I think I might have misunderstood the part about philanthropy in Mr Wattles book. I saw the 50 wealthiest givers article here on the site and I was wondering if someone could give me an answer to whether giving to the poor is beneficial? He seems to say instead of giving to them, teach them how to become rich themselves. I have a charity here in Ontario that, in my opinion, is very worthy. It is called Sleeping Children Around the World and was started by Ken Dryden's father. 100% of the money donated to SCAW goes to buying supplies in the country where the aid is going. So $30 buys a bedkit which includes numerous items and that bedkit is made in the country in which it is being distributed ex. Afganistan, India....the people who distribute the kits fly on their own money and time...everything that the company receives is donated, such as film processing, so we can see pictures of who our bedkits went to....anyway I think it is an extremely worthwhile cause and I would like to give but Mr. Wattles seems to say that giving to the poor only enables them to stay poor. Am I reading his script correctly?

I agree with Mr. Wattles.

He says, "....most charity only tends to perpetuate the wretchedness it aims to eradicate."

Here are two examples from my own city in Canada. Every year the United Way raises more money than the previous year and yet the problems it says it wants to solve grow ever larger.

Another example is the food bank. It began as a way to help the poor who could not afford to buy food. Today, the food bank is big business and even greater numbers of people seem to depend on it.

The United Way and the Food Bank have kept people on their crutches.

Mr. Wattles does go on to say that we should not be hard-hearted or unkind and refuse to hear the cry of need, but we should not try to eradicate poverty in any of the conventional ways.

He says, "Get rich. That is the best way you can help the poor."

I agree with Mr. Wattles.

That wouldn't be Toronto??? I understand. So focus on being the very best you can be and be prosperous which in turn will help you show others the road to prosperity. I thought that was what he was trying to say but sometimes it is good to have someone reinforce your understanding. I totally agree with your point! Our country is most certainly not capitalist, we lean more to the socialist side of things.

I'm in Ottawa.

Hi Canadian and Avinash,

This subject has come up for discussion quite a bit in the past.If you search these forums under tithing I think you'll find some helpful observations and clarifications.

Personally I totally believe in the value of tithing, or giving to worthwile organisations. But it is not really about just "giving money to the poor". It is all about the feeling behind it and in my opinion if it makes you feel good then that's great. If you're doing it out of obligation only and all you feel is resentful, then that's not really going to work.

As an example I will share with you the organisations which I like to support.

One is Plunket which provides invaluable support and advice and health checks for parents of newborn babies and preschool children in New Zealand.

Another is our local Hospice which provides wonderful care and support to patients, and their families, with terminal illnesses. My grandmother stayed there when she was dying.

Another is the Ronald McDonald House Charities which provides free accomodation for families whose children are undergoing hospital treatment at either of the three main cities in NZ, and will soon be providing a Mobile Dental Care program for children throughout New Zealand.

And the other is Barnardos which does wonderful work for NZ kids, particularly those at-risk.

As you can see my focus is on the children and families of NZ. I am so grateful that these organisations are here to do the work that they do. Giving to them makes me feel incredibly good.

Hope this helps.

Stephanie.

It's all about focus, faith and feeling, isn't it? The organisations I like are the ones that have a clear mental image of setting people on their own feet so that they can become rich through their own efforts. So I give to organisations like ActionAid, that support individuals and communities in doing things differently. They help people to start new businesses, give them education and training etc.

By contrast some of the organisations mentioned here concentrate on 'feeding the poor' for example. That's a very different CMI and no wonder the problem perpetuates itself.

Thank-you for all of your valuable information. I was giving to sleeping children in the past. Giving to those less fortunate, in this case bedkits, and providing pencils, work books and clothing for school helps with educational needs and because the kits are made in the country of distribution the CDN dollars are fueling their economy. To me that is helping them help themselves through education for their children and employment for the adults.
And it is true Kiwigirl, when you give to a charity and you feel great it can only further your positive attitude and help you on your path to fulfillment.

I decided to switch charities after reading SOGR. At that time I was giving to the poor, cancer research and a hospice. I decided against giving to the poor and cancer research because I felt these were coming under this category ...

quote:

Originally posted by avinash:
"....most charity only tends to perpetuate the wretchedness it aims to eradicate."

I decided I wasn't helping the poor but helping them to stay poor and I was perhaps focussing my thoughts on cancer because my sister had died from the illness ... and you know where your thoughts take you I continue to contribute to the hospice because they are doing good spiritual work and offering support to those who are close to death and their families.

Now I give to the NSPCC because they are helping to rebuild children's lives and giving them hope for a better future. I am also sponsoring the schooling of three children in the Gambia.

I have heard about a couple of really good projects recently: a project in Africa where they were giving the children bikes to go to school because many of them lived so many miles away from the nearest school and another where they were providing laptops.

When I'm a billionaire I'm going to set up a wish foundation for neglected/abused children, with trained therapists to help them look towards a brighter, more positive future and I'll also make sure as many children as possible are given an education, a bike to get to school and a laptop. I'll kick it off when I'm a millionaire though.

Angel hugs x

AngelEyes. I like the way you thought out your benevolent plans for the future. What a great plan to help out the global community. I really like your goal of becoming a billionaire. I haven't quite practised putting that many zeros at the end of my bank statement. One babystep at a time

I think the key is that Mr. Wattles says don't give to charities who work through "conventional" means, providing a loaf of bread or an entertainment to distract them from their wretchedness (and I'm sorta quoting from memory, sorry). But as other have said, I think giving to organizations that do aim to help people help themselves is perfectly okay.

I give to Junior Achievement, which shows kids how to start and run businesses. Oh, I would have loved JA when I was a kid!! (I don't really remember it being offered.) At one time I made a pile of money selling off my dad's extra tomato plants.

It all goes to your thoughts. How are you thinking about

quote:

Giving to those less fortunate

On p. 35 Mr. Wattles says "Give your attention wholly to riches. Do not focus on poverty. Whenever you think or speak of those who are poor, think and speak of them as those who are becoming rich. Then they and others will catch the inspiration, and begin to search for the way out."

Your getting rich is to bring more to all. It's not necessarily that you'll have anything to do with teaching them, you may only serve as an inspiration. When you feel you have to "help them" you are making them less than you. That's why "conventional charities" (and governments) can never move the masses forward. The people being helped are held down by that help because they are seen as being less.

As Mr. Wattles says, it doesn't follow that you're to be "sordid or mean", but our responsibility is to focus on becoming rich in the certain way. As was brought out in your other thread, as a teacher you may have many different ways offered to make you wealthy.

Thank you Bill. That is an excellent explanation of Mr. Wattles,SOGR, thoughts on charity. On first reading I thought oh my I can't follow this philosophy! We are supposed to help our fellow man. When someone else provides an explanation though it all makes sense. It appears that many people recommend signing up for Rebecca's course. I might just do that!

I have been thinking about this too. I have a differnt attitude concerning the "poor". I don't believe in poverty. I do give and happy to receive too. I will have to look into this deeper and read the chapters again. I am not trying to eradicate poverty either. I do believe in the appearance of poverty and my heart goes out to all my brothers and sisters who are in need.

quote:

Originally posted by avinash:
Another example is the food bank. It began as a way to help the poor who could not afford to buy food. Today, the food bank is big business and even greater numbers of people seem to depend on it.

Which is why The Hunger Project will never give food to anyone. They train the people how to become teachers. So local trainers can learn first take care of their own needs and then teach others how to fish. And become independent business people.

Caroline

Well ... let's see ... most of the discussion here is all about ACTION and which actions are "OK" and which aren't. Hmm.

If you understand SOGR, though, you know that ACTION is never going to solve anything. It's the THOUGHT behind the action that really "does the work."

So an organization that is focusing on need and on a problem and aiming to change that problem by action is only going to be slapping band-aids on problems, only dealing with results and not REAL causes.

Everything begins in the realm of the formless -- thought, feeling, spirit. So by giving your attention to ANYTHING you don't like (feel is wrong, needs changing, etc.), you are feeding that thing (situation, whatever) energy and holding yourself in harmony with that.

What results can then be expected?

The truth is that, in the "universal" sense, you can't actually say "No" to anything, no matter how much it displeases you. Because you're focusing on it the Universe/Formless/Etc. will say, "OK, here you go! This is what you're giving your attention to, so here's more of it." That's the Law of Attraction; just like gravity it works the same way every time. So in that way, you're actually saying "Yes" to it.

The key, then, is to focus on what you WANT, on thoughts that feel good to you and so are in harmony with what you desire.

(Also, regarding that article on the 50 wealthiest givers, please note that in MY intro to it in the Update, I said I was not referring it to you as any kind of example of charity, but rather as an example of the POWER that having money gives you. It increases your freedom, your options.)

Could you please give me an example of how you would help those less fortunate so I do understand how I should go about helping? If you tell a poor person they must believe to achieve I'm not sure it would go over that well.

I never did like the term "those less fortunate". It is so often used by those who wish to make us feel guilty and open our pocketbook.

Here are some quotes from Chapter 9:

"Get rich. This is the best way you can help the poor."

"The poor do not need charity; they need inspiration. Charity only sends them a loaf of bread to keep them alive in their wretchedness ..."

"But inspiration can cause them to rise out of their misery."

"If you want to help the poor, demonstrate to them that they can become rich. Prove it by getting rich yourself."

And the last paragraph of Chapter 9 sums it up nicely.

I have, and do support certain charities and have chosen them very carefully. I prefer not to mention them here. I had become very sceptical about the constant raising of money for all kinds of "good causes" and now that I have read the SOGR I am re-thinking even those charities I do support.

Generally, I would say that it is best to give support where it will help those being helped to become independent.

From the last paragraph of Chapter 9:

"Use your will power to keep your mind OFF the subject of poverty and to keep it fixed with faith and purpose ON the vision of what you want and are creating."

I wish you the very best.