I cannot help but think of Christian Nationalist and those who profess the Prosperity Gospel to be hypocrites at best and Heretics at worst but I’m Agnostic so what do I know.
It's funny how around Trump there are gathered those who seem to
argue that you should help your family (and fellow republicans) first (and leave the rest to rot and die), and those who argue their decisions are based on some longtermist utilitarian view based on a hypothetical mega population of a multi-planet species which we should prioritize. Of course they're all arguments for not caring and not helping anyone, so on that they're definitely united, but the apparent contradictions are quite interesting to witness.
I have long thought the solution to a lot of the "charity" forced on us by the theft of our property (taxation) should be in an *informed consent* model. Anyone who really is anxious for American tax dollars to be used outside of the country (or inside for that matter) should be allowed to look through a list of options on their annual tax form. No more of this blanket 'we take 30% of what you earn and do whatever the hell we want with it'.
No. You have to look through the 50 pages of charities and their descriptions which the feds are willing to finance and you have to choose. If you choose nothing, then your extra funds go to your state or a general fund for children managed by people who aren't charity grifters. If you want to pay to sterilize mosquitoes in Mozambique, then you check that box.
Why is a bureaucrat who can't be fired (until this month anyway) making these decisions with my money? The entire model is anti-christian, and not real charity at the end of the day.
Lest I sound like I hate charity in general, I've been paying for the education of children in underdeveloped countries for almost 40 years now. I write to those children and buy them birthday and Christmas gifts, and sometimes (when we are lucky) graduation gifts. One of them was murdered in the 90s. One graduated from his Caribbean high school and is in college in the US. Several of them have had to drop out of school for a variety of reasons, and we always pick up another child when that happens and start again.
The current model of forced and often corrupt charity is utterly broken.
We need to go back to square one and free individuals to choose.
This is such a powerful piece. I am floored. It should be published all over. This is the best thing I have read in a long time.
I cannot help but think of Christian Nationalist and those who profess the Prosperity Gospel to be hypocrites at best and Heretics at worst but I’m Agnostic so what do I know.
It's funny how around Trump there are gathered those who seem to
argue that you should help your family (and fellow republicans) first (and leave the rest to rot and die), and those who argue their decisions are based on some longtermist utilitarian view based on a hypothetical mega population of a multi-planet species which we should prioritize. Of course they're all arguments for not caring and not helping anyone, so on that they're definitely united, but the apparent contradictions are quite interesting to witness.
Extremely good work. Thank you.
https://open.substack.com/pub/christandcounterfactuals/p/the-ordo-amoris-has-an-important?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=2g7utv Another important article here.
A Christian here. I really appreciate you putting into words my own thinking. This is the best article of yours I have read so far.
incredible work.
I have long thought the solution to a lot of the "charity" forced on us by the theft of our property (taxation) should be in an *informed consent* model. Anyone who really is anxious for American tax dollars to be used outside of the country (or inside for that matter) should be allowed to look through a list of options on their annual tax form. No more of this blanket 'we take 30% of what you earn and do whatever the hell we want with it'.
No. You have to look through the 50 pages of charities and their descriptions which the feds are willing to finance and you have to choose. If you choose nothing, then your extra funds go to your state or a general fund for children managed by people who aren't charity grifters. If you want to pay to sterilize mosquitoes in Mozambique, then you check that box.
Why is a bureaucrat who can't be fired (until this month anyway) making these decisions with my money? The entire model is anti-christian, and not real charity at the end of the day.
Lest I sound like I hate charity in general, I've been paying for the education of children in underdeveloped countries for almost 40 years now. I write to those children and buy them birthday and Christmas gifts, and sometimes (when we are lucky) graduation gifts. One of them was murdered in the 90s. One graduated from his Caribbean high school and is in college in the US. Several of them have had to drop out of school for a variety of reasons, and we always pick up another child when that happens and start again.
The current model of forced and often corrupt charity is utterly broken.
We need to go back to square one and free individuals to choose.