Philanthropy, Philosophy, and Why we Need BOTH!

The other day I handed $2 to a young man who was hungry and looked like a legitimate need. Many times, I will refuse to give if it seems like the person is just looking for a hand-out, but several times in my life, I have indeed given money to people on the street (usually I point in the direction of local charities to include the Roman Catholic Church).

Philanthropy is the practice of basic human love. Love of neighbor is what Jesus would call it.

Philosophy is the practice of basic human wisdom. Love of wisdom is what the Ancient Greeks meant by it.

In today's America, we need both philanthrophy and philosophy desperately. Philanthropy is needed because we are all creatures created by God. Just as the birds and the bears are creatures and need to eat, so also does every human being.

Philosophy is needed also because many times we can support the wrong sorts of programs while the truly needy go without. Out of a philanthropic spirit, the United States adopted various forms of 'child support' laws in order to insure that children ravaged by divorce would be provided for. Sadly, what started out as a philanthropic impulse soon (through feminism) became a weapon to use by disgruntled wives who want to leave their husbands. Scream 'my husband's abusing me,' file for a divorce and then sit back on the couch and collect your weekly child support payment. This is not philanthropy.

No, philanthropy (love of mankind) is the practice by which all of God's creatures named 'the humans,' are shown love.

Philantropy, of course, also needs philosophy. Love of wisdom teaches us to seek out good social programs (public library services, equal rights in divorce cases, pro-life ethics) and then does not spend money on projects that destroy the family, the baby in the womb, and all of society.

Abortion should not be supported either as a supposed legal 'right' to kill your baby OR by tax payer funding. Divorce, similarly, should not receive state funding for this destroys the family which is the building block of society.

So, support your local charity, tithe 10% to your church or ministry, but use wisdom in how you support such philanthropy.

Love in Jesus,
Rob J. King, Pro-Life, Pro-Family, Pro-Military

Comfort, Safety and The Role of the Military

Lately, I have been increasingly grateful for the role that our military has historically played. I recently finished a book written by Senator John McCain called Faith of My Fathers in which Senator McCain recalls the many daring maneuvers that his grandfather and father made during WW II in order to protect FREEDOM from Nazi aggression and Japanese Imperialism. From staying submerged on a U.S. submarine for as absolutely long as back-up electrical power would hold (in order to avoid detection by enemy Japanese ships) to bravely equipping the Marines in the Pacific with much needed supplies in order to hold on to key strategic positions, the McCain Family was quite adept at out-maneuvering the Japanese.

Fast forward to 2007. Whereas the enemy of the U.S. in 1945 was pretty straight forward (Germans who butchered 10 million people in gas chambers and concentration camps), today the "enemy" is less noticeable.

Sadly, not only do we have Islamic infiltration in the domestic U.S. (some of the 9/11 hi-jackers actually trained at flight schools right here in the state of Florida . . .), but we also have many hidden dangers within our very own Federal Government. Abuses of due process under law. Military leaders who can be corrupt. War profiteering by the Vice President.

Our enemies to the U.S. Constitution truly are foreign and now domestic.

In spite of this murky situation as a super-power crumbling (i.e. out-of-wedlock pregnancies, rampant drug use, sky-rocketing divorce rates, etc.), we nevertheless are being shown mercy by the LORD Almighty. I can comfortably go to the public library and check out a book written by a Supreme Court Justice and read it without fear, unlike places like communist China. I can similarly walk to Starbuck's coffee shop, bring my Bible and openly read the Full Gospel of Jesus Christ and even share the Gospel with other people openly, seeking their conversion, unlike places such as Tehran, Iran.

We live in a free country, but more importantly a country with a strong heritage of Jewish and Christian teaching, law and culture.

Thank you Senator McCain for faithfully upholding and defending this Nation's Judeo-Christian identity.

Blessings in Jesus,
Rob J. King, Patriot of the U.S.A., Evangelist for Jesus

Friendship

Back when I was a Resident Advisor for the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity at Duke University, in addition to getting the free basketball tickets to see Duke play :-) I also learned a lot about friendship and its importance.

To this day I am good friends with someone who now works next to the Pentagon, is a strong Christian man, and all because we have made time for our friendship over the years.

Similarly, although the communication can be somewhat stilted, I am still friends with professors from Duke.

Stanley Hauerwas (one of my old profs . . .) in some of his work in Christian Ethics has pointed out that in the field of moral philosophy, friendship is a prominent, yet often overlooked theme. Aristotle, the ancient Greek Virtue Ethicist (and Natural Law philosopher who gave taxonomies of the various animal species) especially noted the importance of friendship.

From a Christian perspective, friendship is also vital. Jesus Himself one time said that "what greater love is this then for a man to lay down his life for his friends . . ."

So, how are you being influenced by your friends?

Is this influence positive or negative?

Also, how good of a friend are you being?

If a friend has just been laid off from work or suffered a horrific divorce, are you willing as a friend to stop and talk or even potentially pray with them?

These types of friends are the one who have "kept me going" over the long-haul and it is this type of friend that I always seek to be.

Blessings in Jesus,
Rob J. King, Friend of All, Love of Jesus my LORD and Savior