Philanthropy as a Fad

More than I’ve seen in my short lifetime, and as far as I can tell from the past hundred years, the past few decade has seen a new phenomenon arise within the culture, that being philanthropy as a trend. People spending time and money on others is not a bad thing, and most would agree, but what I question are the reasons why people are giving.

If we donate such and such to such and such cause, we’ll help out these people in a country much poorer than our own. It’s a nice thought, but why? For social change? That’s a popular one. To change the world? Another big one. But what if those things don’t happen? Are we certain that giving will make any difference at all, and what is the stopping place?

That’s the real point I want to make. If it’s guilt, social change, compulsion, peer pressure that are the reasons, then I have serious doubts as to whether this movement toward philanthropy will be lasting. Those in the Christian tradition helped the poor because that’s what Christ commanded. It’s the new law. And the law should not be broken for the sake of convenience, even though it very often is.

But that’s not how these causes are advertised is it?

Help us change the world. Help us make a difference. Look how efficient your money will become if you donate it to us. It’s become a point of marketing a product because of its efficiency, not because its goodness. When efficiency becomes the end in itself, it becomes a move to progress without a clear goal. If the reason for doing anything good is out of a desire for global change, or guilt, or anything or thing besides moral law and it being good in itself, then it will die or turn into something far nastier than a person intended.

St. Francis of Assisi is a popular saint as of late. “Preach the Gospel and use words if necessary,” is the famous saying. Read about his life and his personality. He was the least efficient person when it came to good works. He was impulsive and flighty, but look at the good he expressed through his life. He was already sold on loving simply because he knew he was loved by God first, and all he wanted was to share it with every person he came in contact with. Because of this, he’s one of the most revered saints in the Christian tradition.

That’s his reason. What’s yours?