Dear Friends,
It seems to me, charity cannot come at the point of a gun it must come from the heart, else it is not charity, it is robbery. At first glance this doesn’t seem to be a very controversial stance, but if we look into it a bit, we see that this basic, common sense statement is politically charged. That such an intuitive position could be politically charged, shows the total lack of wisdom in our society and how far politics has encroached into our lives, politicizing that which should not be political. If this encroachment is allowed to continue, our society, children and our very spirits will inevitably suffer.
For charity to be charity it must be given freely. As I pointed out, if you are coerced into giving someone alms by the threat of violence, it cannot be called charity. The moment the threat of violence enters the equation we are talking about robbery. Robbery can never be charity they are fundamentally different actions. To confuse the two is either stupidity or a means to confound. If it is mere stupidity, simply pointing out the error would be enough to rectify it, but if it is a sinister means to confuse then it cannot be stopped by merely pointing out the folly of it, in fact, logic will garner character assaults and ad homonym attacks.
We give alms to the poor not only for them but for us as well. Giving to the less fortunate is a form of exercise for the spirit. All three parts of a fully actualized human being, must be exercised, else they atrophy. We understand this when it comes to physical and mental exercise, but the most neglected part of the human being today, is the spiritual part. Charity is a good way to exercise the spirit. When charity is turned to robbery, it ceases to be charity and the good that charity bestows on the giver and the receiver is not only lost, it is undermined. We become less charitable when we equate charity to robbery. This has the pernicious effect of weakening our spirit and at the same time it builds resentment to the needy. From this we see the negative effects are not only on individuals but on society as well.
The welfare state is predicated on robbing one to give to another. If you don’t think taxes are taken at the point of a gun… try not paying them. This is what makes the statement, “Charity cannot come at the point of a gun it must come from the heart, else it is not charity, it is robbery,” politically charged. Those that use our natural sense of compassion for those less fortunate, to turn charity into robbery, are tricking us into turning charity into robbery, with all the negative consequences this brings. These people get to seize the moral high road even as they take the low road. They are Thrasymachus’ heirs. They seek to appear just while actually being unjust. Are we to assume that famine would exist if the State didn’t coerce money from some to redistribute to others? This question is answered by history, and history is clear, in a capitalist society, charity is available more and more but is needed less and less. In the socialist society however, where charity is robbery, charity is needed more and more, until eventually all need charity, and none is charitable.
Those who point out, using taxes to pay for charitable endeavors turns charity into robbery, are vilified as heartless and mean, by the unbiased media, the Elite and those who have fallen for the deception. But, the reality is that those who seek to use robbery for charity, are the ones who are the villains. They weaken our spirits, create resentment for the poor, confuse reality with rhetoric, lower the lot of Mankind and use unjust means to unjust ends… while trying to appear just. To these people logic and common sense are an anathema. These villains undermine the philosophy of a rational maximizer and turn him into an egoist. Rational maximizers, or to use Tocqueville’s term, people who are self interested rightly understood, are rationally charitable, because they know the benefits, both personal and societal will come back tenfold, while the egoist has no such wisdom, they resent the poor, they may be strong physically and mentally, but they are spiritual weaklings. All societies are well served when the people are charitable, making us spiritually strong, strengthening societal ties, and giving us a stake in the society we live in. Rational maximizers keep charity in their hearts and are sharp enough to see sophist rhetoric when they see it. The question then becomes, “Are you a rational maximizer… or have you fallen for the deception?”
Sincerely,
John Pepin
