Charitable Chance

Larry Winget has gone from poor roots to wealth to bankruptcy and back to millionaire status again. He’s got his own TV show called “Big Spender” where he helps people live within their means. I just finished reading one of his books, You’re Broke Because You Want to Be, and I’ve definitely found a similar thinker in his very blunt, to the point manner of speaking. However, one section of the book left me startled.

Winget cites a time when he was deep in debt and “felt like [he] needed to give away $100.” Sure enough, that night his attorney comes by and tells him he’s been forgiven a debt of $100. Some would call this random chance, but Winget took this as a lesson “to never stop giving, no matter what your circumstances” and later quotes a preacher and gives this advice: “I just know that the best way to begin any money venture, whether it is an investment or getting out of debt, is to give some money away. I personally believe in giving away 10 percent of your money…” At this point, I’m thinking some version of tithing is coming up. However, Winget says he doesn’t believe God “needs or even wants your money” and that God doesn’t “give a hoot about your silly 10 percent.” He continues to say that people should give because they have confidence that more money will be coming in. He even goes so far as to say that people have an obligation to give money.

While I agree with many of the things Winget talks about in his book – like making a budget, cutting down on excesses, and living within your means – and his reasoning behind them, this section left me befuddled. Not because I don’t believe in giving, but because his logic is just so flawed. He first seems to argue that if you give, somehow it will come back to you, basically karma. However, then he argues that God doesn’t care if you give. If that is true, God won’t reward you for giving, and you’re left with two random occurrences. If there is no greater being to influence the course of human events, then it was pure chance that Winget was forgiven his debt and therefore there’s no correlation between him giving away money and reaping any benefit from it.

If this is true, Larry would be an idiot for thinking a lucky roll of the dice means he should continue gambling. Larry automatically has some credibility because he’s wealthy, but would you listen to lottery winner who was wealthy from getting lucky on a lottery ticket even though all reason and mathematical probability says buying a lottery ticket is one of the worst investments you can make? To take this a step further, if you take God out of the equation, we are here just by chance and morality doesn’t actually exist – it’s just a creation of man’s mind. But that’s an argument for another essay and I’ll just stick with karma for now.

Part of tithing (the religious term for giving ten percent of your income to the church) is most definitely about trust. But unlike Winget’s version of trusting in yourself, the purpose of the tithe shows your trust in God. I am a huge fan of the personal responsibility Winget preaches through out the book, but when that personal responsibility comes at the exclusion God’s provision, then it’s taken a step too far.

Winget also argues that having money inherently carries an obligation to give to those in need. Again, I agree, but says who? Winget’s already said that God doesn’t care if you give, so who made this obligation? As much as I agree with many things he says, “because I said so” isn’t a very compelling reason. As intimidating as he looks on the cover of the book, “because Larry says so” doesn’t cut it either. Without a higher being instructing me, I would be more likely to accept a doctor telling me that giving will make me feel better, reduce my stress, and therefore increase my life expectancy.

After reading this, you may be thinking I’m some horrible old miser who wants everyone to hoard their wealth. That couldn’t be further from the truth. The point I make is only that karma doesn’t exist on its own. Just as laws cannot be enforced without a government in power over individuals, what goes around cannot come around consistently without a God over His creation. By all means, give money, but also give God some credit, too.