A religious charity is a charity that has as the core basis for its altruism a religious conviction to help others. While some religious charities discuss their faith, others do not. For much of its existence, the downtrodden in the United States counted on religious charities to help them through times of turmoil. Over time the government adopted some of this role, but assistance through religious charities is still a very large and ongoing part of day by day support for those in need.