{"id":55615,"date":"2024-01-23T09:34:02","date_gmt":"2024-01-23T08:34:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/institutodelbienestar.com\/small-acts-of-charity-do-not-wash-away-the-harm-we-cause\/"},"modified":"2026-04-09T12:33:13","modified_gmt":"2026-04-09T10:33:13","slug":"small-acts-of-charity-do-not-cancel-the-harm-we-cause","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/institutodelbienestar.com\/en\/live-without-harming\/publications\/small-acts-of-charity-do-not-cancel-the-harm-we-cause\/","title":{"rendered":"Small acts of charity do not cancel the harm we cause"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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REPAIR THE HARM! SMALL ACTS OF CHARITY DO NOT CANCEL THE HARM WE CAUSE\n\n <\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Something that encourages abuses is the belief that good deeds “purify” everything, leaving everything as white as if you used bleach. Of course, it is good to do favors for others and contribute to NGOs. But it is not good to think that this constitutes a kind of indulgence that forgives all sins, allowing us to abuse human or non-human animals while simultaneously being good people, free of spots.<\/p>

This is not the case, as the only thing that cancels the harm we have caused\u2014which was not in self-defense\u2014is sincere regret, apologizing, making amends, repairing the harm and not doing it again.<\/p>

Read REPAIR THE HARM!<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/p>

Some find this difficult to see, as they mythologize the act of charity so much that they sugarcoat anyone who practices it, regardless of the evils they commit. Help can be a blinding light that prevents one from seeing what lies behind it, specifically the harm caused to innocents by the person being supportive. The attraction can be as great as that of Ulysses toward the sirens’ songs. This is true to the point that many have approached Nazi, neo-Nazi, neo-fascist, or Islamist\/jihadist organizations because of the assistance they provided.<\/p>

The cause of this is likely biological. In other words, we possibly have a congenital tendency to idealize those who cooperate, especially if they do so with us, because this has helped our species survive throughout history.<\/p>

But the reality is that it is not the mark of a good person to give with one hand and take with the other, to help with one arm and cause harm with the other, especially when we do much more harm than good, as is often the case.<\/p>

Read AVOID HARMING OTHERS!<\/em><\/a><\/span><\/p>

For example, there are many individuals who support a few people, or even pay a small monthly fee to Oxfam Interm\u00f3n (an NGO in Spain) or the Red Cross, or spend one hour a week keeping an elderly person company, but at the same time cause suffering to thousands of sentient beings. In fact, on average, every inhabitant of the planet victimizes more than 20,000 farm animals over the course of their life.<\/p>

Read LIVE WITHOUT HARMING! Not animals either <\/a><\/span><\/em><\/p>

If I put 20 weights on the scale of altruism and 20,000 on the scale of abuse, it is clear which way the balance tips, right? But even if the scale of good deeds is very full, it does not compensate for the harm caused, as the beneficiaries and the victims are different. Again, the only thing that compensates is reparation to the victims, asking for their forgiveness, sincere regret and rectification.<\/p>

Let’s not act like King James I of Aragon<\/u><\/a><\/span>, who was very generous in donating money for the construction of the Cathedral of Palma de Mallorca after committing a genocide of almost the entire indigenous population of the island and the enslavement of the inhabitants of Ibiza.<\/p>

Or like Isabella I of Castile<\/u><\/a><\/span>, who also donated significant amounts to a congregation while simultaneously enslaving the inhabitants of Granada and the Canary Islands (or rather, those who had not committed suicide to avoid being enslaved), subjugating the indigenous peoples of America and stealing their lands, expelling the Jews, and promoting the horrors of the Inquisition.<\/p>

It is better to first focus our efforts on not doing any unjustified harm to anyone, as this is not easy, for it goes against our nature, to varying degrees according to each person:<\/p>