The 50 Richest Members of Congress

[Sir Stewart]

Do we really have to debate religion in this thread, too?

 

YES!!

[Good Old Neon]

dude, do you really think you grasp what Mother Terresa's thought process is? You won't accept another's

belief in god, but you'll buy into mind reading, eh?

 

I don

[Good Old Neon]

Do we really have to debate religion in this thread, too?

 

No, if anyone wants to further this discussion, we should probably start a new thread, or discuss it in the preexisting Wilco/Atheist one.

[sweetheart-mine]

Not really (imo)

[OOO]

You really can't compare two people's level of generosity... For example, Bill Gates may not believe in heaven when he donates a billion dollars, but he's also not really inconveniencing himself in any way when he donates. He still has billions of dollars more and will be able to buy whatever he wants for the rest of his life. If everybody could just push a button somewhere that donated a billion dollars to charity without affecting their life at all, most people would do it.

[Good Old Neon]

I

[caliber66]

It's so fucking awesome how you can take any topic and make it about religion.

[Good Old Neon]

It's so fucking awesome how you can take any topic and make it about religion.

 

Isn

[M. (hristine]

I don

[Good Old Neon]

Did you read this book then? And from it you discerned that Mother Theresa's motivation for the work she did was heavenly reward? Is English your first language?

 

Well, no, not especially

[M. (hristine]

I'm not getting at anything. A human being who subdues ego in the service of the lesser fortunate beings is motivated by something far deeper than "heavenly reward.' She says she lived 50 years in a crisis of faith. And still she did the work she felt called to do.

 

When Bill Gates lives his life as an ascetic taking care of the sick and dying, you come talk to me.

 

Your comparison is outrageous.

[MattZ]

A human being who subdues ego in the service of the lesser fortunate beings

 

Not to start an all-out war, and frankly, the source tells you all you need to know about the bias here, but there is a very different (minority) viewpoint out there about her ego:

 

"She spent her life opposing the only known cure for poverty, which is the empowerment of women and the emancipation of them from a livestock version of compulsory reproduction. And she was a friend to the worst of the rich, taking misappropriated money from the atrocious Duvalier family in Haiti (whose rule she praised in return) and from Charles Keating of the Lincoln Savings and Loan. Where did that money, and all the other donations, go? The primitive hospice in Calcutta was as run down when she died as it always had been

[Good Old Neon]

I'm not getting at anything. A human being who subdues ego in the service of the lesser fortunate beings is motivated by something far deeper than "heavenly reward.' She says she lived 50 years in a crisis of faith. And still she did the work she felt called to do.

 

When Bill Gates lives his life as an ascetic taking care of the sick and dying, you come talk to me.

 

Your comparison is outrageous.

 

 

From a NYT essay written by Steven Pinker - Harvard Psychologist, neurologist, among other acheivements:

 

"Which of the following people would you say is the most admirable: Mother Teresa, Bill Gates or Norman Borlaug? And which do you think is the least admirable? For most people, it

[myboyblue]

My intent was not to start a debate about religion as it relates to charity, I just find it interesting that the greatest known philanthropists in human history are agnostic/atheist. Why do I find that interesting - ? - probably because we

[Duck-Billed Catechist]

Gates was hated before his charitable turn--criticized for, guess what, not being much of a philanthropist. That's changed in the last 10-15 years.

[Good Old Neon]

I don't agree with that in the least. Like most here, I don't agree with your overall argument comparing Gates to Mother Theresa. However, that aside, unless your charity is donations to a church, I believe that the foundation is ethics, morals, etc. I have never once thought of my place in heaven when I write a check or donate in any way. I'm assuming most are in the same boat.

 

For some, but one of the most common arguments I (and many others) run up against from religious folks is,

[bobbob1313]

and who cares why you give? How does that affect anything?

[Spawn's dad]

he's still hated for unleashing that shitty OS on the world.

[MattZ]

Gates was hated before his charitable turn--criticized for, guess what, not being much of a philanthropist. That's changed in the last 10-15 years.

 

Not only that but it always felt like Gates became Mr Philanthropist right around the time that Microsoft's anti-trust problems started getting messy. I'm not saying the two are connected, and frankly, I dont know that it matters to the people that have benefited from his generosity. But when Microsoft gives out free computers to kids in Africa that can't afford it, are we sure it's not the classic case of giving out free samples to get the kids hooked?

[JUDE]

I guess I could argue that the afore mentioned rich dudes could be so philanthropic because they made obscene amounts of money in a capitalistic market and maybe they were so successful because they were not burdened by any morals that were instilled by their religious beliefs. Of course that would be pure speculation into their beliefs and states of mind while they were earning these fortunes and whilst giving them away.

[Spawn's dad]

For some, but one of the most common arguments I (and many others) run up against from religious folks is,

[fatheadfred]

Do we really have to debate religion in this thread, too?

Your dogma is ruining my politics. Leave.

[M. (hristine]

Not to start an all-out war, and frankly, the source tells you all you need to know about the bias here, but there is a very different (minority) viewpoint out there about her ego:

 

"She spent her life opposing the only known cure for poverty, which is the empowerment of women and the emancipation of them from a livestock version of compulsory reproduction. And she was a friend to the worst of the rich, taking misappropriated money from the atrocious Duvalier family in Haiti (whose rule she praised in return) and from Charles Keating of the Lincoln Savings and Loan. Where did that money, and all the other donations, go? The primitive hospice in Calcutta was as run down when she died as it always had been

[Good Old Neon]

Bullshit. In 8 zillion pages of religious arguments here I don't know that it's been raised on e, and certainly not with any frequency to be declared one of the most common arguments.

 

Perhaps not on this board, but I

[Good Old Neon]

This:

 

I was simply speaking to nickerson's initial claim that somehow Bill Gates' charity was far more admirable because it was not motivated by some other-worldly reward.

 

when compared to what I actually said:

 

Good Old Neon

 

So, at least in one sense, Gates and Buffett are probably less self-interested in their charity than someone like Mother Teresa, who believed in reward and punishment in the afterlife.

 

may be a bit of an overstatement.

 

Edit: What