Were religions historically charity based?

[_Buffalo]

Buffalo,

I apologize for calling you an idiot, I should not have done that.

No worries.

[_Buffalo]

Even conservatives can embrace charity. William F. Buckley proposed doing away with all food subsidy programs and making four basic ingredients, powdered skim milk, lard, bulgar wheat and dried beans available to the poor and wealthy alike. He noted that you could make a quite tasty fry bread from the first three ingredients. I thought I would mention this since some view conservative politics as a religious substitute.

Buffalo, you are most definitely not an idiot. If you are too strong for the opium of the masses, then perhaps you might like some bulgar wheat instead.

I would never claim to be stronger than someone who believes just because I don't believe anymore. I'll take that wheat, though.

[_jon]

I seem to have a similar view to Buffalo.

Nobody in this world does anything altruistically.
We do what we do because we get something out of it. Fundamentally we are selfish.
If we donate or do charitable works it's because we get something out of it - whether that be a good feeling, recognition, a sense that we are getting into God's good books etc..

The choices we make are based on what fits best with our own personal sets of morals and values. Ultimately, even when it's charitable, we are serving ourselves.

[_Buffalo]

I seem to have a similar view to Buffalo.

Nobody in this world does anything altruistically.
We do what we do because we get something out of it. Fundamentally we are selfish.
If we donate or do charitable works it's because we get something out of it - whether that be a good feeling, recognition, a sense that we are getting into God's good books etc..

The choices we make are based on what fits best with our own personal sets of morals and values. Ultimately, even when it's charitable, we are serving ourselves.

Yes, and there's nothing wrong with that whatsoever. It works.