[ExI] christmas songs 2

[Seien]

On 11/12/2007, Mike Dougherty <msd001 at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> On Dec 11, 2007 2:03 AM, Seien <seienchan at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> >
> >
>
> I just imagined ET's looking down at earth saying things like, "Sure, we
> could show them how to access cheap personal fusion reactions - but they'd
> probably just use that energy to drive to work or watch TV, so lets not give
> it to them until they're more mature."


Using it to drive to work and watch TV could be useful. They might be doing
good or important or interesting work, or watching something cool on TV.

I think worrying about what the person uses your charity for is missing the
> point of charity.  If you can spare that money and you willingly give it to
> someone who doesn't have any, can you call it charity if you put
> restrictions on how it is used?


But I never said I would put restrictions on things. I just said I would be
able to use my money better than a beggar could use a small fraction of it.
Where he might use it to buy food, I might use it to buy books, or on
internet bills so I can teach my students things across the internet in
America. People benefit more if I spend my money morally on myself than if I
give it to other people.

I grant that you have a right to buy someone's behavior with your money, but
> that's not charity.  I also see your point about using your resources
> according to those principles that you personally feel will do the greatest
> good, but that still does not yield your resources to someone else's
> autonomy.  I'm not making a judgement as much as an observation that you
> (and those posting in this thread) seem to be approaching the point from
> very different directions.


I don't think that charity is a good thing. I think it's wrong. I don't have
a lot of money. I want to use it only on things that I think are right. If I
give money to people I want it to be for things that I think are right.
 There's no good reason to give your money out indiscriminately to people.
It's your money, you worked for it and earned it. You should spend it only
on what you think is good to spend it on.



-- 
~Seien
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