Charity = responsibility?
Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2012 4:18 am
I was thinking about the consequence of being responsible and how it compares to charity. For clarity, I looked it up.
Responsible:
"1. answerable or accountable, as for something within one's power, control, or management (often followed by to or for): He is responsible to the president for his decisions.
2. involving accountability or responsibility: a responsible position.
3. chargeable with being the author, cause, or occasion of something (usually followed by for): Termites were responsible for the damage."
You know what? This stuff is really important. Just think of how great the world would be if everyone was more responsible! Children around the world would be happier. Animals would be healthier. There would be less debt. There would be less crime.
Since the word is fairly new (16th century, I think), I'm curious what religious texts have to say about this. The closest word I can think of is "answerable" but even that doesn't really show up in the scriptures. Instead, the word "charity" shows up quite often, particularly in the Book of Mormon. I wonder then, was God trying to tell us (assuming god speaks through the Book of Mormon) to be responsible when he says to have charity?
Can we be charitable if we aren't responsible?
Is responsibilty the root (foundation) of charity?
Or could it be that God was trying to put charity before responsibilty? If so, that seems a little backwards to me. But then, who am I to question the Almighty? I feel a song coming on... Who Am I?"
Responsible:
"1. answerable or accountable, as for something within one's power, control, or management (often followed by to or for): He is responsible to the president for his decisions.
2. involving accountability or responsibility: a responsible position.
3. chargeable with being the author, cause, or occasion of something (usually followed by for): Termites were responsible for the damage."
You know what? This stuff is really important. Just think of how great the world would be if everyone was more responsible! Children around the world would be happier. Animals would be healthier. There would be less debt. There would be less crime.
Since the word is fairly new (16th century, I think), I'm curious what religious texts have to say about this. The closest word I can think of is "answerable" but even that doesn't really show up in the scriptures. Instead, the word "charity" shows up quite often, particularly in the Book of Mormon. I wonder then, was God trying to tell us (assuming god speaks through the Book of Mormon) to be responsible when he says to have charity?
Can we be charitable if we aren't responsible?
Is responsibilty the root (foundation) of charity?
Or could it be that God was trying to put charity before responsibilty? If so, that seems a little backwards to me. But then, who am I to question the Almighty? I feel a song coming on... Who Am I?"
