issue. According to Bishop Chaput, 50% of the nation have sided against abortion. For politicians, lobbyists, marketers, media folks - it is all about numbers. Because there is power in numbers. If the silent majority express themselves even in a simple gesture, then one never knows the effect. We cannot let Obama take away our fighting spirit. We cannot be disheartened. The future victims of abortion do not even have their mothers love. We're the only one's left for them and of course the Creator who continually gets offended when His children are brutally murdered. It is like watching the Lord get spat upon & beaten up while we throw up our hands and say, "It's useless."
I was talking to some work friends, one in her 30’s and the other in her late 50’s and neither one had every heard of Partial Birth Abortions or any mention of the deaths and long term physical and mental health risks associated with abortions. I was shocked at how clueless they were. I started asking others, from all walks of like and ages…and found that we as a nation are very, very ignorant of the devastating affects of abortion. The propaganda of the pro-choice movement and liberal politicians has worked very, very well.
We need to send a message, and that message needs to come from many in the secular arena as well as Christians. People see the Pro-Life and Pro-Lifers as religious nuts. As Christians, we have very little respect or influence anymore (sadly) …where are the non- religious Pro-Life voices? They need to stand shoulder to shoulder with those of us on bended knees. God used many different people as tools to usher in the greatest movement and life changing event in history…His Son Jesus Christ.
Red Envelopes? Will they help? My question is, will they hurt? Not at all. All of us have a desire to do SOMETHING , and many are feeling small and insignificant….what can one little child do? What can a house bound elderly person do? What can a very busy, stressed and overwhelmed young mother do? What can a young widowed father working three jobs to support his motherless children do? What can someone who cannot leave their home because of a debilitating illness, do? They can send a Red Envelope. Remember, famous grass root movements in history started with less.
Will our efforts change anything? If we touch one mother and she decides that abortion is not for her, then yes..we made an impact. If our effort turns the heart of one politician to the cause, then yes, we made an impact.
Lastly, we serve a great and mighty God who is still alive and well in the hearts of billions around the world. He never thinks our sincere efforts are wasted time, as long as we do all things with the mind and heart and attitude of Christ.
Thank you for a very well written response to those that doubt the power of good people attempting to make a peaceful change. One child saved is a success. One heart moved is a step forward.
All things are possible with God. If it doesnt change Obamas mind maybe it will open the eyes of more people. God doesnt make mistakes. No child is a mistake. Those who think this is a waste of time. Please pick up a Bible. A single person was able to change lives forever. It is hard to be heard standing just as one person. But the more people that stand up and speak we shall be heard. And hey what would it take you take the time to read these when you could be just filling out a simple red envelope. We need to speak for the ones who are not able to. Speak for the millions of babies who were killed for selfish reasons. May God put many blessing on the one who speak up and stand up for all the babies being killed. The one who dont and think it is a waste, pick up a Bible or just open you heart and listen to the Lord. May God Bless you
How many spies came back from the Promised Land with a positive report? Oh, ye of little faith.
THOSE WERE MY EXACT THOUGHTS,ELLEN.GOD BLESS YOU.I AM ALSO GOING TO "ADVERTISE" IT IN OUR LOCAL 'PENNYSAVER'...SIMILAR TO THOSE 'THANK YOU ST.JUDE' ADS. FROM OUR HEARTS & HANDS TO OTHERS' EYES & HEARTS.
The Red Envelope Project is a unique idea.Doing something like this is a positive visible thing that everyone can do. Some people think it is silly or a waste of time and resources but taking a life is such a waste of a precious resource. It is never a waste to stand up for something you believe in and try to save a child. Obama feels no shame in sending our tax dollars out to other countries for abortions. My goodness people in this country were outraged when that lady had all those babies and was getting tax dollars for it. It really is like 1Cent from some of us, not millions to out of the country people who aren't even citizens.I think life should be protected no matter how. Each envelope is like a prayer and God said prayer is never wasted.
The founder of the Red Envelope project, Christ Otto, has been working with three other web developers (I was one of them) who had taken very early initiative to post web pages on this project. We decided to unify our efforts and make one of those web pages the central one. (There are still other websites on this still besides our group, which is fine.) Our unified site is at http://www.redenvelopeproject.org. Please pass this information around as widely as possible. Please pray for Christ Otto as he seeks God's guidance on how to lead this project.
As noted in the other page in ProLife Blogs on this topic, there's more background information on this available here: http://www.thinkingchristian.net/2009/02/red-envelopes-for-life-where-it-began/ .
In today's world not a whole lot is going to make a huge impact. Just because our society is failing, doesn't mean we shouldn't do whatever it takes to remind the world that we are still here.
The red envelope project will send a message. We may never know what that message is but it will send a message and we can only do what we are called to do and trust God to do the rest.
Our jobs is to never stop lovingly fighting.
I have to say that the tweaking is not a bad idea either!
The man who started this campaign had the image while praying to the Holy Spirit, as if he were being directed to do this work. It may not have an affect on the President, but the power of the Holy Spirit is beyond our comprehension. And maybe it will change the heart of someone in the mail-room who is handling them. We do not know, but we are called to say YES when we are led by the Holy Spirit. No one knows the plan of God. It is not for us to question, only to say YES!! I hope that the price of a stamp is worth the life of a child to even those who are pro-life and feel this is useless. You never know how God will use us to inspire others to do good. So please help this cause and allow the will of God to be done. One day the pro-life dream will come to fruition, but we all have to do our part.
AMEN!!! God has a higher purpose for all of us and this project is just the beginning. Look at all that's been accomplished by word of mouth...we are more oranized now, so the next time will be "watch out!!!" Do not lose heart people :)