Charity babies

[2bme]

Charity that is run by organisation's centred around a core religious belief system is bogus charity. Have you ever thought the question: Why don't they do more than they do? You know know exactly what I'm saying here, especially when some churches are rolling in the dosh/cash. I'll tell you why. Religious organisation's are symbiotic in nature. If they actually helped someone enough so they wouldn't need to return, their organisation would die off. They need a continuous supply of poor people to survive, you get that!

 

[Bob]

You may have encountered some churches that are self-serving, but most churches, as well as charities based on core religious beliefs, are acting in accordance with Love Your Neighbor As Yourself. (see Matthew 25: 35,36)

Jesus Himself said we would always have the poor with us. Are there really organizations that want to ensure there are plenty of poor people? Sounds more like some politicians!

Peace and blessings.

 

[Gottservant]

You may have encountered some churches that are self-serving, but most churches, as well as charities based on core religious beliefs, are acting in accordance with Love Your Neighbor As Yourself. (see Matthew 25: 35,36)

Jesus Himself said we would always have the poor with us. Are there really organizations that want to ensure there are plenty of poor people? Sounds more like some politicians!

Peace and blessings.

That's right! Poor people aren't proof that nothing can be done for the poor, and that charities are lying to them telling them they will cure their poverty - they don't lie! They help the poor, even though they are always going to be there.

It's an interesting thought, though, isn't it? That if the Church gave as much as it could, the rich of the world might do so as well!

 

[2bme]

You may have encountered some churches that are self-serving, but most churches, as well as charities based on core religious beliefs, are acting in accordance with Love Your Neighbor As Yourself. (see Matthew 25: 35,36)

Jesus Himself said we would always have the poor with us. Are there really organizations that want to ensure there are plenty of poor people? Sounds more like some politicians!

Peace and blessings.

All church's, not some. Because they have to believe in something first before they can do the second something. That kind of motivation is based on a false medium, that people act in the interests of their belief rather than the interest of the person that need's the help.

 

[Bob]

That's right! Poor people aren't proof that nothing can be done for the poor, and that charities are lying to them telling them they will cure their poverty - they don't lie! They help the poor, even though they are always going to be there.

It's an interesting thought, though, isn't it? That if the Church gave as much as it could, the rich of the world might do so as well!

Thank you for the reply. You sound cynical.

Are there charities or churches that claim their mission is to cure poverty? The various missions are to give a helping hand with food, drink, shelter, clothing, healthcare, and hope for the future.

For those people that are able-bodied, then some missions would include helping them support themselves. If a person is physically or mentally incapacitated, then more permanent help would be offered. No charities that I am aware of know how to cure poverty. Who can cure poverty?

The great John Wesley said, “earn all you can, save all you can, give all you can.” It is up to each person to decide how to help and what to give.

Blessings.

 

[Bob]

All church's, not some. Because they have to believe in something first before they can do the second something. That kind of motivation is based on a false medium, that people act in the interests of their belief rather than the interest of the person that need's the help.

Thank you for your reply.

Actually, the Apostle Paul said almost the same thing you are saying, in 1 Corinthians 13: 1 - 13. Unless one is helping others out of compassion, it is just going through the motions. Belief alone is insufficient.

Yes, there are religious people and churches who act purely out of obedience, but many pastors have preached that they can and should do better (e.g., Alister Begg, Truth For Life - The Bible-Teaching Ministry of Alistair Begg).

Personally, I would rather not impugn the motives of a cheerful giver. If you have compassion purely for secular reasons, that also works for me. (See the following poem: Abou Ben Adhem by Leigh Hunt | Poetry Foundation)

Peace.

 

[2bme]

Thank you for your reply.

Actually, the Apostle Paul said almost the same thing you are saying, in 1 Corinthians 13: 1 - 13. Unless one is helping others out of compassion, it is just going through the motions. Belief alone is insufficient.

Yes, there are religious people and churches who act purely out of obedience, but many pastors have preached that they can and should do better (e.g., Alister Begg, Truth For Life - The Bible-Teaching Ministry of Alistair Begg).

Personally, I would rather not impugn the motives of a cheerful giver. If you have compassion purely for secular reasons, that also works for me. (See the following poem: Abou Ben Adhem by Leigh Hunt | Poetry Foundation)

Peace.

Bob,

Another element that is overlooked with this religious charity archetype is that there is a disingenuous attitude towards the people they believe they love. There is a obvious and glaring wall that we poor people must stand on the other side of at all times. To say at the very least it's condescending to have people think they know better about me than I do.

Oh they'll give you food, clothing, shelter, but not their heart.

 

[Grailhunter]

Charity that is run by organisation's centred around a core religious belief system is bogus charity. Have you ever thought the question: Why don't they do more than they do? You know know exactly what I'm saying here, especially when some churches are rolling in the dosh/cash. I'll tell you why. Religious organisation's are symbiotic in nature. If they actually helped someone enough so they wouldn't need to return, their organisation would die off. They need a continuous supply of poor people to survive, you get that!

Good Deeds and charity are the character of Christians. What would be the alternative? It is what Christ wants us to do. Read the Sheep and the Goats story and notice what happened to those that did not help those in need. Matthew 25:31-46

But that does not mean you should not be careful who you contribute to.
I worship at several churches, many denominations, and over the years the topic of charity has come up….Even charity within their own church. And some members of those churches object to helping people in their own church because they feel they are where they are because of the choices they have made and if you help them they will make the same bad choices and end up back where they started….the wet noodle effect. Which more often than not is what happens because most are in bad shape because of their choices. But this is not the thing to fixate on, it would be a very very bad mistake to use this as an excuse for not helping some one or not giving to charity. You have to consider the big picture….and I do mean the big picture.

If Christ only saved those that did not make bad choices, we would all be in trouble. Christ’s saving sacrifice is spiritual charity. He offers salvation to us….a fresh start. But most of us may still make bad choices and still get forgiveness and some of us may sin our way Hell. No matter what, life is a learning experience. Work out your salvation with fear and trembling. Philippians 2:12

When we help others we are not going to know how God is working in their life so we have to give in love and in faith in God. But that does not mean that charity should be a knee jerk response.

Some churches require counseling to go over what they did wrong or financial advise, mostly just information….no judgment. And there is nothing wrong with taking care of your own first… Christians.

Our journey in Christianity with Christ. I see my life as a journey with Christ….walking with Christ. And Christ knows us…our heart. And if He knows we are good Christians and will help those along the way on that journey He will put people in our path that need help because He knows we will help them. And that pleases Christ. Store your treasures in Heaven….Matthew 6:19-21. Sometimes Charity is a matter of time. Physically helping someone.

Sometimes churches have favored charities or you may have charities at work or you may have your own favorite charities. My favorite charities are childrens hospitals and veteran relief organizations and elderly community centers and food banks. But there are other good charitable organizations.

And you can check on their effectiveness, like how much of the charitable contribution go to running the organization, this percentage should be low and it should not make the top administration rich. You can check on this at…..Charity Navigator on the web.

Your own charitable efforts…..I do a neighborhood / subdivision charity with the elderly …. In the summer I ride around on my four wheeler and introduce myself to the elderly folks in my neighborhood at yard sales and such and give out “business cards” and let them know that they are not alone and I can help them with different things. I have three freezers of food….no one in my neighborhood should go hungry and for most of my life I have shared my holiday dinners with those that are alone.

And do not forget the church….give to church….and support the church, which can be money or time….it is the same thing. If you cannot afford to give to the church….give a penny….there is a reason for that and support the church in different ways.

 

[Bob]

Bob,

Another element that is overlooked with this religious charity archetype is that there is a disingenuous attitude towards the people they believe they love. There is a obvious and glaring wall that we poor people must stand on the other side of at all times. To say at the very least it's condescending to have people think they know better about me than I do.

Oh they'll give you food, clothing, shelter, but not their heart.

Thank you.

As it happens, some Christians are just as obnoxious as some secularists (maybe even more). Christians have the same temptations as everyone else. Their faith is supposed to keep them humble and compassionate, but it doesn’t always.

John the Baptist railed against the arrogant religious leaders of his day (Matthew 3), as did Jesus (Matthew 23).

Surely you do not condemn all religious charities.

(

)

 

[Grailhunter]

Surely you do not condemn all religious charities.

Not at all.

 

[Aunty Jane]

The sad thing is, that the good-hearted people who try to help are overwhelmed by the ever increasing number of people who are now poor, but who work three poor paying jobs and live in their cars…..When things happen in the commercial arena, greed drives the value of your currency. Food, real estate and housing prices….every one wants maximum dollar. No one is willing to take a cut in profits to help those who are struggling to even eat a couple of meals a day.

What causes inflation? Poor management of the economy and a vast array of issues that are political and extremely corrupt. The poor are taxed to death and the rich have creative accountants who see to it that they pay a bare minimum of their income.

The rich are getting richer but more miserly….selfishly buying things that they don’t need and will never make them happy……and the poor are getting hammered by a world that has lost the meaning of love….this is exactly the picture that the Bible paints as taking place before God steps in and rectifies the whole mess, holding all to account. The bigger they are…the harder they will fall.

 

[Bob]

Not at all.

You are hereby awarded first prize for the pithiest, snarkiest response of the day!

Otherwise, we might should be cautious about categorical statements that “all X are Y.”

Peace.

 

[Bob]

The sad thing is, that the good-hearted people who try to help are overwhelmed by the ever increasing number of people who are now poor, but who work three poor paying jobs and live in their cars…..When things happen in the commercial arena, greed drives the value of your currency. Food, real estate and housing prices….every one wants maximum dollar. No one is willing to take a cut in profits to help those who are struggling to even eat a couple of meals a day.

What causes inflation? Poor management of the economy and a vast array of issues that are political and extremely corrupt. The poor are taxed to death and the rich have creative accountants who see to it that they pay a bare minimum of their income.

The rich are getting richer but more miserly….selfishly buying things that they don’t need and will never make them happy……and the poor are getting hammered by a world that has lost the meaning of love….this is exactly the picture that the Bible paints as taking place before God steps in and rectifies the whole mess, holding all to account. The bigger they are…the harder they will fall.

Thank you for your response.

A couple of comments: inflation can be caused by more dollars flooding the economy with no increase in goods and services. It can also be caused by our government making goods and services more costly through excessive regulation (e.g., suppressing energy supplies). Our federal government has done both in the last 3 years.

As for “greedy” or “miserly” people: let us preach the Gospel and, with the help of the Holy Spirit, turn them to God.

Blessings.

 

[Grailhunter]

You are hereby awarded first prize for the pithiest, snarkiest response of the day!

Otherwise, we might should be cautious about categorical statements that “all X are Y.”

Peace.

LOL

 

[2bme]

Good Deeds and charity are the character of Christians. What would be the alternative? It is what Christ wants us to do. Read the Sheep and the Goats story and notice what happened to those that did not help those in need. Matthew 25:31-46

But that does not mean you should not be careful who you contribute to.
I worship at several churches, many denominations, and over the years the topic of charity has come up….Even charity within their own church. And some members of those churches object to helping people in their own church because they feel they are where they are because of the choices they have made and if you help them they will make the same bad choices and end up back where they started….the wet noodle effect. Which more often than not is what happens because most are in bad shape because of their choices. But this is not the thing to fixate on, it would be a very very bad mistake to use this as an excuse for not helping some one or not giving to charity. You have to consider the big picture….and I do mean the big picture.

If Christ only saved those that did not make bad choices, we would all be in trouble. Christ’s saving sacrifice is spiritual charity. He offers salvation to us….a fresh start. But most of us may still make bad choices and still get forgiveness and some of us may sin our way Hell. No matter what, life is a learning experience. Work out your salvation with fear and trembling. Philippians 2:12

When we help others we are not going to know how God is working in their life so we have to give in love and in faith in God. But that does not mean that charity should be a knee jerk response.

Some churches require counseling to go over what they did wrong or financial advise, mostly just information….no judgment. And there is nothing wrong with taking care of your own first… Christians.

Our journey in Christianity with Christ. I see my life as a journey with Christ….walking with Christ. And Christ knows us…our heart. And if He knows we are good Christians and will help those along the way on that journey He will put people in our path that need help because He knows we will help them. And that pleases Christ. Store your treasures in Heaven….Matthew 6:19-21. Sometimes Charity is a matter of time. Physically helping someone.

Sometimes churches have favored charities or you may have charities at work or you may have your own favorite charities. My favorite charities are childrens hospitals and veteran relief organizations and elderly community centers and food banks. But there are other good charitable organizations.

And you can check on their effectiveness, like how much of the charitable contribution go to running the organization, this percentage should be low and it should not make the top administration rich. You can check on this at…..Charity Navigator on the web.

Your own charitable efforts…..I do a neighborhood / subdivision charity with the elderly …. In the summer I ride around on my four wheeler and introduce myself to the elderly folks in my neighborhood at yard sales and such and give out “business cards” and let them know that they are not alone and I can help them with different things. I have three freezers of food….no one in my neighborhood should go hungry and for most of my life I have shared my holiday dinners with those that are alone.

And do not forget the church….give to church….and support the church, which can be money or time….it is the same thing. If you cannot afford to give to the church….give a penny….there is a reason for that and support the church in different ways.

I never needed to believe in a god first before I could give something to someone, neither did you, neither did anyone. So something is really wrong here if all of a sudden we need a god to believe in to do that.

 

[Aunty Jane]

A couple of comments: inflation can be caused by more dollars flooding the economy with no increase in goods and services. It can also be caused by our government making goods and services more costly through excessive regulation (e.g., suppressing energy supplies). Our federal government has done both in the last 3 years.

Should we be surprised that poor government is responsible for everything that happens by their choices?

They know exactly what they are doing long before they implement their decisions…..they have expert analysts who can tell them exactly what a government decision will do to all their subjects. It is cold and calculated to benefit the ones they want to help keep them in power. We know that all human government is corrupt because of who is their puppet master. (1 John 5:19; Luke 4:5-8) It cannot be anything else.

Can we then rightly expect human governments to do otherwise when the Bible clearly shows us the reasons why power corrupts all humans. It’s the reason why God never gave man permission to rule himself….
He was to be ruled by his Sovereign Creator and remain obedient throughout his life, confident that God would guide and direct his steps in loving direction, always for his good. That was the purpose of the TKGE. It was God who would give only good things to his human creation and keep evil out of their lives.
Obedience would have resulted in unending life right here on earth where God put us and gave us an assignment. (Gen 3:22-24)

Giving his angelic and human ‘children’ free will, was not a mistake…it was a precious gift, but abusing that gift turned it into a curse. All evil committed on this earth is the result of disobedience to the Sovereign of the Universe, using their free will in a way that insults and disrespects every good thing God gave them in his extraordinary generosity.
They would reap what they had sown.

As for “greedy” or “miserly” people: let us preach the Gospel and, with the help of the Holy Spirit, turn them to God.

Understanding why there are ‘greedy’ or ‘miserly’ people helps us see who it is that requires our help.
The old saying…”don’t give a man a fish…teach him how to fish” is valid in many cases.
Charities who simply feed people who are responsible for their own plight through their own choices are not helping them to become useful members of society. Finding those who respond to our spiritual assistance is a good thing, but we can be used by the unscrupulous ones.

I’ll give you an example…..in my hometown the Anglican Church had a gathering every week called “Hope Fellowship”, which was offered to any and all who were struggling financially and in other ways. A Bible talk would be given and after that, supper would be offered. After some time, they noticed that the same people were coming back week after week with no real interest in the talk, but who really enjoyed the free food.
It came to be called “Hopeless Fellowship” because it wasn’t achieving what it aimed to do. All they had was “rice Christians”……so sometimes you have to stop and see what the help is doing to people. Is it simply making them more dependent upon the charity? Is it enabling a useless life?

Jesus taught us that we have responsibilities in life, and that making poor decisions should not be rewarded. The help we offer should promote some changes in attitude and life choices…often very difficult ones like overcoming drug and alcohol addiction.

The Christian faith offered to help their fellow Christians first. Those who wanted to share that help, in turn learned to help others….so it wasn’t a hopeless exercise. If people saw that serving God brought blessings that helped the once helpless to stand on their own feet and become useful member of society, then motivation would drive some of them to do better…to be better and then to pay that forward to someone else.

Playing the victim forever is a useless exercise. At some point people have to learn to be self-sufficient and of course accept help when it is offered, but not treat it like it’s an ongoing obligation to support those who have no intention of changing their ways.

Charities are not always helping in the important ways….and yes some are just businesses with highly paid CEO’s. The charity Jesus encouraged was “you received free…give free”.
Not all charities are good ones.

 

[Bob]

I never needed to believe in a god first before I could give something to someone, neither did you, neither did anyone. So something is really wrong here if all of a sudden we need a god to believe in to do that.

Thank you for sharing.

Because humans are social mammals, it should not surprise us that our basic nature is to be selfish and grasping. Toddlers typically act out their basic nature: grabbing from others and using force to get their way.

In order to transform toddlers-children-teens into responsible adults, they should be taught sharing (not grabbing) and gentleness (not coercion).

If you believe it is good to help others (a form of sharing), it is likely someone taught you or you might have had a good role model.

If one is a Christian, one believes that God communicated His expectations to the first people: Sharing & Caring, and being Gentle & Peaceful.

If you are a secularist, you will need to explain how the first people learned these behaviors on their own.

Blessings.

 

[Grailhunter]

I never needed to believe in a god first before I could give something to someone, neither did you, neither did anyone. So something is really wrong here if all of a sudden we need a god to believe in to do that.

I never said that you need God to be charitable. You can be a complete atheist and be charitable. In fact you can be a totally awesome person without God. But without God you will spend eternity screaming in agony in fire. But if you are an atheist you do not believe that, so just for fun roll the dice.

 

[Aunty Jane]

I never needed to believe in a god first before I could give something to someone, neither did you, neither did anyone. So something is really wrong here if all of a sudden we need a god to believe in to do that.

What did Jesus teach about that?
His parable of the Good Samaritan was powerful and a slap in the face to the Pharisees. The ones who ignored the man’s humanitarian plight…(being stripped of his garments didn’t allow for racial identification) so the Jews coming by gave him a wide birth probably thinking he might be one of the hated Samaritans, enemies to whom no assistance was to be given. Jesus put that idea to bed. (Matt 5:43-44)

The hero in this story was himself a Samaritan…a man who saw a fellow human in need and provided help at his own expense.
He did not think about racial or religious differences but simply saw a fellow human being who needed his help that he could provide out of his own means and compassion.
This is the example we are to follow, but the Samaritan did not set up a organization to help every person who might need help…it was this one time…and on a personal level we are all obligated to help anyone who needs it, and it is within our power and means to do something.

The Christians did organize some disciples to help with food distribution to the needy widows among them. Helping their own brethren first, and others on a personal basis as the need arose. (the Good Samaritan)

In Israel, helping the needy was incorporated into God’s law, where the outer edge of a farmer’s field was left unharvested so that the poor could glean, giving them the dignity of working for their own food.

We can find a balance here if we really want to…..

 

[2bme]

Thank you for sharing.

Because humans are social mammals, it should not surprise us that our basic nature is to be selfish and grasping. Toddlers typically act out their basic nature: grabbing from others and using force to get their way.

In order to transform toddlers-children-teens into responsible adults, they should be taught sharing (not grabbing) and gentleness (not coercion).

If you believe it is good to help others (a form of sharing), it is likely someone taught you or you might have had a good role model.

If one is a Christian, one believes that God communicated His expectations to the first people: Sharing & Caring, and being Gentle & Peaceful.

If you are a secularist, you will need to explain how the first people learned these behaviors on their own.

Blessings.

We still know nothing about our natural emotional traits and are widely uneducated in how to act accordingly when our emotions trigger. I'll prove to you this is the case.

There is definitely a region of the brain that our feelings are managed:

So how many emotions can the human brain generate? What is each type of emotional reaction for? Do our unpleasant emotional responses tell us there's something wrong with the outside? Or something wrong on the inside? Human beings have developed in their logical abilities and also in their physical abilities, but lack understanding how their emotional abilities work. This is why so many adults act like childish rat-bags and stunted in a teenage emotional state.