Religion really throws a wrench into things when it comes to motivation to do unselfish acts. It takes common, innate tendencies like compassion and empathy, puts a label on them(10 commandments), packages them(the scriptures), then tells everyone that if they don't do these unselfish things, they will be damned.( Uses fear to motivate people to be unselfish. )
I can name off some of the things that motivated me to pay tithing: 1.It was expected of me. ( Its a commandment ) 2.Groupthink. 3.I might lose my job if I don't pay tithing. 4.Expectation of reward.
Compassion and the idea of helping others never entered the picture when I paid tithing. Same thing w/ helping out in service projects, such as eagle projects, or fulfilling a calling. There is a tribal expectation that if you want to be a good person, you will do these things on this list. The mormon church actually uses our tendencies to want to help others to their own advantage. Cleaning the church building is touted as a service project. Going to the temple is helping others who are dead to enter back into the presence of god. These examples aren't really service. The former is designed to save the church money, the latter to strengthen allegience to the corporation.
Now that I've left the corporation, when I do unselfish things, its on my own terms. I do them because its the right thing to do at that moment, or it makes me feel good to help out another person. This is a very interesting article, BTW. Thx for posting it, Twink.