In the 1400, charity meant 'the state of love or simple affection which
one was in or out of regarding one's fellows; an occasion or body of
people seeking to embody that state; the love of god, in both
directions.' The fraternity was the embodiment of this ideal. In 1700,
it meant 'an optimistic judgement about the good intentions of others;
an act of benevolence towards the poor or needy; an institution erected
as a result of such an act.' This according to Bossy.1
Religious charity
Charity is a central part of most of the world's religions. In Christian
theology, for example, it is one of the three theological virtues,
meaning loving kindness towards others; it is held to be the ultimate
perfection of the human spirit, because it is said to both glorify and
reflect the nature of God. In its most extreme form charity can be
self-sacrificial. The act of giving money, goods or time to such a
charitable trust or other worthy cause is described as charity or
charitable giving. In Sunni Islam this is called Zakat, and is one of
the five pillars upon which the muslim religion is based. Charity is
also used as a forename, intended to evoke the idea that one so named is
a giving person.
Charity fundraising on the Internet
With the advent of the Internet a new form of charity fundraising has
come up where the person wanting to donate can do so for free by
clicking on a banner ad displayed on a particular website. The sponsors
then give a specific amount to the website every time a person clicks on
their banner. The website subsequently donates the money collected for
charitable causes.
