Introduction
This paper examines the concept of charity in accordance to the ethical perspective and its impact on an individual and society as a whole. The practice of charity means the voluntary giving of help to those in need as a humanitarian act. Charity is a vast concept it could be understood as a form of practice or virtue. Thus this paper will try to understand the religious, emotional, social and economical circumstances, which leads to charity, its importance and methods by which we can support it. Further, we will try to analyse whether charity fits in the concept of Deontology or Consequentialism. Finally we’ll try to see how charity builds a good character and strong level of trust among the people.
Charity in Christianity
The
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(And though I feed the poor with all my goods, and though I give my body, that I be burned, and have not love [agape], it profited me nothing ) [2]
St. Augustine summarised much of Christian thought about charity when he wrote : “Charity is a virtue which, when our affections are perfectly ordered, unities us to God, for by it we love him.”[3]
St. Thomas Aquinas, placed charity in the context of the other Christian virtues and specified its role as “thefoundation or the root”of them all.
Further, Aquinas holds that “the habit of charity extends not only to the love of God , but also to the love of our neighbours”[4]. According to Aquinas, charity is an absolute requirement for happiness, which he holds as man 's last goal.
In Christian theology charity is the greatest of the three theological virtues. Charity is held to be the ultimate perfection of the human spirit because it is said to both glorify andreflect the nature of God. Bible also says “Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since charity shall cover the multitude of sins”
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Charitable giving is the religious act or duty is referred to as almsgiving or alms. The name stems from the most obvious expression of the virtue of charity; giving the recipients of it the means they need to survive. The impoverished, particularly those widowed or orphaned, and the ailing or injured, are generally regarded as the proper recipients of charity. The people who cannot support themselves and lack outside means of support sometimes become "beggars", directly soliciting aid from strangers encountered in