Is Charity Duty?

[skills101]

So what of people who make one "wrong" decision in their life (say, dropping out of school to support their family)? Should they be kicked to the curb and be told its their own damn fault and they have no business asking us for help?

If I was in that position, I would have it no other way.

 

[Scuba Pete]

If I was in that position, I would have it no other way.

Spoken like a man who has never been there! If I were to hazzard a guess, I would say you were a Republican who voted for Bush. Or is that considered flaming here?

 

[Jaymes]

That, skills101, is one of the greatset disservices to humanity a person can do.

 

[Scott1]

Spoken like a man who has never been there! If I were to hazzard a guess, I would say you were a Republican who voted for Bush. Or is that considered flaming here?

Thanks for asking, NetDoc.... I would hope that you are going somewhere with this statement.... and not just trying to insult skills101.... that would be flaming... in my opinion.

Peace,
Scott

 

[Lintu]

I think it's a reasonable supposition to make. In a study in the 90s, more than half of Republicans believed that the poor were poor because of their own mistakes, while only about 9% of Democrats shared this view. I thought that was pretty interesting.

 

[skills101]

Spoken like a man who has never been there! If I were to hazzard a guess, I would say you were a Republican who voted for Bush. Or is that considered flaming here?

First statement: Right, and what's wrong with that? Should I have to become a dentist to make a comment on a person's teeth? Should I have to make my job a movie critic to judge the Titanic as the worst movie made?

No, I didn't live in luxory. And no, I didn't get a car when I was 16, my parents didn't pay for my college tuition, I didn't get everything I wanted. That may not be homeless, but I stuck to it, and for that, I have no regrets.

Second statement: Wrong. I voted for Kerry.

That, skills101, is one of the greatset disservices to humanity a person can do.

And that's fine for me. Because I look to the stars, and I don't turn back.

I think it's a reasonable supposition to make. In a study in the 90s, more than half of Republicans believed that the poor were poor because of their own mistakes, while only about 9% of Democrats shared this view. I thought that was pretty interesting.

That is interesting. Guess I'm part of that 9%.

 

[Scott1]

I think it's a reasonable supposition to make. In a study in the 90s, more than half of Republicans believed that the poor were poor because of their own mistakes, while only about 9% of Democrats shared this view. I thought that was pretty interesting.

As my good friend The Voice of Reason mentioned, 89.729% of statistics are made up.

... but at least this explains something about your position, and is not just "name calling".

Please, back to the fun....
Scott

** edit ***

That is interesting. Guess I'm part of that 9%.

It's tough being right all the time..... and humble too!

 

[Scuba Pete]

Sorry SOGFPP,

It is funny when calling a man a Republican is considered flaming.

But I still wonder if he voted for Bush?

This is the sterotypical mindset that the self-righteous right seem to have. No, not all, but many I have met seem to fall in that "I gots mine, too bad for you" mentality.

"No man is so tall as when he stoops to help another"... I am not sure who wrote it, but I surely agree with it.

 

[Jaymes]

And that's fine for me. Because I look to the stars, and I don't turn back.

That's where we disagree. I think the best any person can do is to help their fellow man, whether they agree with them or not.

What's that saying... something along the lines of "if you only watch the stars your tea kettle will boil over."

 

[streetsmarts]

First of all Mr skills, i'm sure even you have had a lack of judgement in your time. Maybe you had a fight with you mom and said things you didn't mean, or hurt a friends feelings cause you hear bad rumors about them. People are human. People make mistakes. You make mistakes and so do i. Think of this: imagine that if you made just one mistake, big or small, in this world, you became poor. Think all the poor people. I'm not asking you to start throwing cash out to them, i'm saying think of the ones who are judged constantly by people like you.They have it rough enough already. Don't put salt on there wounds. Because they made one mistake they are branded forever. They might try to start up again, but people aren't forgiving and allow them to.

 

[Quoth The Raven]

I'd wager you're either being a complete ******* about this, or you don't know anyone who was abused by their parents. It isn't that simple, especially considering the crappy job that some child welfare agencies do.



Let's do some math.

Minimum wage is $5.15. Work days are supposed to be 8 hours, unless you work overtime. 7 x 8 = 56.

56 x 5.15 x 4 = $1153.60

That is IF you work every day of the week. If it was a five day week, it would be a mere $824. Considering the high cost of rent, the high cost of gas, the cost of food, the cost of pretty much every damn thing, that's not succeeding. That's scraping by.

My God, $5.15 is your country's definition of a minimum wage?! We pay 15 year olds working after school more than that. I used to clear more than that working a 6 hour day when I was part time. How do people live on that?
Skills, people make wrong choices, it's a part of life. That doesn't mean they don't deserve to be given a leg up. Obviously you've never been in the position where you really needed help, because I can tell you that if you had you would be more than happy to give help to people who deserved it. It's very easy to look down on others, but you have no idea of the circumstance that got them where they are. You don't know that the dirty man on the corner with the bottle in his hand didn't have a complete mental breakdown because he lost his entire family in an horrific house fire and he's never recovered.
Sure, there's plenty of people who abuse the system, but there are also plenty of people who if they just got a little bit of the right sort of help to get their lives back on track would be on their way.

 

[Melody]

If a child is at the point where they're starving or homeless, it is then his or her prerogative to get in foster care, where you will at least have the ability to sleep on a bed, have a plate of food on the table, get an education, and not completely screw up your life.

Where he can be physically and sexually abused *and* hungry. Obviously, you haven't kept up with what's happening in the foster care industry (and oh my yes it is a big business) in the last 20 years.

The lack of compassion you exhibit is astounding. According to a study done a couple of years ago, over 60% of the people in the U.S. are one paycheck away from being homeless. If they get sick and can't work for a week, they will never be able to catch up because every single cent they already earn goes to put a roof over their head, food on the table and clothes on their back. We're not talking about welfare people who get subsidized housing, food stamps and better medical care than working people. We're talking about the working poor. People who earn minimum wage with no benefits, making so little money that there's none to set aside for daycare so they can go back to school in order to earn a better wage.

 

[Unedited]

Where he can be physically and sexually abused *and* hungry. Obviously, you haven't kept up with what's happening in the foster care industry (and oh my yes it is a big business) in the last 20 years.

The lack of compassion you exhibit is astounding. According to a study done a couple of years ago, over 60% of the people in the U.S. are one paycheck away from being homeless. If they get sick and can't work for a week, they will never be able to catch up because every single cent they already earn goes to put a roof over their head, food on the table and clothes on their back. We're not talking about welfare people who get subsidized housing, food stamps and better medical care than working people. We're talking about the working poor. People who earn minimum wage with no benefits, making so little money that there's none to set aside for daycare so they can go back to school in order to earn a better wage.

I know a lot of people live from paycheck to paycheck, but I think that's a little extreme. I mean, the banks don't take away your home that fast. And even McDonald's didn't fire me when I missed a week from the flue.

I wonder if these people would be better off if a hunk of their paycheck didn't go to other people's welfare? I believe it's my duty as a moral human being to help others when I can, but I hate the fact that it's required.

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

Do you believe that we have a duty, as humans, to give to our fellow man? To give to charity, where there's no concrete reward?
"

We have the poor in the UK too.We don't help them that well.
BUT WE DON'T SPIT ON THEM EITHER.

Charity is Giving not recieving.

Terry
_______________________________________________
Blessed are the merciful, mercy shall be shown unto them.

 

[CaptainXeroid]

I realize this thread had 6 months of dust on it before StreetSmarts resurrected it, and I was not active when it went dormant.

Do you believe that we have a duty, as humans, to give to our fellow man? To give to charity, where there's no concrete reward?...

Yes, I think we do have a duty to help our fellow man through charity. I also think charity is much more effective at helping people than government programs funded by taxation.

I think all the other sub-topics were sufficiently covered, so I'll leave it at that.

 

[Melody]

If I was in that position, I would have it no other way.

There speaks a person who has never been in that position. Amazing how a little "walk in the moccasins" can change that perspective.

 

[Melody]

I know a lot of people live from paycheck to paycheck, but I think that's a little extreme. I mean, the banks don't take away your home that fast. And even McDonald's didn't fire me when I missed a week from the flue.

I wonder if these people would be better off if a hunk of their paycheck didn't go to other people's welfare? I believe it's my duty as a moral human being to help others when I can, but I hate the fact that it's required.

No, but your landlord can kick you out that fast. I'm not saying their job fired them. I'm saying that the loss of one week's pay put them behind and they can never catch up because every penny goes to necessary expenses (rent, food, transportation) already.

What happens if you're making minimum wage and you end up in the hospital for a week. One assumes that you're going to come home and be out of work for longer since the hospitals kick you out long before they should (gotta love insurance companies). I takes all of your income just to pay for the necessities...only now you have lost some of that income...and you have medical expenses. What now?

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

No, but your landlord can kick you out that fast. I'm not saying their job fired them. I'm saying that the loss of one week's pay put them behind and they can never catch up because every penny goes to necessary expenses (rent, food, transportation) already.

What happens if you're making minimum wage and you end up in the hospital for a week. One assumes that you're going to come home and be out of work for longer since the hospitals kick you out long before they should (gotta love insurance companies). I takes all of your income just to pay for the necessities...only now you have lost some of that income...and you have medical expenses. What now?

Agreed. with out help they are in a downward spiral.

Terry

 

[michel]

There are many ways you can give, without giving money.

I remember one of our neighbours (she must be 80 odd now) coming over one day to ask me which shop I would recommend her to go to - she had a table lamp, and the flex was too short.

She said to me "Last time, I went to .......'s, and they charged me £15 ($27) labour and more for the parts."

I was horrified (obviously) and did the job for her in a couple of minutes (I am one of those who cuts the flex off anything that doesn't work anymore - I have a boxfull of flex with plugs on - I must have forty or so plugs! ). Obviously, she was delighted - and bought me a half bottle of Scotch - which made me feel guilty.

There again, there are some who are too proud to ask - another neighbour - a widower, who often asks me about financial related subjects knowing that that is my forte.
It is obviously a bit tricky talking to someone about finances - because unless you have the whole picture - you cannot make suggestions; but this guy seems to trraeat me almost like a son (Though he does have family - who don't want to know!).

He told me recently he was worried about the tax man, because he hadn't filled in or received any forms from the tax office for the last ten years - it was obviously playing on his mind. Ten minutes on the computer to find out his tax banding (There is an additional tax allowance for people over 75?*thinks*) to find out that he certainly didn't owe the tax man anything, in fact the reverse was the case!

I told him to go to the local tax office where someone saw him, and agreed that he had been paying too much - they even refunded him his overpayments for the last five years!! He was a happy bunny - and now, he can rest easy - no more worrying!

That is my view of charity - not paying money to have food delivered to African countries where it is left to rot on the quayside because there is no transport arranged to distribute the food!

 

[Melody]

That is my view of charity - not paying money to have food delivered to African countries where it is left to rot on the quayside because there is no transport arranged to distribute the food!

Sadly, sometimes this does happen, but does it mean we shouldn't try?

I do agree with you, Michel, that there are many ways of giving. I don't think one way is better than another, nor do I think someone is a better person because they give their time instead of money. Both are needed.

Good for you, btw, for helping others. I'd frubal you but I'm overextended again.