Too Little Caring? Too Little Charity?

Recently on a popular personal finance and lifestyles blog the author posted a curious article.
In the article she discussed the "duty" we have of charity. Taking quotes from scripture (this isn't a religious blog by any means) she made the case for how "we all" have to help the less fortunate.

Conceptually MasterPo agrees.

But seriously: Does anyone really think the problems of our nation and society are because we don't do enough to help others? Does anyone really think that if we only did more, spent more, gave more even just half the national and social ills would be cured?

MasterPo doesn't.

From the federal government down to the local counties/towns/villages there literally thousands of programs, organizations and agencies for helping. All of which are funded by taxes on the rest of the population.

Have been in existence for decades. Anyone see marked improvements in society?
Then add in all the private, non-profit (yea right!) and religious groups and organizations that also provide help.

With all of this no one can seriously make the claim that we, as a nation and society, are not helping!

When is it enough?

And also of equal importance: When will the self-righteous stop trying to beat the rest of us into thinking the problem is not the people on the assistance but the rest of us for not giving even more?!

MasterPo is all for voluntary charity. MasterPo's faith holds as it's charitable principle that all are required to provide a bit of charity for no matter how bad off you think you are someone in the community is even worse off. However, there is also the requirement of the receiver of the assistance to do all they can to get off the assistance as soon as possible and avoid needing assistance again in the future. And there is no requirement to hurt yourself or your family in order to give assistance to someone else.

The fault lays not in our stars but in ourselves.