Charity Question

[styrgwillidar]

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I wonder if people entertaining themselves instead of giving to charity is wrong. Like is it wrong to spend money on video games or technology when you could be using it to save lives?
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Sirach, Chapter 14, 3-16 The Use of Wealth

"Wealth is not appropriate for the mean-spirited;* to misers, what use is gold?
What they deny themselves they collect for someone else, and strangers will live sumptuously on their possessions.

To whom will they be generous that are stingy with themselves and do not enjoy what is their own?

None are worse than those who are stingy with themselves; they punish their own avarice.
If ever they do good, it is by mistake; in the end they reveal their meanness.

Misers are evil people, they turn away and disregard others.
The greedy see their share as not enough; greedy injustice dries up the soul.
The eye of the miserly is rapacious for food, but there is none of it on their own table.

• My son, if you have the means, treat yourself well, and enjoy life as best you can.
  Remember that death does not delay, and you have not been told the grave’s appointed time.

Before you die, be good to your friends; give them a share in what you possess.
Do not deprive yourself of good things now or let a choice portion escape you.
Will you not leave your riches to others, and your earnings to be divided by lot?

Give and take, treat yourself well, for in Sheol there are no joys to seek."

When you give, give with love- for doing it without love is meaningless. Treat yourself well enough that you do not resent the gift you give to others, so it is a sacrifice out of love for your fellow man and concern for them vice some duty forced from you. Do not resent those who treat themselves well since even scripture warns us that those who resent spending money on themselves will resent spending it on others as well.

Paul, 1 Corinthians 3, 13
“If I give away everything I own, and if I hand my body over so that I may boast but do not have love, I gain nothing.”

 

[zeldamagic]

Thanks everyone. I want to help people yet I feel so many doubts and fears about doing it. Like what if it’s a mortal sin to decide not to give to charity? What’s TAX information?

 

[tifischer]

Thanks everyone. I want to help people yet I feel so many doubts and fears about doing it. Like what if it’s a mortal sin to decide not to give to charity? What’s TAX information?

If there is fear or doubts then I would give to the Church unless God spoke to you regarding a particular charity. My question is why does there have to be so many of the same charity? Say there are 3 charities for ending world hunger and each of them has a CEO who makes $400k/yr and other business related expenses such as corporate offices and well then there are basically 3 times as many people doing the same thing paying the same expenses and it would seem more efficient for the donor to have one organization. If the world donates to 1 org then the revenue for programs increases relative to the percentage of overhead.