How much should one donate to charity?

What would you do if?

Moderator: Moderators

User avatar
2ndRateMind
Site Supporter
Posts: 1540
Joined: Wed Apr 19, 2017 4:25 am
Location: Pilgrim on another way
Has thanked: 65 times
Been thanked: 68 times

How much should one donate to charity?

Post #1

Post by 2ndRateMind »

I wonder if there is a formula for this, that we all might agree is ethical?

For example, if $X is your income, net of tax, and $Y is your basic cost of living, then maybe $Charity should = ($X-$Y) *20%, and this might be such a formula.

As ethical dilemmas go, this would seem to me to be a constant problem for all of us would be philanthropists, who still want to maintain a degree of prudent management over their financial situation.

How do you calculate your charitable donations, or do you not calculate at all, just go with gut sentiment, and what you have available at any given point in time?

Best wishes, 2RM.
Last edited by 2ndRateMind on Wed Jul 29, 2020 9:51 am, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
2ndRateMind
Site Supporter
Posts: 1540
Joined: Wed Apr 19, 2017 4:25 am
Location: Pilgrim on another way
Has thanked: 65 times
Been thanked: 68 times

Re: How much should one donate to charity?

Post #11

Post by 2ndRateMind »

[Replying to post 10 by Tcg]

It seems that it is our job to feed the hungry. After all, we have put in place the economic arrangements that have left them so poor.

Best wishes, 2RM.
Non omnes qui errant pereunt
Not all who wander are lost

User avatar
Tcg
Savant
Posts: 8487
Joined: Tue Nov 21, 2017 5:01 am
Location: Third Stone
Has thanked: 2141 times
Been thanked: 2293 times

Re: How much should one donate to charity?

Post #12

Post by Tcg »

2ndRateMind wrote: [Replying to post 10 by Tcg]

It seems that it is our job to feed the hungry.
It seems that your claim was that God answered your prayer.

Is there some reason you have concluded that prayer is useless in this case?

If not, why are you ignoring the solution I recommended?

User avatar
2ndRateMind
Site Supporter
Posts: 1540
Joined: Wed Apr 19, 2017 4:25 am
Location: Pilgrim on another way
Has thanked: 65 times
Been thanked: 68 times

Re: How much should one donate to charity?

Post #13

Post by 2ndRateMind »

Tcg wrote:
2ndRateMind wrote: [Replying to post 10 by Tcg]

It seems that it is our job to feed the hungry.
It seems that your claim was that God answered your prayer.

Is there some reason you have concluded that prayer is useless in this case?

If not, why are you ignoring the solution I recommended?
Indeed. That is my claim. And my prayer was on exactly this topic, that God should save the world (and I meant temporally, rather than spiritually). But, instead of saving the world, for some reason best known to Himself, He chose to save me instead, (and I mean spiritually, rather than temporally) despite the fact that I found it most inconvenient at the time.

So, I guess that is His way of saying: 'Your problem. You deal with it.'

Best wishes, 2RM.
Non omnes qui errant pereunt
Not all who wander are lost

User avatar
Tcg
Savant
Posts: 8487
Joined: Tue Nov 21, 2017 5:01 am
Location: Third Stone
Has thanked: 2141 times
Been thanked: 2293 times

Re: How much should one donate to charity?

Post #14

Post by Tcg »

2ndRateMind wrote:
Tcg wrote:
2ndRateMind wrote: [Replying to post 10 by Tcg]

It seems that it is our job to feed the hungry.
It seems that your claim was that God answered your prayer.

Is there some reason you have concluded that prayer is useless in this case?

If not, why are you ignoring the solution I recommended?
Indeed. That is my claim. And my prayer was on exactly this topic, that God should save the world (and I meant temporally, rather than spiritually). But, instead of saving the world, for some reason best known to Himself, He chose to save me instead, (and I mean spiritually, rather than temporally) despite the fact that I found it most inconvenient at the time.

So, I guess that is His way of saying: 'Your problem. You deal with it.'

Best wishes, 2RM.
So, you admit that prayer was/is useless. I couldn't agree more.

User avatar
2ndRateMind
Site Supporter
Posts: 1540
Joined: Wed Apr 19, 2017 4:25 am
Location: Pilgrim on another way
Has thanked: 65 times
Been thanked: 68 times

Re: How much should one donate to charity?

Post #15

Post by 2ndRateMind »

[Replying to post 14 by Tcg]

Not to me, it wasn't. It, and it's answer, which was the invasion of my heart by the love of God for all creation, utterly changed my life, and my understanding of life, for the better, forever.

Best wishes, 2RM.
Non omnes qui errant pereunt
Not all who wander are lost

Menotu
Sage
Posts: 530
Joined: Wed Nov 06, 2019 5:34 pm
Has thanked: 4 times
Been thanked: 5 times

Re: How much should one donate to charity?

Post #16

Post by Menotu »

2ndRateMind wrote: I wonder if there is a formula for this, that we all might agree is ethical?

For example, if $X is your income, and $Y is your basic cost of living, then maybe $Charity should = ($X-$Y) *20%, and this might be such a formula.

As ethical dilemmas go, this would seem to me to be a constant problem for all of us would be philanthropists, who still want to maintain a degree of prudent management over their financial situation.

How do you calculate your charitable donations, or do you not calculate at all, just go with gut sentiment, and what you have available at any given point in time?

Best wishes, 2RM.
It's no one's place to tell another how much is too much (or not enough)
People should give what they want. If they want to give99% of their income, that's their choice. They shouldn't think (or get) support from others when they can't then pay their own bills.

User avatar
Purple Knight
Prodigy
Posts: 3465
Joined: Wed Feb 12, 2020 6:00 pm
Has thanked: 1129 times
Been thanked: 729 times

Post #17

Post by Purple Knight »

I've a question.

Let's say we come to some not-all percentage as acceptable. We'll call it X% since we haven't agreed upon what it is.

This implies it is moral to retain some percent of what you get, that being 100-X% and call it Y% (and we already said, X is not 100, so Y is non-zero).

Is it still moral to keep Y% if people will die without it? That's the question.

User avatar
2ndRateMind
Site Supporter
Posts: 1540
Joined: Wed Apr 19, 2017 4:25 am
Location: Pilgrim on another way
Has thanked: 65 times
Been thanked: 68 times

Re:

Post #18

Post by 2ndRateMind »

Purple Knight wrote: Mon Feb 17, 2020 3:26 pm I've a question.

Let's say we come to some not-all percentage as acceptable. We'll call it X% since we haven't agreed upon what it is.

This implies it is moral to retain some percent of what you get, that being 100-X% and call it Y% (and we already said, X is not 100, so Y is non-zero).

Is it still moral to keep Y% if people will die without it? That's the question.
Yes, I think so. Apart from some billionaires, most of us could give away all our money and not even put a discernible dent in the problem, indeed, only aggravate it, by reducing our own selves to penury. We must needs be responsible for ourselves, as well as the world. And that is a matter that requires an optimal solution, from all of us, rather than a specific absolutist commandment, at all of us. Hence Jesus' second great commandment was indeterminate in $ value, just 'Love each other'. If we all only did that, we would all be on the path to salvation, and many of the world's more intractable problems well on the way towards resolution.

Best wishes, 2RM.
Last edited by 2ndRateMind on Wed Jul 29, 2020 12:28 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Non omnes qui errant pereunt
Not all who wander are lost

User avatar
2ndRateMind
Site Supporter
Posts: 1540
Joined: Wed Apr 19, 2017 4:25 am
Location: Pilgrim on another way
Has thanked: 65 times
Been thanked: 68 times

Re: How much should one donate to charity?

Post #19

Post by 2ndRateMind »

Tcg wrote: Fri Nov 02, 2018 5:44 pm
2ndRateMind wrote:
Tcg wrote:
2ndRateMind wrote: [Replying to post 10 by Tcg]

It seems that it is our job to feed the hungry.
It seems that your claim was that God answered your prayer.

Is there some reason you have concluded that prayer is useless in this case?

If not, why are you ignoring the solution I recommended?
Indeed. That is my claim. And my prayer was on exactly this topic, that God should save the world (and I meant temporally, rather than spiritually). But, instead of saving the world, for some reason best known to Himself, He chose to save me instead, (and I mean spiritually, rather than temporally) despite the fact that I found it most inconvenient at the time.

So, I guess that is His way of saying: 'Your problem. You deal with it.'

Best wishes, 2RM.
So, you admit that prayer was/is useless. I couldn't agree more.
That is not what I said, or meant, and if I have given that impression, I apologise appropriately. The efficacy of prayer depends on the receptiveness of the prayor. I just meant to say my prayer was answered, convincingly enough to me, and that it changed the whole course of my life. Useless? Maybe so to you, but my new life has restored to me much happiness. Even if that happiness arrives along with the challenge and responsibility to do some stuff to improve the world.

Best wishes, 2RM.
Non omnes qui errant pereunt
Not all who wander are lost

User avatar
HardMichael
Newbie
Posts: 3
Joined: Tue Jul 28, 2020 9:25 am
Location: England Manchester
Been thanked: 1 time

Re: How much should one donate to charity?

Post #20

Post by HardMichael »

As much as you wish. It should be given from all your heart, with love. I don't calculate but basically, monthly I donate 10% of my salary. I encourage you to access sites where people in need, in pain, poor people need your support and help. Donateers is a team that provides you all facilities to donate easily. You can donate even your car if you are gonna buy a new one or just do a good service for someone. They connect different charities near you, so you have just to be a good Christian and make a difference in someone's life. Spread the love of God! Amen!

Post Reply