Does it really matter why people do good deeds?

OK, I was thinking about this. There is often a lot of criticism directed at people who do charity work/good deeds to appease their guilty conscience. Well, does it really matter? Does it make a difference to the person on the receiving end?

What I'm getting at I guess is, do you think that it would be better if people didn't do things for charity at all, rather than do them to appease their guilt?

I have a lot of thoughts floating around in my head about this and I'm very interested to hear other's opinions on the matter.

*edit* Sorry the last question was misleading.

 

sure, it's a little better if they do it because they honestly care...


but it's much better for them to do it out of guilt than to not do it at all...

what really matters is that good is being done, and it's not that important why really. it's just a nice bonus when the work isn't being done begrudgingly...

 

No, it doesn't.

Unless it's in the circumstance like say, I'm In My UnderWear stayed home sick from school.

And I brought him his homework which he enjoyed, but I did it because I thought it was a bad thing.

 

I myself often feel like a reluctant hero within my own life.

Course I do suffer from delusions of grandeur.

 

Shouldnt matter at all. at that point it becomes symbolism over substance. I'm sure whoever is on the receiving end of the charity is most grateful and something good has been done.

 

How about this?

Say I go volunteer at meals on wheels.

But it's because I really wanna fuck a homeless girl?

 

Any good is better than no good at all. It would be nicer if people actually care about what they're doing and believed in it, but actions are worth a lot more than intentions.

I mean how many people do bad things having good intentions? Their intentions dont matter there, so why should it matter in this case?

 

I'd tell you that you'd stand a better chance if you started selling crack instead.

 

i think it's ok if she's over 18...


of course if you spend the whole time flirting and don't actually help the other homeless people, you may run into a problem there...

 

but if you sold crack out of meals on wheels, you'll really be set!

 

Something I dislike is when a person (I used to have a friend who is like this) volunteers to do things and then acts like a martyr about it... complaining about all this work they have to do when they are the ones who said they would do it...

 

Good point!

But what about the Christian church for instance, setting up schools and feeding the hungry in less well-off nations, but with the ulterior motive of conversion?

 

I think that sucks.

 

I guess people get fed and a homeless girl gets fucked.
simple really

 

But then thats not really a good deed if he didnt actually help is it.

 

Is anybody getting hurt?? or is an education being provided as well as much needed assistance.

 

Overall, I think that good is being done but I always get a nasty feeling in the pit of my stomach when I see a shiny christian church/school in the middle of a little village and then the shabby one at the other end of town for the non-believers.

 

1. this is a perfect example of why it's better to have pure motives... still good is being done so it's better to have this than nothing...

2. this is a little different, because a majority of the church people involved honestly think that conversion is what will save those people; not quite the same as doing something out of guilt or selfishness, it's more of simply being misguided (which i actually feel is true of a lot of charitable interests)

 

I think there's a difference between educating and enforcing. If they're teaching them about religion and God, then great. If they are saying you have to believe this in order for me to help you, not so good, but then again, people in extreme need will always follow whoever is helping them and I guess there are a lot of worse things they could follow into than a Christian belief. Of course, that's just an opinion.
I dont know, I feel uncomfortable talking about this, because I feel like I'm in position to say if what they're doing is really good or not, since Im not the one benefiting from it. I could say that I would prefer to not have the help of a Christian with a secret agenda, but I've also never been starving or had no shoes in my feet or a home to sleep in.

 

Nah, it's all good. Kinda like it doesn't matter if someone's a massive racist if they never do or say anything about it. Ideally we'd all be egalitarian and wonderful, but ultimately it's results that count.