"While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your control? Why is it that you have conceived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God."

-Act 5:4


This morning, my attention is attracted by a sentence "Blind Leads Blind" of television preaching. My memory went back to a scene that a Taiwanese entertainer argued with that how God knows his mind and how pure his motivation is. That is about a news event of a controversial activity for public welfare in Taiwan recently. Althought there are also many different opinions and disputation in this event. The part gaining my attention is that the major role in this event is a Christian who said he doesn't think he have to explain anything to anyone because what he's done is right.
To me, the most what I concerned is how we can discern the public benefit activities and commercial activities. For now, a better objective reference I can find is the guidance by Canada Revenue Agency, though it's still not perfect. If guys don't want to spend too much time in reading, I suggest to focus on "8. Allocation of fundraising expenditures" and "9. Evaluation of fundraising activities". Some Christians said that we should not call into question of a person who is willing to help people, and only God can judge us. Actually, I think that kind of the declaration is a certain way of trying to blur the focus. I agree no one can really know the true motivation inside one's mind. But I also have to remind us, no matter what the motivation we have, we all have to live up to our responsibility of what we have done. If we did anything wrong, there is no way to use good motivation as excuse to shift the blame and responsibility. And at least, we ought to try to fix things right. Especially the fund is gathered from other people, and the goal of fundraising is about public welfare, that's the reason why how to organize a fundraising event must be reviewed by public examining. Paying close attention to the expenditures of fundraising isn't the same to doubt one's motivation (Of course, it's not to judge one's motivation either). Moreover, if one person has a pure good motivation to help others, it doesn't mean that he can use public welfare fund as his pleasure. Doing for good is the same important to do it right. By the way, to be honest to public is also very important. The story about Ananias and Sapphira in the Chapter 5 of Act is a good reminding to tell us what's God's attitude to hypocrite. No one can deny that covering for a dishonest will pay enormous price that we can't stand.

Reference Reading I: Bible Couples, Pt. 9: Ananias and Sapphira
Reference Reading II: 藝人做公益的無辜與無知
Reference Reading III: 黑人的潮T自肥真是態度有問題
An Expenditure Example from World Vision of Taiwan


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