What is charity? A guilty handful of coins rattled into a box on a street corner? The nudge of conscience at Christmas?
A common understanding of charity is what many people of faith would call ‘almsgiving’ – a strong tradition in both Christianity and Islam – as well as Buddhism and other faiths. During Lent, for example, Christians are urged to pray, to fast and to give alms (money or goods) to people in need. Motivation is important – in both Christianity and Islam giving alms in secret is better than receiving human praise for the practice.
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