The importance of charity

Charity, if it breaks the equilibrium of fair exchange, brings foolishness and sin, as it “promotes idleness, which is damaging both to the beggar, and the society.” So many philosophers and enlighteners believed that indiscriminate almsgiving to the poor is a source of great evil. (Douglas 1993)

But the charity goes beyond financial aid only, since you can devote your time to give advice, to show sympathy for the lonely man, to invite him to dinner. Spiritual charity is very important, it is able to revive the person who needs support. That is why many even relatively poor people can share with a very poor according to their income, they can share not only money but give their help, care, support or advice. If a poor person feels a particular need for spiritual healing, he can give for charity even more than rich man.
But talking about the charity we can not say the arguments against, which point some critics. The negative attitude is based on the belief that charity not only helps, but corrupts people, weans them from work and does not bring benefits to society. At the same time the following arguments are given:
– Charity acts not on the causes of social problems but their consequences;
– Charity itself is an insult to human dignity and embodies the injustice: it compels a man to depend on others.

But those arguments can not destroy that positive, that brings charity: primarily, it is an act of kindness, and goodness is the most important thing in life. Charity enriches the mind and heart of people. When you do charity work (even if it means you have to sacrifice an hour or a whole day), you will discover that thanks to the good attitude you get a lot more in return, and realize how important it is always to be generous and in any situation to try to help. Not because of the duty, but because of the desire to be generous, forgiving, compassionate and unselfish.
In our modern life it is necessary to strengthen philanthropy in all possible ways. We live in an quite prosperous in material terms age, whereas in the spiritual sense we are poorer than ever. Even the most prosperous of us need love and friendship, care and support.

Help to neighbors, children and old people should become a permanent part of our lives. Those who are blessed with great fortune, must be able not just to use it for personal purposes, but to give it and bring happiness to others. In conclusion I must say that charity enriches our life, brings in it real spiritual values, which are eternal.

Works cited
Douglas J. Den. “The Right to Welfare and the Virtue of Charity”. Social Philosophy and Policy, 10 (1993): pp 192-224. Web. 23 June 2011
Hundert E. J. Bernard Mandeville and the Enlightenment’s Maxims of Modernity. Journal of the History of Ideas, 56.4 (Oct., 1995): pp. 577-593. Web. 23 June 2011