Toxic Charity, by Robert Lupton (Harper One, 2011) Discussion Guide / Study Questions

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1 Toxic Charity, by Robert Lupton (Harper One, 2011) Discussion Guide / Study Questions Chapter 1 1. What motivates you to become involved with charitable organizations? What needs are you hoping to address by giving your time or money? 2. Lupton, in the second sentence of his book, says that much charitable giving is either wasted or actually harms the people it is targeted to help. He notes that the outcomes of our charity are almost entirely unexamined. Why might this be so? (pages 1 and 3) 3. Do you agree with Lupton s assertion that Africa, the recipient of much aid in the past 50 years, is worse off than it was before or that, through our efforts to eliminate poverty here in the United States, we have created a permanent underclass? (page 3) 4. What gives Lupton s critique a credibility that others might not have? (page 4) 5. Lupton says that we allow harmful effects to occur [b]ecause, as compassionate people, we have been evaluating our charity by the rewards we receive through service, rather than the benefits received by the served. Discuss this idea. (page 5) 6. What distinction does Lupton make between an immediate short term catastrophe (e.g., an earthquake or a tsunami) and long-term development? (page 6) 7. Look at the Oath for Compassionate Service on pages 8 and 9. How might following this oath change the emphasis of our charitable giving? Chapter 2 1. What distinction does Lupton make between the motives of the compassionate people who give and the unintended consequences of giving? (page 11) 2. What was the difference in approaches between Lupton s church s attempt to help alleviate a water need in Honduras and Opportunity International s approach in Nicaragua? (page 13) 3. Lupton is very negative about short-term mission trips (pages 14-16). Do you feel that Lupton is too harsh in his judgments? Are there benefits to mission trips, both for the travelers and for the recipients? 4. Lupton implies that more of a business perspective should be applied to mission trips when he says that the amount spent on service trips is extravagant when compared to the monetary value of the actual work done (page 17) Is this the only criterion that should be applied? 1

2 5. Why is Opportunity International heralded as an example of an effective microlender? (page 19) 6. What example did Juan give (pages 20-21) of how churches potentially destroy the initiative of people? 7. What lesson can be learned from the story of Atlanta real-estate developer Billy Mitchell? (pages 22-26) 8. Use the example of Prison Fellowship (pages 26-38) to explain this sentence: Again and again we are finding that when it comes to global needs in organizational development and human development, the granting of money creates dependence and conflict, not independence and respect. Chapter 3 1. Lupton asserts that giving is no simple matter (page 31). What accounts for his belief that giving toys to needy children at Christmas time is toxic? (page 33). Do you agree? 2. On page 34, Jacques Ellul is quoted as saying: It is important that giving be truly free. It must never degenerate into charity, in the pejorative sense. Almsgiving is Mammon s perversion of giving. It affirms the superiority of the giver, who thus gains a point on the recipient, binds him, demands gratitude, humiliates him and reduces him to a lower state than he had before. These are strong words that condemn the idea of almsgiving. Do you agree or disagree with Ellul s assessment? What do you perceive to be the distinction between truly free giving and almsgiving? 3. Using the example of Haiti and some countries in Africa, Lupton asserts that decades of free aid from well-meaning benefactors, though necessary in times of disaster, in the long term produces an entitlement mentality that ultimately does more harm than good (page 36). Do you agree or disagree? 4. Lupton talks about the need to establish authentic parity between people of unequal power (page 37). How does a thrift store meet this need in a way that a free clothes closet does not? 5. Rather than adopting a family at Christmas, Lupton s church provided new toys at bargain prices for neighborhood parents (pages 38-39). How did this measure preserve the dignity of the fathers? 6. The prophet Micah defines a way of life that is truly balanced: He has shown you, O mortal, what is good To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God (Micah 6:8). Lupton lists modern equivalents of these attributes: immediate care with a future plan; emergency relief and responsible development; short-term intervention and long-term involvement; and heart responses and engaged minds (pages 41-42). Do you agree that these elements reflect Micah s view of acting justly and loving mercy? 2

3 7. What is meant by the statement: Mercy that doesn t move intentionally in the direction of development (justice) will end up doing more harm than good to both giver and recipient? (page 42) 8. Lupton says that those involved in mercy ministry often find themselves feeling helpless to solve the seemingly intractable problems they encounter. How does this helplessness make us ready for service? (page 42) 9. Three respected Christians who work with the poor gave three different answers yes, sometimes, and no to the question: Should Christians always give money to street people who ask for it? Which of the three responses most accurately reflects your own perspective (pages 45-47) What was Lupton s own response? (page 49) 10. Lupton suggests that due diligence is required of anyone desiring to live charitably (page 49). What does he mean by this? What is his suggestion for those who feel that they can t invest the kind of commitment he calls for? Chapter 4 1. Contrast the food distribution process of the Old First Church with that of the Georgia Avenue Food Co-op. Why does Lupton consider one of the systems for distribution toxic while the other is not? (pages 51-54) 2. Lupton states: Food in our society is a chronic poverty need, not a life-threatening one. And when we respond to a chronic need as though it were a crisis, we can predict toxic results: dependency, deception, disempowerment (page 56). How do you respond to this statement? 3. Lupton quotes a director of a charity who says, Churches want their members to feel good about serving the poor, but no one really wants to become involved in messy relationships (page 56). Do you think this statement is accurate? 4. Lupton says that relationships based solely on need require more and more need to continue The victim brings the dilemma; the rescuer finds the solution. When one problem is solved, another must be presented in order for the relationship to continue. If the victim no longer needs a solution, the rescuer is no longer needed (page 61). If Lupton is correct, is there a sense in which both the benefactor and the recipient of the charity need each other? 5. Lupton says that recipients of the disbursing community are usually not inside the church themselves; they are outsiders. Read Lupton s characterization of the giver-recipient relationship in the middle of page 62. Does this ring true? 6. According to Lupton, what is the right question to ask as we consider charitable work? (page 63) 3

4 Chapter 5 1. Using the distinction between development and emergency assistance, why does Lupton feel that mission trips are often inappropriate for the population we are attempting to serve? (page 69) 2. Why does Lupton suggest that calling short-term mission trips insight trips be the more appropriate term? (pages 69-70) 3. Lupton asks the question: When a church makes decisions about serving others, are the ones being served the urban poor or the church? (page 74). How do the tale of two churches examples (pages 70-74) address this question? 4. Lupton makes a distinction between outreach program activity versus outcomes. How does he use this distinction to support a more focused approach to mission? (pages 76-78) Does this have any implications for how we spend our mission dollars? 5. How does Lupton contrast an institutional perspective for serving others versus a community perspective? (pages 82-83) Do you agree with his perspective that worthwhile institutions may, ironically, be harmful to those in the immediate communities in which they are located? Chapter 6 1. How was the Atlanta Project (TAP) an example of a top-down charity that didn t work? (pages 86-93) Why is it tempting to invest in initiatives such as TAP rather than what works in easing urban pathologies one person, one family, one neighborhood at a time? (page 93) 2. According to Damisa Moyo, what has been the result of one trillion dollars in aid to Africa over the past 50 years (page 94) 3. How do we reconcile the needs that we see-- that imprint of the divine that impels us to reach out to help another in distress (page 95) with Lupton s contention that such actions often create more harm than good? 4. Why does Lupton consider it important that programs not simply be give-away programs but, instead, promote self-sufficiency? (pages ) Chapter 7 1. Lupton asks four questions about our giving: (a) Is it yielding good returns? (b) Is it consistent with our passions? (c) Does it reflect our values about relief vs. development? (d) Is it invested on the cutting edge? (page 106) Do we need to use this standard for all 4

5 of our giving, or can we apply different standards depending on the cause we are giving to? 2. Lupton talks about a return on investment. Is this a reasonable expectation when giving to a charitable cause? How does Warren Buffett suggest that return on investment should be measured? (pages ) 3. What is the difference between community involvement and hands-on human services? Evaluate the Nicaraguan yucca growing project discussed on pages in relation to the effectiveness criteria offered at the bottom of page 106 and the top of page Use the questions on pages to infer the difference between community building and community economic development. How is this different from the short-term, oneshot projects we often engage in? 5. On pages 117 to 120, Lupton offers several questions that communities and individuals should examine before developing a strategy for community building and community economic development. Look through these elements and discuss the underlying principles that drive his approach to community development. Do any of these questions surprise you or introduce ideas you had not entertained before? Are they helpful in thinking about your own charitable strategy? If so, how? 6. Why is microlending more a challenge in the United States than in many developing countries? What is the one exception? (pages ) Chapter 8 1. Look at the first two tenets in the Oath for Compassionate Service on page 128: (1) Never do for the poor what they have (or could have) the capacity to do for themselves, and (2) limit one-way giving to emergency situations. Many of our Christmas appeals (e.g, Adopt a Family) violate at least one of these principles. Is this acceptable, or should we not support such causes? 2. Respond to this statement: To do for others what they have the capacity to do for themselves is to disempower them. The negative outcomes of welfare are no different when religious or charitable organizations provide it (page 129) Do you agree or disagree? 3. What distinction does Lupton make between an emergency need and a chronic condition? (page 129) 4. Discuss Lupton s adage concerning one-way giving ( Give once and you elicit appreciation, etc.) (page 130). Do you think he is right? 5. What is the value of lending and investing over giving grants? (pages ) 5

6 6. Discuss this statement: When the agenda of a church is to create an inspiring, enriching, and well-planned mission experience for members, the real needs of the poor may be overlooked and dismissed as too complex or time consuming (page 131). Are there instances in which short-term mission trips may be justified? When? 7. What principle did inner-city minister David Van Cronkhite violate when he brought in a trailerload of ponies for ghetto children to ride? (page 135) 8. What distinguishes community development partners from service project volunteers? (page 136) 9. Summarize Lupton s model of community development found in the middle paragraph on page What is the difference between relief, rehabilitation, and development? How do they differ with respect to time commitments? (page 138) 11. One of the tenets of community development is Focus on pace don t get ahead of the people Local people must remain in control of their own development, which dictates the pace of progress (page 140). Why is this difficult for us to do? 12. What are the limits of collaboration and the idea that better coordinated services make healthier communities? (pages ) Chapter 9 1. What did Lupton do to reduce the insensitivity and pity factor among volunteers? (page 151) 2. What example does Lupton give of the need not to do work that able-bodied people can do? (pages ) 3. Explain the concept of reneighboring (page 156). What gives Lupton hope that young people would be willing to commit themselves to becoming strategic neighbors? 4. Why did Lupton recommend that a couple wanting to become strategic neighbors wait six months before initiating any activity? (pages ) 5. What does Lupton mean when he says that need does not constitute a call? Why does he recommend focusing one s efforts in one or two areas only? (page 162) Chapter What are some examples of what Lupton calls betterment? What is his attitude toward these kinds of projects? (pages ) What is the flaw with betterment programs? (page 167) 6

7 2. What is the difference between betterment and development? (page 167) 3. Why was it more natural to serve in areas surrounding one s church in times past than it is now? (page 170) 4. Why does Lupton recommend focusing on one specific ministry or activity? (page ) 5. Lupton asserts that timing is everything (page 175). What does he mean? What factors determine whether the time is right for development to begin in a given neighborhood? 6. Lupton outlines the points necessary for community development (pages ). Do you agree with this assessment, or is he asking too much of a faith community? How does one live up to this level of commitment? Is a little betterment better than nothing if such a sweeping commitment is not possible? 7. What is the danger of highlighting the negatives of a neighborhood as we enlist individuals to help solve some of its problems? (pages ) 8. Why is it difficult to transition away from give-away programs? How does Lupton suggest beginning to do so? (pages ) 9. Whys is it an advantage when a church is located near an area of need? (page 183) 10. Look at the work that Lupton gives for executing an effective service project (pages ). Does this, in part, explain why we are often content with betterment rather than development? 11. How does the question, Is the need crisis or chronic? inform how we engage in service to others? (page 190) 12. The final sentence in the book is, [T]he poor, no matter how destitute, have enormous untapped capacity; find it, be inspired by it, and build upon it (page 191). How would taking this attitude change our perspective toward helping the poor? Questions developed by Dave Dolman for Emmaus Sunday School class, First Presbyterian Church, Wilson, NC based on the website, December