There’s a couple of things here.
First of all, understand that simply dumping money and resources into poor countries or communities does not mean that things better.** Getting an effective charity cause to work is a lot more difficult than people think. There was a “we are the world” concert for a civil war in Africa, I think, about 30 years ago. What happened with that money was it got into the wrong hands and EXTENDED the war.
Also remember the Haiti earthquake? Millions of dollars have vanished from that.
So it isn’t quite as easy.
**
Second, I wouldn’t be able to do my job without technology. It’s necessary.
Third, if you think you are in mortal sin because you go to a movie instead of giving to charity, well, even priests watch movies and go on vacation.
If you worry about stuff like that, you MUST find a spiritual director.
The only mortal sin I can think of here off the top of my head is being obstinately rich and refusing to give, maybe bad intentions on such greed and perhaps pride.
When I first came to Mexico, I volunteered at a home for children. Then, I began to see how resources that people took a lot of trouble to bring here to Mexico sometimes …didn´t get to the right places. Sometimes, they ended up tucked away where nobody ever used them!
There was a library that was locked most of the time, but it looked great if visitors came! However, it generally didn’t get used like it really needed to be.
Also, there were allegations of corruption, that the numbers for the finances didn´t add up. Two accountants that worked there were fired. I talked to both, who said they were fired when they discovered theft…that money went to a circle of people, NOT to the kids, for the most part.
I have since volunteered at another place in Mexico, same kind of dynamics. We have a guitar in a library there, books, braille books…none of which we are allowed to access!
At both places, we would use our own resources for the kids, because the money and resources didn´t seem to make it to them.
I agree with the idea that it can be quite hard to be assured your charity gets to where it needs to go.
I also used to try to give to folks on the street, and others with needs, similar problems.
I once gave money to someone who said his daughter needed a school uniform. The money I gave seemed to go towards a party!
Once, I gave a guy money for a crutch…got used…probably for drugs.
So, I have learned to be more careful, because, although God knows our intentions, even if what we give ends up misused. However, I’m tired of having it go in the wrong hands…make the problems worse!
Yeah, it’s also best, when possible, to teach a person how to fish rather than giving him a fish. I have learned I don´t seem to have the capacity to distinguish good charities from bad, at times.
I had some folks who were coming down with these terrible sores. I later learned that some cut themselves up, poured in a purple dye…would use tourniquets on their legs…ALL to get money for drugs!
These drugs caused these terrible sores. I later saw an article on Yahoo Mexico on this new drug which was being nicknamed, “The people’s heroine”! So, apparently, I had given all kinds of resources to addicts!
I talked to one doctor here who had a patient, once, who would NOT get treatment, that the doctor offered to, I believe, GIVE him the treatment, for free. He said if he got better, he couldn´t beg! So, he preferred to be ill!
I had 4 guys I offered to help…to take to medical treatment. All four refused!
I offered to take them to shelters…likewise…refused.
Some people fake disabilities. We had a guy who faked having one leg, later to be seen walking around! We have some people who have been said to also fake blindness, etc.
It’s complicated.
Giving people money does NOT always help. In fact, sometimes, it can also even create a dependence, and when you take that away, they can get VERY mad, feeling like you pulled the rug out from under them!
So, I am more selective, now…give more “in kind” and to people who seem more in legitimate need that I come across.
We have a Telethon here, and some are opposed to it. They say they get all kinds of write offs, and it’s not charity…that they …hard to explain…are making it look like they are doing a service, when they are really not…that it’s basically for tax reasons…not philanthropy and sort of has the opposite effect of what it’s supposed to do.
I didn´t fully understand the explanation, but some here are opposed to a Telethon here for that reason…that it’s not what it’s supposed to be…that one is better off giving directly to the charity, itself, instead.
