Francis Berger
  • Blog
  • My Work

Altruism Is Not Christian Love

11/22/2022

17 Comments

 
So, it turns out that the whiz kid fraud at the center of the most recent collapsed crypto-trading Ponzi scheme – a microcosm of the broader and all-encompassing control and scam macrocosm known as the System -- was involved in something called Effective Altruism, which describes itself as a research field and community that aims to find the best possible ways to help others and then put these ways into practice.

Sounds good, right?


Before wading further into the fraudulent whiz kid’s much publicized, pre-scandal altruism and benevolence, it is worth evaluating the motivations and background behind this apparent love of mankind and yearning to make the world a better place by helping people. 

Whiz kid was the second largest political donator in the US behind Uncle György Schwartz. His parents are law professors at a prestigious citadel of darkness; both have heavily participated in political lobbying. His aunt is the dean of the school of health at another citadel of darkness and is also connected to the WEF. His brother ran a non-profit focused on “guarding against the birdemic”.

Whiz kid and his family members are all clearly and deeply connected to a variety of System apparatchiks in various System sectors, including healthcare, politics, finance, education, and law. Unsurprisingly, the whole family is actively involved in all the Litmus Test issues, to the point that the whiz kid apparently used his company as a front through which to launder money via Ukraine. 


I don’t know about you, but do any of these people strike you as the sort who honestly strive to help people and make the world a better place? Does it look like any of them sacrificed their interests for the sake of others? If anything, the whiz kid and his extended family offer a clear glimpse of some of what lies behind the System’s obsessive promulgation of altruism as the highest of all virtues and moral obligations.

Regardless, modern people generally embrace altruism as a high virtue, moral obligation, and guiding principle. Many consider it a high expression of love; for some, it represents the highest form of love.

When the media broadcasts an individual or organization that is working to place the interests of others above its interests, modern people tend to regard such individuals or organizations as noble and virtuous. 


Contemporary Christians are no exception here. Most Christians think altruism is an innately Christian principle and virtue – a principle and virtue that the secular left hijacks, corrupts, and retools to serve its nefarious purposes. 

Within this framework of contemporary Christian thinking, the disinterested and selfless concern for the well-being of others is an inherent Christian “good” toward which all Christians should aim.

Yes, leftists and atheists often abuse the principle, but this abuse should not deter Christians from practicing altruism properly; nor does it negate the Christian “goodness” contained within the principle. 


In fact, one of the best things a modern Christian can do is demonstrate the correct spirit of altruism and show the secular, atheist what selfless service to others means and how it “should be done”.

And Christian Effective Altruism – the same thing the Ponzi scheme whiz kid supported but with a Christian twist – offers the contemporary Christian the perfect avenue through which to do just that (bold added): 


Service to others is a pillar of Christianity. Jesus taught that helping those in need was one of the most important aspects of life for just about anyone. Jesus went as far as to suggest that people should help others as much as possible. For example, Jesus praised those who would give so much to the poor that they themselves became poor. With such strong emphasis on helping till it hurts in the New Testament, one would expect to see Christians today putting altruism, or producing a positive change in the world, at the forefront of their lives.

The world in which Jesus lived was vastly different from the world today. Life was centered on one’s own community, and people had limited knowledge or ability to communicate with the rest of the world. Helping others in the ancient world was probably a simple affair consisting of giving to beggars or local organizations that helped the poor or sick. It is therefore understandable that the altruism espoused in the Bible was simple and local, with an emphasis on quantity (ie. sacrifice).

Today’s world is much more complex and global. Helping others is, therefore, also more complicated, with countless possible options. It would be a mistake to assume that Christ would advocate to limit altruism to your own community or to directly helping the sick or poor if he were alive today. The fundamental message of Jesus’ teachings of altruism was to help others, or improve the world, as much as possible. In the Twenty-First Century, this requires a scientific approach that uses research and reason to optimize outcomes.

Christians today have not been heeding the call of Christ to make a sincere, robust effort at helping people. We sacrifice little and help others based on the benefit to ourselves rather than to society. Only by practicing effective altruism, can we live up to Christ’s expectations. By utilizing scientific principles, we can determine which actions are most worth pursuing, and which should be relegated to a lower priority. Tools such as randomized controlled trials and surveys make it possible to estimate the effectiveness of various interventions in helping others, guiding our actions with evidence and compassion.

Listen, Christians who believe that sounds even remotely Christian needs to seriously re-evaluate their understanding of what living up to Christ’s expectations really means.
I’ll cut right to the chase. Altruism is not a Christian principle or virtue. Moreover, it never was.

Leftism didn’t hijack altruism from Christianity and corrupt it; Christianity absorbed altruism from leftism. Unfortunately, this absorption has severely distorted, contaminated, and misrepresented authentic Christian love. 


There are many problems with altruism. For the sake of brevity, I'll focus on the simple fact that it was Auguste Comte, the founder of positivism, who coined the term! 

Comte’s concept of altruism derives from the French autrui, (other, or other people), which in turn comes from the Latin later, meaning other. Comte's ethical doctrine of altruism is rooted in the insistence that individuals are morally obligated to put the interests of others above their self-interest for the sake of society. 

Here’s the kicker – Comte rejected metaphysics and theism outright. He did not believe in anything spiritual.

Instead, he believed in the sociological law of three stages in which his positivist stage – a philosophical system that accepted only that which could be scientifically recognized or proven via logic or mathematics – represented the pinnacle of human development, ranking far above the necessary yet inferior theological and metaphysical stages of social development (both of which needed to be abandoned).

Though Comte denied the reality of God and Creation, he valued the social utility of religion; so much so, that he ended up creating a secular religion, aptly called The Religion of Humanity.


I have rambled on about all of this because I have spent the last couple of days thinking about a recent post on Dr. Charlton’s Notions blog.

The post was a succinct and penetrating summation of “what is best, deepest, and most important about the work of Rudolf Steiner” as provided by the late editor-in-chief of Steiner books, Christopher Bamford. The following lists the main points: 
  • We are already, here and now, living in a spiritual world
  • Our habits of reductionist-positivistic thinking are what actually materialize the world
  • Everything is consciousness, and all consciousness is of a Being which is conscious. 
  • We inhabit a world of Beings in relationships. So, reality consists of relationships in consciousness. 
  • These relationships continue after that transformation which is death 
  • The purpose of the Earth and Men - what this world is essentially for - is the creation of relationships. 
  • And this is vital because only on Earth and among Men can Beings learn to love. 
  • The most important thing, in reality, is the cultivation of Love; and the development of consciousness of Love.
  • Love and freedom are needed and inseparable - you cannot have one without the other. 
  • The most important activity of the universe takes place on earth 
  • The rest of reality participates in the development of Love between beings on Earth.
Within that excellent summary, Dr. Charlton provides two amplifications of Bamford’s points that resonated deeply with me: 

This is creation. Our life on Earth is spiritual; this spiritual life is about love; and this love is creation. Creation is made-of love; and the aim of evolution is to develop this love and consciousness of love.

Love among Men is not sufficient, but it is essential. The first commandment to love god, and the second commandment to love fellow Men are no longer, since Christ, possible to separate. Both are necessary for each other.

Dr.Charlton’s post on Bamford/Steiner raises many vital questions that require immediate reflection. Among these, one struck me as particularly significant: 
​

Since our life on Earth is spiritual, and the purpose of this life on Earth is the establishment of relationships through which to learn how to love – to cultivate love via consciousness – then what “sort” of love should people be aiming for, learning, and cultivating? 

The answer is simple. Christian love. True Christian love.


The kind that does not include altruism -- effective or otherwise!

17 Comments
bruce g charlton
11/22/2022 20:57:31

This is very good stuff - much of it new to me. I did not know about this Christian Effective Altruism - I looked at their website, and it is pretty obviously a leftist organization for infiltrating and subverting Christian churches, to deflect their mission to leftist causes. They all but make this explicit on their mission statement page:

"The CEAP mission is *limited to promotion of non-religious forms of altruism* because we believe that religious outreach and support is already widely and effectively practiced by Christians."

I notice from the home page main illustration that they follow my summary of Justin Welby's vision for the Church of England:

"The future of Christianity is fighting Global Warming, Fair Trade and *making-Africans-smile*."

https://charltonteaching.blogspot.com/2017/10/justin-welby-archbishop-of-canterbury.html

I did not know that about Comte and his 'religion' - he was certainly many decades ahead of his time; a real prophet of the End Times... but regarded as A Good Thing.

Altogether you have confirmed by belief that churches in 2022 should not practice any form of altruism (No poverty relief activities, emergency/ crisis relief, hospitals, schools etc), since all will corrupt the church: their institutional work (outside of worship) should be wholly evangelistic and spiritual.

BTW you have the wrong link for Christian Effective Altruism

Reply
Francis Berger
11/23/2022 11:35:06

@ Bruce - Fixed. Thanks. Yes, you observations about the COE reflect my experience working at a COE school in Northumberland. It has become quite clear that this is the mantra of all mainstream Christian churches.

Effective Christian Altruism is definitely a leftist site with a leftist mission, but most Christians are accepting of that, it seems.

Scheler does a good job calling out altruism and Comte in "Ressentiment". Sadly, it does seem that many Christians are unaware of the leftist origins of altruism. Of course, having all major mainstream churches adopt the principle as a Christian principle doesn't help matters.

The churches' display of altruism as a virtue was most sickening during the birdemic. The constant appeals to loving the neighbor and avoiding killing others via the birdemic virus, etc.

Reply
The Continental Op
11/22/2022 21:33:54

Quite right. Altruism is pushed by a huge array of grifters. A multitude of charities exist whose main purpose is to provide jobs and income to the founders and their hangers-on, mainly people who got useless degrees in college and couldn't get useful work. Altruism is the cloak they wear to allow people to check off the "I care" box on their life list by throwing some money their way.

Reply
Francis Berger
11/23/2022 11:39:03

@ TCOP - Altruism is an extremely popular and profitable System grift. The best part of altruism is the philanthropists don't have to love people at all. Quite the opposite. They can impoverish and destroy and sicken and corrupt at will and with approval -- all under the banner of "We are sacrificing ourselves for your sake! Now it's your turn!"

Reply
William Wildblood
11/22/2022 23:25:51

Excellent post. What is the purpose of altruistic action even assuming the altruism is genuine? To make the world a better place? To relieve suffering and spread happiness? That has nothing to do with Christian love which is directed solely to bringing a soul closer to God. In other words, Christian love is focused on spiritual ends. It is not well-meaning, it does not have good intentions and it is not benevolent. Christian love derives from God and seeks to bring everything back to God.

Reply
Francis Berger
11/23/2022 11:40:43

@ William - I couldn't agree more.

Reply
johnson
11/22/2022 23:51:40

Jesus the son of Sirach (chapter 12 or 15, I can never remember which) says "Give alms to the righteous but help not a sinner" (I'm quoting from memory obviously) "Hold back your bread from the wicked lest he overmaster you thereby and God punish you sevenfold for the help you give to him. For the Lord hateth sinners and has reserved them for the day of vengeance. Give alms to the righteous, not to the wicked."

Therefore Christian altruism should only be to Christians in good standing, or least only to the civily righteous, and never to atheists and alphebtis. But that's why they threw out "The Apocrypha" was because they wanted altruism to atheists and perverts. If any altruism is to be done to non-Christians it is with the expectation of quick and sincere conversion and must be cut off quickly if it is seen this will not or did not occur. "But that would be a bribe to stay righteous to keep getting help." So what? To keep helping people who won't stay righteous is stupid and evil and helps them overmaster you and society.

Reply
Francis Berger
11/23/2022 20:53:44

@ johnson - My point is that there is no such thing as Christian altruism -- only Christian love. Christians must extend their love to their enemies, but this love encompasses the spiritual reality of the enemy as a spiritual reality. It does not entail that Christians must bow down before the enemy in passivity or tolerate the evil or refrain from struggling with the enemy or fighting against the enemy. Christians have forgotten what it means to fight from love.

Reply
Nara
11/23/2022 08:43:03

So Ayn Rand was right (about this, at least): https://youtu.be/7RFlPmjUbRo
Tho her position seems to have been more AGAINST altruism, presumably because the alternative, a positive support FOR something, would have meant supporting the Christian virtue.

Reply
Francis Berger
11/23/2022 20:55:15

@ Nara - Yes, good point. Being against something is inadequate. The "for" should always be greater than the "against".

Reply
Whitney
11/23/2022 14:24:52

Effective altruism is sociopath camouflage

Reply
bruce g charlton
11/23/2022 17:18:35

Thinking further - William W's question is worth bringing to mind in such discussions: "What is the purpose of altruistic action even assuming the altruism is genuine?"

The problem with the world is that it in fundamentally unsatisfactory, ultimately because everything in it decays and dies. We need to evaluate ethical claims in the light of spiritual purpose that addresses this fact.

To my mind, the desirability of any specific altruistic act should be evaluated in terms of being a means to some *positive* end - lacking which it is just 'moving deckchairs on the Titanic'.

'Equality' is not a positive end - ad not part of Christianity; and even the genuine alleviation of a specific suffering is inevitably temporary.

To campaign that Christian churches increase altruism would be advocating that the lesser and temporary should replace the greater and permanent - even if the proposal was sincere and well-meaning rather than subversive grifting.

Reply
Francis Berger
11/23/2022 20:56:09

@ Bruce - Yes, those are good points. I've added some more thoughts about this in today's post.

Reply
Anti-Gnostic
11/23/2022 22:25:05

As I put it, EA is charity for people who love humanity but hate humans.

Reply
My name is Matt
11/24/2022 16:41:57

What an illuminating post, thank you! It's mind blowing at how thoroughly leftism has penetrated and then corrupted almost the entirety of our deep, basic frameworks of thinking and understanding. Just when I get to the point where I seem to be starting to have some things figured out, I realize that NOPE! I've got so much more work to do. So much more to learn.
Thanks again.

Reply
Epimetheus
11/25/2022 00:44:11

It sounds like altruism is just faceless love for people we don't know and will never meet. Ie. not love at all. Love that somehow isn't love at the same time.

Reply
Francis Berger
11/25/2022 08:02:29

@ Epi - Yes, that's it in a nutshell. That old, universal "love of mankind" that goes everywhere yet nowhere.

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    RSS Feed

    Blog and Comments

    Blog posts tend to be spontaneous, unpolished, first draft entries ranging from the insightful and periodically profound to the poorly-argued and occasionally disparaging.
     

    Comments are moderated. Anonymous comments are never published (please use your name or a pseudonym). 

    Emails welcome:

    f er en c ber g er (at) h otm   ail (dot) co m
    Blogs/Sites I Read
    Bruce Charlton's Notions
    Meeting the Masters
    From The Narrow Desert
    Synlogos ✞ Aggregator
    New World Island  
    New World Island YouTube
    ​Steeple Tea
    Berdyaev.com
    Adam Piggott
    Fourth Gospel Blog
    The Orthosphere
    Junior Ganymede

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    July 2018
    May 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    November 2016
    June 2016
    March 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    July 2015
    April 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    October 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012

    Picture
    A free PDF is also available in My Work. 
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.