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The word "'''charity'''" entered the [[English]] [[language]] through the Old French word "charité" which was derived from the [[Latin]] "caritas".[1]
[[Originally]] in Latin the word caritas meant preciousness, dearness, high price. From this, in Christian theology, caritas became the [[standard]] Latin [[translation]] for the Greek word agapē, meaning an unlimited loving-[[kindness]] to all others, such as the [[love]] of [[God]]. This much wider concept is the [[meaning]] of the word charity in the Christian triplet "faith, hope and charity", as used by the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_James_Version King James Version] of the [[Bible]] in its translation of [[Paul, the Apostle|St Paul's]] [http://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=1st_Letter_of_Paul_to_the_Corinthians Letter to the Corinthians]. However the English [[word]] more generally used for this [[concept]], both before and since (and by the "King James" Bible at other passages), is the more direct [[love]]. (See the article Charity ([[virtue]]))
St Paul's agapē was not primarily about good [[work]]s and giving to the poor (And though I feed the poor with all my goods, and though I give my body, that I be burned, and have not love [agapē], it profiteth me nothing - [http://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=1st_Letter_of_Paul_to_the_Corinthians#1st_Letter_of_Paul_to_the_Corinthians.2C_XIII 1 Cor 13:3], Geneva translation, 1560), although in English the word "charity" has steadily acquired this as its primary meaning, wherein it was first used in Old French at least since the year 1200 A.D..
==Practice==
Charitable giving is the [[act]] of giving [[money]], [[Things|goods]] or [[time]] to the unfortunate, either directly or by means of a charitable [[trust]] or other worthy [[cause]]. Charitable giving as a religious act or [[duty]] is referred to as almsgiving or alms. The name stems from the most obvious expression of the [[virtue]] of charity is giving the objects of it the means they need to survive.
The poor, particularly widows and orphans, and the sick and disabled, are generally regarded as the proper objects of charity. Some [[groups]] regard charity as being properly directed toward other members of their group. Although giving to those nearly connected to oneself is sometimes called charity—as in the saying "Charity begins at [[home]]" -- normally charity denotes giving to those not related, with filial piety and like terms for supporting one's family and [[friends]]. Indeed, treating those related to the giver as if they were strangers in need of charity has led to the figure of speech "as cold as charity" -- providing for one's relatives as if they were strangers, without [[affection]].
Most forms of charity are concerned with providing food, water, clothing, and shelter, and tending the ill, but other [[actions]] may be performed as charity: visiting the imprisoned or the homebound, dowries for poor women, ransoming captives, educating orphans. Donations to causes that would benefit the unfortunate indirectly, as donations to cancer research hope to benefit cancer victims, are also charity.
The recipient of charity may offer to [[pray]] for the benefactor; indeed, in medieval Europe, it was customary to feast the poor at the funeral in return for their prayers for the deceased. Institutions may commemorate benefactors by displaying their [[names]], up to naming buildings or even the institution itself after the benefactors. If the recipient makes [[material]] return of more than a token [[value]], the transaction is normally not called charity.
[[Originally]] charity entailed the benefactor directly giving the goods to the receiver. People who could not support themselves—or who feigned such inability—would become beggars.
Institutions evolved to carry out the labor of assisting the poor, and these institutions are called charities. These include orphanages, food banks, religious orders dedicated to care of the poor, hospitals, organizations that visit the homebound and imprisoned, and many others. Such institutions allow those whose time or inclination does not lend themselves to directly care for the poor to enable others to do so, both by providing [[money]] for the [[work]] and supporting them while they do the work. Institutions can also attempt to more effectively sort out the actually needy from those who fraudulently claim charity. Early Christians particularly recommended the care of the unfortunate to the charge of the local bishop.
In [[Islam]] this is called [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zakat Zakat], and is one of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lima_Pillars_of_Islam five pillars] upon which the Muslim religion is based.
There have been [[examination]]s of who gives more to charity. One [[study]] conducted in the United States found that as a percentage of income, charitable giving increased as income decreased. The poorest fifth of Americans, for example, gave away 4.3% of their income, while the wealthiest fifth gave away 2.1%. In [[absolute]] terms, this was an average of $453 on an average income of $10,531, compared to $3,326 on an income of $158,388.[2]
==References==
# The Online Etymology Dictionary
# "America's poor are its most generous donors", by Frank Greve, McClatchy Newspapers as appears in the Seattle Times, published May 23, 2009
==External links==
*[http://www.masjidtucson.org/submission/practices/zakat/ Concept of Charity in Islam]
*[http://www.israel-laad.org Educational Network for the special needs of the underprivileged]
*[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03592a.htm ''Catholic Encyclopedia'' "Charity and Charities"]
*[http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=1295&letter=A ''Jewish Encyclopedia'' "Alms"]
*[http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=371&letter=C ''Jewish Encyclopedia'' "Charity and Charitable Institutions"]
*[http://www.chabad.org/article.asp?AID=3056 Charity in Judaism]
*[http://www.intelligentgiving.com/how_to_give/how_much_to_give ''Intelligent Giving's'' "How much to give" calculator]
*[http://arthur.at.ua/blog/2008-12-25-30/ Charity in Odessa, Ukraine]
[[Category: Religion]]
The word "'''charity'''" entered the [[English]] [[language]] through the Old French word "charité" which was derived from the [[Latin]] "caritas".[1]
[[Originally]] in Latin the word caritas meant preciousness, dearness, high price. From this, in Christian theology, caritas became the [[standard]] Latin [[translation]] for the Greek word agapē, meaning an unlimited loving-[[kindness]] to all others, such as the [[love]] of [[God]]. This much wider concept is the [[meaning]] of the word charity in the Christian triplet "faith, hope and charity", as used by the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_James_Version King James Version] of the [[Bible]] in its translation of [[Paul, the Apostle|St Paul's]] [http://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=1st_Letter_of_Paul_to_the_Corinthians Letter to the Corinthians]. However the English [[word]] more generally used for this [[concept]], both before and since (and by the "King James" Bible at other passages), is the more direct [[love]]. (See the article Charity ([[virtue]]))
St Paul's agapē was not primarily about good [[work]]s and giving to the poor (And though I feed the poor with all my goods, and though I give my body, that I be burned, and have not love [agapē], it profiteth me nothing - [http://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=1st_Letter_of_Paul_to_the_Corinthians#1st_Letter_of_Paul_to_the_Corinthians.2C_XIII 1 Cor 13:3], Geneva translation, 1560), although in English the word "charity" has steadily acquired this as its primary meaning, wherein it was first used in Old French at least since the year 1200 A.D..
==Practice==
Charitable giving is the [[act]] of giving [[money]], [[Things|goods]] or [[time]] to the unfortunate, either directly or by means of a charitable [[trust]] or other worthy [[cause]]. Charitable giving as a religious act or [[duty]] is referred to as almsgiving or alms. The name stems from the most obvious expression of the [[virtue]] of charity is giving the objects of it the means they need to survive.
The poor, particularly widows and orphans, and the sick and disabled, are generally regarded as the proper objects of charity. Some [[groups]] regard charity as being properly directed toward other members of their group. Although giving to those nearly connected to oneself is sometimes called charity—as in the saying "Charity begins at [[home]]" -- normally charity denotes giving to those not related, with filial piety and like terms for supporting one's family and [[friends]]. Indeed, treating those related to the giver as if they were strangers in need of charity has led to the figure of speech "as cold as charity" -- providing for one's relatives as if they were strangers, without [[affection]].
Most forms of charity are concerned with providing food, water, clothing, and shelter, and tending the ill, but other [[actions]] may be performed as charity: visiting the imprisoned or the homebound, dowries for poor women, ransoming captives, educating orphans. Donations to causes that would benefit the unfortunate indirectly, as donations to cancer research hope to benefit cancer victims, are also charity.
The recipient of charity may offer to [[pray]] for the benefactor; indeed, in medieval Europe, it was customary to feast the poor at the funeral in return for their prayers for the deceased. Institutions may commemorate benefactors by displaying their [[names]], up to naming buildings or even the institution itself after the benefactors. If the recipient makes [[material]] return of more than a token [[value]], the transaction is normally not called charity.
[[Originally]] charity entailed the benefactor directly giving the goods to the receiver. People who could not support themselves—or who feigned such inability—would become beggars.
Institutions evolved to carry out the labor of assisting the poor, and these institutions are called charities. These include orphanages, food banks, religious orders dedicated to care of the poor, hospitals, organizations that visit the homebound and imprisoned, and many others. Such institutions allow those whose time or inclination does not lend themselves to directly care for the poor to enable others to do so, both by providing [[money]] for the [[work]] and supporting them while they do the work. Institutions can also attempt to more effectively sort out the actually needy from those who fraudulently claim charity. Early Christians particularly recommended the care of the unfortunate to the charge of the local bishop.
In [[Islam]] this is called [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zakat Zakat], and is one of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lima_Pillars_of_Islam five pillars] upon which the Muslim religion is based.
There have been [[examination]]s of who gives more to charity. One [[study]] conducted in the United States found that as a percentage of income, charitable giving increased as income decreased. The poorest fifth of Americans, for example, gave away 4.3% of their income, while the wealthiest fifth gave away 2.1%. In [[absolute]] terms, this was an average of $453 on an average income of $10,531, compared to $3,326 on an income of $158,388.[2]
==References==
# The Online Etymology Dictionary
# "America's poor are its most generous donors", by Frank Greve, McClatchy Newspapers as appears in the Seattle Times, published May 23, 2009
==External links==
*[http://www.masjidtucson.org/submission/practices/zakat/ Concept of Charity in Islam]
*[http://www.israel-laad.org Educational Network for the special needs of the underprivileged]
*[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03592a.htm ''Catholic Encyclopedia'' "Charity and Charities"]
*[http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=1295&letter=A ''Jewish Encyclopedia'' "Alms"]
*[http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=371&letter=C ''Jewish Encyclopedia'' "Charity and Charitable Institutions"]
*[http://www.chabad.org/article.asp?AID=3056 Charity in Judaism]
*[http://www.intelligentgiving.com/how_to_give/how_much_to_give ''Intelligent Giving's'' "How much to give" calculator]
*[http://arthur.at.ua/blog/2008-12-25-30/ Charity in Odessa, Ukraine]
[[Category: Religion]]
