who do you help?

[spectrumc01]

How many believe we have a responsibility to the poor? and does your opinion match your religious views? Who would you help first a poor person in another country or a poor person in the US? why?

 

[R.D.]

All three

I cook for the local church who feeds the local poor.

I donate and work for a few of my favorite charities

I donate to disaster funds after vetted

 

[Marie888]

For me, these verses about giving to the poor stick out the most (for me). It's about our hearts. It's about serving the Lord. It's about helping them. (Without wanted to be "seen" by others for their approval).

As for who is first, well I believe if we pray, the Lord will guide us to where He'd like us to help.

Matthew 6
1 Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.

2Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

3But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:

4That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.

 

[Douger]

I donate to the orphanage $
The schools (computer stuff)
My employees can have whatever they need out of my gardens and ponds for free.
An organization I'm involved with planted 13,000 trees last year and are geared up to plant 35,000 this year.
I donate to Rainforest Action Network and the Children's Eternal Rainforest.
I'm part "red savage" so I guess it goes with my "religion".

 

[Douger]

BTW. If we plant enough trees the Brown Dwarf won't have anywhere to land his UFO.

 

[California Girl]

I donate my time to helping the homeless locally.

I do fundraising for a variety of charities... Cancer Research and one local charity are the ones I usually fundraise for.

I donate money to US, UK and overseas charities. I give on an ad hoc basis to any disaster relief funds needed.

 

[Granny]

I think we probably have a responsibility to the poor so long as they make some kind of effort to help themselves. When they truly believe that everybody "owes" them and they should be comforted in all possible ways ... then the responsibility ends.

I find it rather disturbing that we scream and shout (particularly the celebrity crowd) about aiding those in Dafar, Somalia, India, and other places while they ignore those in this country who face the same problems. Do these people do anything to help themselves? Do food supplies, medical care and other aid reach their intended destination or are they hoarded and/or destroyed by the warlords? Do these "celebrities" unselfishly give up their riches or do they depend on others to donate to all their "causes?" Do they go into orphanages or foster care and/or adoption agencies in America to adopt a needy child? No? Why not?

But yet we adore them, they are our idols and we hang on their every word, their self indulgence, their escapades into debauchery ... we constantly feed this enormous industry ridiculous amounts of money to view and revel in their "entertainment" and "talent." But we loath "big corporations" and corporate greed - never mind that those big corporations and their employees give generously to various charities year after year.

Do we have a responsibility to those less fortunate than we are? Not if they take on no responsibility for themselves and their potential to be productive members of society.

 

[Anachronism]

None of the above. I assist INDIVIDUALS and FAMILIES that I know personally who need help. I only give to those who I believe deserve to be helped. Nobody else.

 

[LumpyPostage]

I'm more likely to help poor people in other countries.

 

[Grace]

I dont do much because I dont have much. But if Im in the market for food or the rexall to get meds or someone seems to be in need....I give what I can.
Charity isnt just money, either. I donate rides to those stuck in the rain at bus stops and missed the bus. I take older neighbors who need to go to the doctor. If I have enough, I donate to the local animal shelter to pay for adoption fees or a spay or neuter for animals that cant be adopted until its done. I also donate old blankets to the pound.
I have found 3 alzheimers people in the 20 years Ive lived here...wandering around looking confused...and took them to the sheriffs department becuase they didnt know where they lived.

In short..I do what I can, when I can. I do my best when possible. And I dont count myself particularly religious with any particular organization. It comes from the heart, not what some book says to do or what some slick willy says standing at a podium.

 

[California Girl]

I dont do much because I dont have much. But if Im in the market for food or the rexall to get meds or someone seems to be in need....I give what I can.
Charity isnt just money, either. I donate rides to those stuck in the rain at bus stops and missed the bus. I take older neighbors who need to go to the doctor. If I have enough, I donate to the local animal shelter to pay for adoption fees or a spay or neuter for animals that cant be adopted until its done. I also donate old blankets to the pound.
I have found 3 alzheimers people in the 20 years Ive lived here...wandering around looking confused...and took them to the sheriffs department becuase they didnt know where they lived.

In short..I do what I can, when I can. I do my best when possible. And I dont count myself particularly religious with any particular organization. It comes from the heart, not what some book says to do or what some slick willy says standing at a podium.

It's not always about money, as you say. Lots of charities are desperate for time... they need people to help, not just write a check. You get involved in your community. That's doing more than many people do.

 

[Douger]

I'm more likely to help poor people in other countries.

RANT TIME !!!
Here's a reason I didn't and wouldn't, give a nickel to the Haitian " victims".
As a traveler I've visited many, many countries, including the Dominican Republic, which shares an island with Haiti. The Dominican Republic is quite poor but is a decent country with mostly productive, creative citizens.They grow some fantastic produce, textiles, make fantastic cigars, jewelry and artwork etc.
Haiti is a dumbed down, voodoodoodoo ridden shithole full of stupid monkeys who do nothing but fuck and sleep.Fuck'em.

I need to pick and choose and not listen to the likes of Poppy Satan and Slick Willie to tell me where to send my assistance ( Haiti has huge deposits of nickel and oolite.... get it ?).

Unless you're "giving', solely for the sake of tax deductions, research your "investment".
One laptop per child is a fantastic program.....even though a Nazi started it ???

 

[sparky]

no man is an island i learned, and learned the hard way like i do everything else

a helping hand came my way once, as i circled the drain in desperation

and yanno, one can't possibly undertsate the magnitude of even the simplest act that hand can do at the right point in time

it borders on the spiritual for those of you who may have been there yourselves

and so, i aspired to become that hand,...... what a long strange trip it's been since too, there's nothing quite as convincing toward collectivism being inherently human nature as seeing it's mechaisms tick along like clockwork

 

[waltky]

Uncle Ferd likes to help...

... deservin' young ladies.

 

[Mr. H.]

I recently won the big door prize at our electric co-op's annual membership meeting.
$250 off my power bill account.
I later contacted the co-op and had them donate it to a couple of local churches.
Random stuff like that.

Food banks/USO/Make a Wish/St. Jude's hospital/etc

 

[Skull Pilot]

Charity begins at home so that's where I concentrate my efforts.

 

[Gadawg73]

I help:
My brother 65 year old Nam Vet with no service injuries. He has schizophrenia.
My niece who is in nursing school.
My 2 nephews that have a mother that has Lupus.
My sister that has Lupus.
My mother is 87 and widowed.
My sister has lung cancer. Took her to doctors every day last week.
My father died last May and I helped him
I have a senior in high school and donated time and $$ for her activities. Same with my boys when they were in school.
Family first. No time for anything else.

 

[uscitizen]

I try and convince Tea Partiers they are stupit.

 

[Big Black Dog]

Charity begins at home. I give to Mrs. BBD first.

 

[editec]

My 501 (c) 3's raison d etre is international in scope and serves the entire commonweal of mankind.

So the vast majority my sweat equity charitable contributions goes to both domestic and foreign charity.

But those rare dollars I donate to charities tend to be very local.