I usually write about whatever comes to mind. There are some things I reconsider and do not put out in this public forum. I do not want to hurt anyone's feelings or sound overly judgmental. I find that I can be that way without even realizing it. I guess that is what we all say when we discover that.There are things I might say that could be taken wrong. That is always a problem and a consideration. When presenting an idea or concept contrary to the prevailing opinion, it is a risk. It is doubly so when the idea or concept you are presenting is one that you are not necessarily committed to, just offering an observation upon.
The thing on my mind falls into that category. What I am thinking about is the proliferation of the " go fund me " accounts being opened. It comes off to me as " asking for a handout " and I find it unsettling. I suppose it is because of my upbringing. I wonder if it is a generational thing ? There are questions surfacing in my mind about the whole concept. On one hand I feel like it is a form of begging and on the other " it can't hurt to ask. " The thing is, is it a charity ? Do I want to present myself as a charity case ? I read a little about it, very little, but the funds received are not taxable. That is because they are considered " charity" and therefore exempt. So, the federal government calls it charity. The official website calls it " fundraising. " In my mind a matter of semantics only. Semantics is something we play with a lot these days. They can be " offensive. " Well almost everything is offensive these days but that is another blog. So, back to the issue at hand, go fund me. The central issue to me is, should I ask for charity ? Is that acceptable ? If it is, why are beggars held in such contempt ? They are considered a nuisance and banned from some areas, why they are downright offensive ! How is this different from that ? I guess what I'm wondering is, does the cause make any difference to the action ? That is to say, I want, rather than I need ? But it is also true that " wants " are sometimes " needs " isn't that so ? If your needs are met it is fine to want more. How do we determine the difference between a want and a need ? Is it judged by what criteria ? The criteria you establish, or by my own ?
These are questions I have about this practice of asking for money. And, make no mistake about it, it is asking for money. Doesn't hurt to ask does it ? Only in so far as your own conscience I suppose. As long as it does not violate that you are good to go. It is that last statement I find unsettling. Now I'm no " holy roller " or truth be told a very good Christian but my faith plays into all of this. The Bible doesn't specifically say it is wrong to ask for money, the Church sure does, and some even require it calling it tithing. It evens gives a percentage ! The " cause " is the worthiest of all causes. It is not in the Bible but I was always told, " God helps those who help themselves. " That was a way of telling me that self reliance was the best course of action. I was also told, be beholden to no man. It is better to be poor and free than to be beholden to anyone or anything. Pride cometh before the fall is also a phrase I heard often. There are different interpretations of what this Bible verse is saying but I take it literally. When you set your pride aside, you begin to fall ! That is to say your moral fabric is beginning to have holes in it.
I, of course, can not speak to what is moral or not. That is an individual choice. I also have never felt a compelling need to ask. I'm not saying I wouldn't ask if the circumstances arise. I certainly hope they do not. I currently view this practice as just another sign of the times. Time changes all things it has been said and I am beginning to see those changes, That is the result of six decades of observation. Mostly the changes are superficial, trends and fads, but over longer periods societies themselves change. What is acceptable within that society also changes. It can be unsettling.
I wrote this piece with some trepidation. I have no wish to hurt anyone's feelings I do not mean this little essay as a form of judgement. I understand that not everyone establishes a " go fund me " account for themselves but rather others do it for them. I present this for examination only. I am neither opposed nor support the concept. I may decide to do it myself, I really can't say at this point. It would be nice if we never had to ask at all. That is the ideal.
The thing on my mind falls into that category. What I am thinking about is the proliferation of the " go fund me " accounts being opened. It comes off to me as " asking for a handout " and I find it unsettling. I suppose it is because of my upbringing. I wonder if it is a generational thing ? There are questions surfacing in my mind about the whole concept. On one hand I feel like it is a form of begging and on the other " it can't hurt to ask. " The thing is, is it a charity ? Do I want to present myself as a charity case ? I read a little about it, very little, but the funds received are not taxable. That is because they are considered " charity" and therefore exempt. So, the federal government calls it charity. The official website calls it " fundraising. " In my mind a matter of semantics only. Semantics is something we play with a lot these days. They can be " offensive. " Well almost everything is offensive these days but that is another blog. So, back to the issue at hand, go fund me. The central issue to me is, should I ask for charity ? Is that acceptable ? If it is, why are beggars held in such contempt ? They are considered a nuisance and banned from some areas, why they are downright offensive ! How is this different from that ? I guess what I'm wondering is, does the cause make any difference to the action ? That is to say, I want, rather than I need ? But it is also true that " wants " are sometimes " needs " isn't that so ? If your needs are met it is fine to want more. How do we determine the difference between a want and a need ? Is it judged by what criteria ? The criteria you establish, or by my own ?
These are questions I have about this practice of asking for money. And, make no mistake about it, it is asking for money. Doesn't hurt to ask does it ? Only in so far as your own conscience I suppose. As long as it does not violate that you are good to go. It is that last statement I find unsettling. Now I'm no " holy roller " or truth be told a very good Christian but my faith plays into all of this. The Bible doesn't specifically say it is wrong to ask for money, the Church sure does, and some even require it calling it tithing. It evens gives a percentage ! The " cause " is the worthiest of all causes. It is not in the Bible but I was always told, " God helps those who help themselves. " That was a way of telling me that self reliance was the best course of action. I was also told, be beholden to no man. It is better to be poor and free than to be beholden to anyone or anything. Pride cometh before the fall is also a phrase I heard often. There are different interpretations of what this Bible verse is saying but I take it literally. When you set your pride aside, you begin to fall ! That is to say your moral fabric is beginning to have holes in it.
I, of course, can not speak to what is moral or not. That is an individual choice. I also have never felt a compelling need to ask. I'm not saying I wouldn't ask if the circumstances arise. I certainly hope they do not. I currently view this practice as just another sign of the times. Time changes all things it has been said and I am beginning to see those changes, That is the result of six decades of observation. Mostly the changes are superficial, trends and fads, but over longer periods societies themselves change. What is acceptable within that society also changes. It can be unsettling.
I wrote this piece with some trepidation. I have no wish to hurt anyone's feelings I do not mean this little essay as a form of judgement. I understand that not everyone establishes a " go fund me " account for themselves but rather others do it for them. I present this for examination only. I am neither opposed nor support the concept. I may decide to do it myself, I really can't say at this point. It would be nice if we never had to ask at all. That is the ideal.
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