Quotes About Charity

For example, a good deal of what appears as generous philanthropy is really the fruit of prideful self-love disguised as generosity and reaching out for the validation of public approval and social esteem—and in the process creating enormous social benefits.12 It "gives to get" as a matter of an unspoken contract, rather than "giving because given to," which is the expression of true charity.

Philanthropy is at its best when it is collaborative and inclusive.

Philanthropy is the refuge of rich people who wish to annoy their fellow creatures.

But sometimes, when the heat of the day is over, if I see flowers and grasses athirst, I am taken with pity for them. If no other be there to minister to them I will take a great watering-can in my own hands and give them water in their need. That is no gardening; it is a godlike charity, a sacramental act of mercy.

You can't get rid of poverty by giving people money.

The best kind of charity is to help those who are willing to help themselves.

The best kind of charity is to help those who are willing to help themselves. Promiscuous almsgiving, without inquiring into the worthiness of the applicant, is bad in every sense. But to search out and quietly assist those who are struggling for themselves, is the kind that "scattereth and yet increaseth.

Joy, with peace, is the sister of charity. Serve the Lord with laughter.

Compassion is sexy, and it's good karma.

We are first among the nations in per capita giving: it would take three Frenchmen, seven Germans, or fourteen Italians to equal the charitable donations of one American.

That religion, or the duty which we owe to our Creator, and the manner of discharging it, can be directed only by reason and conviction, not by force or violence; and therefore all men are equally entitled to the free exercise of religion, according to the dictates of conscience; and that it is the mutual duty of all to practice Christian forbearance, love, and charity towards each other.

The Sacklers had given away hundreds of millions of dollars, and for decades the Sackler name had been associated in the public mind with philanthropy.

High spirits mean good begging.

I leave it to Pater Leoden to distribute the remainder of my worldly goods among the parish, as, being an immoral soul, I will have no further need of them." "You mean, immortal, don't you?" Chronicler asked uncertainly.

in such generous form tonight when it comes

I do not, of course, propose to neglect the sick, the feeble or the unfortunate," wrote Galton, "but I would exact an equivalent for the charitable assistance they receive by preventing the more faulty members of the flock from breeding." Galton argued that lunatics, criminals, and paupers should be placed in monasteries and convents "for the purpose of restricting their opportunities for producing low-class offspring." Breeding had become weeding.

If it has the potential to do good, then we should do it

We are constituted so that simple acts of kindness, such as giving to charity or expressing gratitude, have a positive effect on our long-term moods. The key to the happy life, it seems, is the good life: a life with sustained relationships, challenging work, and connections to community.

Or consider child beggars in the developing world. The sight of an emaciated child is shocking to a well-fed Westerner, and it's hard for a good person to resist helping out. And yet the act of doing so ends up supporting criminal organizations that enslave and often maim tens of thousands of children. By giving, you make the world worse. Actions that appear to help individuals in the short term can have terrible consequences for many more.

The willful suffering we see in religion—fasting, sacrifice, even self-mutilation—might well reflect a more general feature of what we see as virtuous. It isn't good if it doesn't hurt, so when we do good, we are willing—in fact, eager—to experience pain. This is why savvy charities sponsor walkathons and marathons, not group massages and beach parties.

Closer to the Pallotta case, they also found that subjects judged someone more harshly for running a charity for profit than for running a corporation for profit.

In experimental work, people tend to contribute more to a charity when they expect to endure pain and suffering for that cause—the so-called martyrdom effect.

If you ask one group of people whether they will participate in a charity that involves a five-mile run (grueling) and a second group whether they will participate if the event involves a picnic (pleasant), the people in the first group are more likely to agree.

Generalizing grossly, what Buddhists mean by practice is more interior and personal, while what Christians mean is more external and social. Or as Aloysius Pieris puts it, in their practice Buddhists stress prajna or wisdom, and Christians stress agape or charity.