Were religions historically charity based?
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Re: Were religions historically charity based?
I just realized the OP was about charity, not morality. Now I feel pretty silly. This is what I get for posting while distracted by the TV.
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Re: Were religions historically charity based?
What you said was still very interesting. :)CaliforniaKid wrote:I just realized the OP was about charity, not morality. Now I feel pretty silly. This is what I get for posting while distracted by the TV.
Oh for shame, how the mortals put the blame on us gods, for they say evils come from us, but it is they, rather, who by their own recklessness win sorrow beyond what is given... Zeus (1178 BC)
The Holy Sacrament.
The Holy Sacrament.
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Re: Were religions historically charity based?
zeezrom wrote:What you said was still very interesting. :)CaliforniaKid wrote:I just realized the OP was about charity, not morality. Now I feel pretty silly. This is what I get for posting while distracted by the TV.
I agree, it was interesting, and relevant.
Roman society was very stoic, there was no compassion for those lacking in the basic needs of life. Jesus Christ gave Himself as God among us, declaring that loving thy neighbor is the greatest commandment of all.
So it is rooted in morals, but Christianity can't be reduced to a moralism. That is an error. All things flow from the center: Jesus Christ, who is not a moralism, but a Person.
Being a Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction -Pope Benedict XVI
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Re: Were religions historically charity based?
madeleine wrote:I agree, it was interesting, and relevant.
Roman society was very stoic, there was no compassion for those lacking in the basic needs of life. Jesus Christ gave Himself as God among us, declaring that loving thy neighbor is the greatest commandment of all.
So it is rooted in morals, but Christianity can't be reduced to a moralism. That is an error. All things flow from the center: Jesus Christ, who is not a moralism, but a Person.
Jesus didn't invent charity. It's common to almost every human society.
https://litigation-essentials.lexisnexi ... 9bcd037ad3
Parley P. Pratt wrote:We must lie to support brother Joseph, it is our duty to do so.
B.R. McConkie, © Intellectual Reserve wrote:There are those who say that revealed religion and organic evolution can be harmonized. This is both false and devilish.
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Re: Were religions historically charity based?
Buffalo wrote:Jesus didn't invent charity. It's common to almost every human society.
Well, if he did then you might ask why didn't he come to earth at the beginning?
Oh for shame, how the mortals put the blame on us gods, for they say evils come from us, but it is they, rather, who by their own recklessness win sorrow beyond what is given... Zeus (1178 BC)
The Holy Sacrament.
The Holy Sacrament.
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Re: Were religions historically charity based?
Buffalo wrote:Jesus didn't invent charity. It's common to almost every human society.
https://litigation-essentials.lexisnexi ... 9bcd037ad3
No it's not, and if it is, the article you linked to proves nothing of the sort. From the abstract you linked to:
First, as regards the republican period, Roman charity was invariably given with either political or ego-driven motives, connected to ambitions for friendship, political power or lasting reputation. Second, charity was almost never earmarked for the most needy. Third, Roman largesse was not religiously derived, but rather drawn from personal, or civic impetus. Last, Roman charity tended to avoid any set doctrine, but was hit and miss in application.
That isn't charity in any sense we use the term nowadays. I can't view the whole article, and I'm not paying $12.50 for something I probably already know about, but the article seems to be describing a combination of Greco-Roman benefaction practices, mixed in with client/patron systems common in the Mediterranean. I can't say this more clearly: this is completely at odds with the concept of love/charity as espoused and taught by Jesus.
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Re: Were religions historically charity based?
Aristotle Smith wrote:Buffalo wrote:Jesus didn't invent charity. It's common to almost every human society.
https://litigation-essentials.lexisnexi ... 9bcd037ad3
No it's not, and if it is, the article you linked to proves nothing of the sort. From the abstract you linked to:First, as regards the republican period, [b]Roman charity was invariably given with either political or ego-driven motives, connected to ambitions for friendship, political power or lasting reputation. Second, charity was almost never earmarked for the most needy[/b]. Third, Roman largesse was not religiously derived, but rather drawn from personal, or civic impetus. Last, Roman charity tended to avoid any set doctrine, but was hit and miss in application.
That isn't charity in any sense we use the term nowadays. I can't view the whole article, and I'm not paying $12.50 for something I probably already know about, but the article seems to be describing a combination of Greco-Roman benefaction practices, mixed in with client/patron systems common in the Mediterranean. I can't say this more clearly: this is completely at odds with the concept of love/charity as espoused and taught by Jesus.
In other words, it was exactly like every other kind of charitable giving. Thanks!
Parley P. Pratt wrote:We must lie to support brother Joseph, it is our duty to do so.
B.R. McConkie, © Intellectual Reserve wrote:There are those who say that revealed religion and organic evolution can be harmonized. This is both false and devilish.
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Re: Were religions historically charity based?
Buffalo wrote:In other words, it was exactly like every other kind of charitable giving. Thanks!
No, thank you! You are a complete idiot and I am finally motivated enough to put you on ignore. Thanks for giving me back whatever part of my life I would have spent interacting with you in the future!
Last edited by Guest on Thu Jun 02, 2011 12:30 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Were religions historically charity based?
Aristotle Smith wrote:Buffalo wrote:In other words, it was exactly like every other kind of charitable giving. Thanks!
No, thank you! You are a complete idiot and I am finally motivated enough to put you on ignore. Thanks for giving me back whatever part of my life I would have spent interacting with you in the future!
Calling me an idiot proves that Jesus invented charity. Good call.
I have an interesting article about the psychology of charitable giving somewhere. I'll have to dredge it up and post it.
Parley P. Pratt wrote:We must lie to support brother Joseph, it is our duty to do so.
B.R. McConkie, © Intellectual Reserve wrote:There are those who say that revealed religion and organic evolution can be harmonized. This is both false and devilish.
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Re: Were religions historically charity based?
Buffalo wrote:madeleine wrote:I agree, it was interesting, and relevant.
Roman society was very stoic, there was no compassion for those lacking in the basic needs of life. Jesus Christ gave Himself as God among us, declaring that loving thy neighbor is the greatest commandment of all.
So it is rooted in morals, but Christianity can't be reduced to a moralism. That is an error. All things flow from the center: Jesus Christ, who is not a moralism, but a Person.
Jesus didn't invent charity. It's common to almost every human society.
https://litigation-essentials.lexisnexi ... 9bcd037ad3
"First, as regards the republican period, Roman charity was invariably given with either political or ego-driven motives, connected to ambitions for friendship, political power or lasting reputation. Second, charity was almost never earmarked for the most needy. Third, Roman largesse was not religiously derived, but rather drawn from personal, or civic impetus. Last, Roman charity tended to avoid any set doctrine, but was hit and miss in application."
The word charity, being rooted in the Latin caritas, means loving-kindness towards all others. This is the Christian meaning of charity, which means, charity flows from unconditional love, not ego-driven motives, ambitions, political power, reputation or fear.
Being a Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction -Pope Benedict XVI