Why do people give money to needy people or public causes? Why should people make charitable or philanthropic contributions? What is altruism and how can it best be implemented? These are questions worth careful consideration.
Give because of Greed?
Some of us grew up in churches that stressed tithing—and I
have been a tither my whole life and encouraged tithing when I was a pastor. But
I never told people that tithing was a means for receiving God’s blessings and
to receive more from God than they ever gave to God and God’s work.
There are preachers, though, who have appealed to people’s
“greed” to encourage them to tithe. “If you tithe, God will reward you by
increasing your income” was the appalling “pitch” some preachers used, seeking
to bolster the church’s financial income.
More generally, there are those who give because of the “greedy”
desire for the good feelings they get from contributing to the emotional
appeals by charitable organizations and/or needy people.
Perhaps greed is too strong a word to use here, but I
simply mean the strong desire to get more of something, such as more blessings
and (maybe) money or more feelings of self-satisfaction.
Give because of Guilt?
Historically, two of the most generous philanthropists in
the U.S. were Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller.
Carnegie (1835~1919) made his fortune in the steel industry,
and the wealth of Rockefeller (1839~1937) came largely from profits he made from
the Standard Oil Company, which he established in 1870.
The philanthropy of those two industrialists is clearly
visible in the worldwide Carnegie libraries and the work of the Rockefeller
Foundation. And without doubt, multitudes of people have been helped by the philanthropic
gifts of those two men .**
However, recently June and I have watched (on DVD) The
Men Who Built America, the six-hour miniseries docudrama originally
broadcast on the History Channel in 2012, and we have seen an apparently
accurate portrayal of the ruthlessness of those two tycoons and the harm they
did to so many.
Particularly horrifying were the catastrophic Johnstown Flood of
1889 and the Homestead
Steel Mill Strike/Massacre of 1892. The docudrama clearly depicts
Carnegie’s culpability in both of those tragedies.
That excellent miniseries, though, fails to note that those catastrophes
occurred during the very time Walter Rauschenbusch was pastor in the Hell’s
Kitchen area of New York City and beginning to emphasize what came to be known
as the Social Gospel (see my 9/30
blog post).
Even though Carnegie had built a few libraries before those
events that significantly tarnished his good name, most of his philanthropic
work was after them and most likely at least partly rooted in his sense of
guilt and his desire to restore his reputation.
Give because of Gratitude?
In the New Testament, Matthew quotes Jesus as saying, “Freely
you have received; freely give” (10:8, NIV). Accordingly, it is obvious
that the best reason for altruistic giving is not because of “greed” or guilt
but because of gratitude.
A strong sense of gratitude goads us to give graciously to
help others. But how is the best way to give? Just acting upon our subjective
feelings may not be best.
In recent years, an “effective altruism” movement has been
popular in some circles. It recommends rationally considering ways to give that
will produce the greatest good for the greatest number of people rather than
giving on the basis of emotional appeals and feel-good causes.
(You may want to check out this website: Using reason and evidence to do the
most good - Effective Altruism.)
Interestingly, two major proponents of effective altruism
are non-religious thinkers/writers: Peter Singer (b. 1946) and Steven Pinker
(b. 1954). To learn more about them, see Singer’s 2013 TED talk
and this
2021 interview with Pinker.
There is also an Effective Altruism for Christians website (see here). I also encourage you to
(re)read Guidelines
for Charitable Giving, my blog post for Nov. 30, 2010.
Yes, there is much to consider with regard to altruism/charity/philanthropy.
_____
** I wrote about those two outstanding philanthropists in my
Sept. 15, 2017, blog post titled “Problems
with Philanthropy,” and it is worth reading again.
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Local Thinking Friend David Nelson sent me an email with the following comments, which I am happy to share here.
ReplyDelete"Thanks for another provocative essay. I guess I fall in the category of 'gratitude' but I would frame it differently. I give because I am human. I share my resources because I am part of a human family that is delightfully diverse. I was fortunate to be born in a place of extreme wealth and yet remain connected to my family around the globe. The very least I can do is share."
Thanks for your comments, David. It seems to me, though, that saying you were fortunate so the least you can do is share is an expression of gratitude. There are multitudes of people around the world who are a part of the human family but who struggle for the mere necessities of life. They are able to share hardly anything because they have hardly anything. But for those of us who were "fortunate to be born in a place of extreme wealth," sharing with those in need seems to be rooted in gratitude, whether that word is used or not.
DeleteEric Dollard, who also was a local Thinking Friend before he moved to Chicago a few years ago, send these comments by email:
ReplyDelete"Thanks, Leroy, for bringing up this critical topic as we want our dollars for charity to be as effective as possible.
"One for the World, for which you have provided a link, is an example of an organization dedicated to effective altruism. Three other organizations that evaluate the effectiveness of charities are Charity Navigator, CharityWatch, and Candid (formerly GuideStar).
"Regarding tithing, a Lutheran pastor once told me that the issue is not how much one gives to charity (or 'God' in his words), but rather how much one keeps for oneself."
Thanks, Eric, for your helpful comments.
DeleteI think www.1fortheworld.org was a link within one of the links I gave, and I don't know much about it, but it does seem that it is, indeed, a part of the effective altruism movement. And it is encouraging people to give 1% of their income to help eliminate world poverty. This is probably something most of us can, and should, do in addition to our regular tithe.
I think the Lutheran pastor made a valid point: if a person with an income of $100,000 gives a tithe, he/she still has $90,000 to live on, but if a person with an income of $50,000 tithes, there is only $45,000 for living expenses. That is the reason there have been calls for a "graduated tithe," which I think is a reasonable suggestion, although I have not directly put it into practice. Here is the link to an article about that:
http://www.providentplan.com/2811/the-graduated-tithe-a-good-alternative-to-tithing/
And here are valuable, thought-provoking comments from local Thinking Friend Debra Sapp-Yarwood.
ReplyDelete"Thanks for your thoughts, but reducing philanthropy to greed, guilt or gratitude is missing the point. The nonprofit sector was formed in acknowledgement that there are higher values that do not advance with a free market and its baked-in profit motive. So, yes, there are feel-good aspects (your point) and also tax breaks for giving, but those are incidental benefits.
"I can't think of a word that begins with "G," but the reason one gives is because one has a vision for a better world.
"In Christianity, we presumably dream of a world in which the first shall be last and the last shall be first. We believe in 'freedom in Christ,' which is NOT the freedom to own and use horrible weapons or say unkind things without consequence. It is freedom from worldly values -- like emperor worship and materialism.
"By extension, it is a freedom to appreciate the beauty of a simple lily and the birds of the field (and to protect them -- which costs money). It is the advancement of the healing arts (miracles, if you will -- which cost money). It is the elevation of art and music -- a joyful noise, a Psalm of lament (but artists need to eat, and that costs money). It is to honor, as God does, the peacemakers, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, those who have been imprisoned or endure other hardship and grief. We give our money to things that advance that vision.
"I used to have a friend who would snort that trite, 'You don't solve problems by throwing money at them.' It occurred to me, when I was working in the nonprofit sector, that the answer to that is simple: 'Yes you do! But you have to aim.'
"Jesus' instructions to the rich young ruler were heart-breaking to hear, but they summed up the nonprofit vision: give up your worldly goods and follow. He didn't promise that the young man would be freed of guilt, he didn't accuse him of greed (the man likely inherited his wealth) or intone about how his gratitude should lead him to give up his goods and follow. He just said 'do this.' One cannot serve mammon and God. Perhaps the 'G' word I'm looking for is God."
Thanks so much, Debra, for your comments. (Interestingly, I was just thinking earlier this morning that it had been quite some time since you commented on any of my blog posts.)
DeleteI don't disagree with what you wrote--nor do I see it as a rejection of my main point. Baptist preachers, and I was one for a long time, were well known for, and often ridiculed a bit for, preaching sermons that usually had three points and a poem--and the three points often were alliterative. I didn't have an appropriative poem to share, but perhaps I pushed it a bit with the three "G" words. I came close to using "grace" for the third point, but decided that would not communicate well with those who are non-religious.
Yes, I agree that giving that is not for self-centered reasons, or maybe even that is at least partly for such reasons, is often because of "a vision for a better world." But where does that vision come from, and what motivates the giving to help actualize that vision? I contend that the basic motivation comes from gratitude. And gratitude is a response to God's grace, so your comments ended with the most appropriate 'G' word!
Then I received the following comments, which I read after posting the above response to Debra, from Thinking Friend Michael Olmsted in Springfield, Mo.
ReplyDelete“Thanks for helping me revisit my motivation to ‘give’ financially for the blessing of others in an often cruel world, as well turning my thoughts to the influential power of God’s Spirit in a call to the fearful life called ‘ministry.’ I understand that much of my urging came from a family that cared about others outside our circle and the idea that we must be unselfish or life becomes an empty drive for ‘more.’ But I suspect that somewhere in those discomforting teen years I first understood that ‘God is love’ cannot be reduced to belonging to a church and knowing that you are going to heaven. We all seem to be born with that selfish gene while having the capacity to ‘know better’ as God in Christ reveals himself to us.
“This all sounds so proper religiously, but the one element that humans have within their soul is the understanding that we may be a mere speck in the universe but we can make a real difference when we give for the good of others and consider how much God gives to us. Sounds like holy talk ... and it is ... the language of shared humanity in the matrix of God’s grace.”
Thanks for your pertinent comments, Michael, which fit in well with the response I made to Debra (above).
DeleteGreetings from Osaka Dr. Seat. Thank you again for sharing with us about giving and helping others in sharing people the gospel but also doing good works to those around us. I have a question as I am taking the book of Amos this semester, I studied how Amos, and especially Micah, prophets who served in the kingdoms of Israel and Judah have judged and punished the people of the rich for defiling themselves in not helping the poor, like Amos said that one person sold a poor person as a slave for a pair of shoes. For the understanding of Amos, how do both Amos and Micah relate to the importance of helping people around us? Hopefully that helps if you are familiar with their service of the Lord. Blessings, S.K.
ReplyDeleteThanks for reading and responding to this blog article, Steven. I saw from your Facebook posts that you are studying Amos now, and certainly he as well as Micah and Isaiah were highly critical of the exploitation of the poor by the wealthy. I think Amos 5:24, Micah 6:8, and Isaiah 1:10-17 are among the most important verses in the Old Testament prophets.
DeleteI Love this 'View from the Seat' because it explains far Better than I can why we should Give.
ReplyDeleteOur Charitable Giving Foundation was Founded why back in 1974 to Give out of Gratitude and Love.
We need to remember that what we have belongs to GOD and Not to us!
Blessings to All Givers,
John Tim Carr
Thanks for reading and responding, John Tim -- and thanks for all the charitable giving you have done and led others to do through your Charitable Giving Foundation.
DeleteI am a bit slow sharing these brief comments received early this morning from local Thinking Friend Vern Barnet:
ReplyDelete"Another important contribution to your thinking friends. Thank you.
"As I remember, the public relations "PR" industry really began with Carnegie's efforts at rehabilitation."
Thanks, Vern, for your affirmation and for your comment about the public relations industry, which I know little about. I tried to learn more, and here is one thing I found: "In the 1890s, the first public relations professionals began advising the wealthy on how to use philanthropy to placate the public. Many Gilded Age industrialists, like John D. Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie, donated money to support cultural institutions and scientific advancement." (From https://daily.jstor.org/the-social-responsibility-of-american-industrialists/)
DeleteA few minutes ago I received these comments from Thinking Friend Kevin Heifner, an M.D. in Arkansas:
ReplyDelete"I give from necessity of spirit at this point in my life.
"A while back I wrote a personal reflection about giving based on the example set for me by both sets of my grandparents and my parents. And at various times all were at different places on the economic/financial scale. So I wrote about the concept of giving from the perspective of those that have little and those that have much. The key is I was always taught to give, financially or other gifts. I was fortunate.
"I think our motivations for why we give (as well as why we do other things) may change based on our age and life circumstances. For me at present, I view it within the concept of choosing to 'live large rather than live small.' To not do so makes me less than complete."
And then this came in from Thinking Virginia Belk in New Mexico:
ReplyDelete"Have you read 'Carnegie's Maid' [2018, by Marie Benedict]? In that book, I learned that it was his maid who took him to task about his selfish motives for his philanthropy, and it resulted in a change in attitude. Could this be a case of 'better late than never?' in him?"
Virginia, thanks for sharing this; I had not heard of "Carnegie's Maid," but it sounds quite interesting. It is a novel, though, and I wonder if there is any historical basis for the story told by the author.
DeleteThanks for sharing your insights Leroy on giving. I think we will have a variety of motivations to give, which may change from time to time, depending on the circumstances. The motives will include a mixture of selfish and altruistic ones, given our human condition as sinner-saints.
ReplyDeleteIn addition to gratitude, I think another "altruistic" motive is related to our solidarity with others: Jesus' for as much as you do it to one of these, you do it to me, and the Pauline emphasis of weep with those who weep, rejoice with those who rejoice-i.e. compassion in response to God's grace.
My all-time favourite charity is Canadian Lutheran World Relief, celebrating its 75th anniversary this year. The website address is: https://www.clwr.org/
Thanks for your comments, Garth, and I certainly agree with your mention of "compassion in response to God's grace," which I would include under the "gratitude" umbrella.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the reference to CLWR, which I knew knowing about. My son-in-law used to work for World Relief, but that seems to be a completely different organization; its website is https://worldrelief.org/
Your link to Steven Pinker includes an interesting discussion of how to consider basic policy questions such as global warming and nuclear disarmament in evaluating what constitutes effective altruism. He seemed content that technological progress will solve global warming, while nuclear disarmament is an issue that simply does not give individuals much leverage. So he focuses on healing the sick and bringing eyesight to the blind.
ReplyDeletePeople come with a wide variety of personalities, abilities and interests, which allows us to have a diversified society. I think it also allows for a wide variety of approaches to effective altruism. I am not as optimistic as Singer about global warming solutions, and wonder if Singer is still so, after the last couple of years. For this reason I have been the lay leader of the Green Team at my church, trying to chip away at the dangerous complacency of so many. I suppose Singer my argue I have not achieved much bang for my buck. I a similar vein, I support family planning and even abortion rights, because giving women control over their own reproduction is critical to both eradicating poverty and saving the environment. If we each chip away at the problems before us, I hope that collectively we will achieve great things.
Since several have posted favorite charities above, I will join with a link to Project Drawdown, which has compiled a list of things to do to save the environment. Their website is here: https://www.drawdown.org/
Craig, I am very late in responding to your comments above, but I appreciate your posting significant comments, as usual.
DeleteI had not known about Project Drawdown, and I am thinking that perhaps that is an organization that I, also, should be supporting.
Thinking Friend Virginia Belk also made comments by email on Oct. 7, which I failed to post here previously:
ReplyDelete"My problem with Altruism/philanthropy/charity (magnanimously giving to 'the poor') is related to White Privilege syndrome. . . .
"Developing an understanding of kinship calls to mind Relatives; Family; Clan; Tribe; Band; Club. As the female Chinese president of the Chinese Academy of Forestry hosted the first International Symposium on Social Forestry in Beijing in 1998 said, 'We have only one globe' (planet, earth); if we think of ourselves as world citizens, kin to every other human on earth, we can begin to understand our role in God's Kingdom.
"Jesus' statement that the widow's mite was greater than the rich man's noisy contribution points the way to give. The Chinese proverb about teaching one to fish rather than just giving another a fish to eat is a beginning. If we share our meal and then show the other person how to fish, we just might be on the way to proper giving to others."
Thanks, Virginia, and I apologize for not posting your remarks here earlier.
DeleteI just now read through the comments of your Thinking Friends, and appreciated the thoughts of each one. I thought how well each one articulated and filled out the various motives we each have in sharing our resources with the world. You are indeed fortunate to have these great minds responding to your offerings "every five days."
ReplyDelete