My remark was a rebuttal to the assertion that these contributions were guaranteed. That notwithstanding, I'm unsure that I agree that it amounts to about the same thing; we tend to take care of each other as a matter of due course and not as a transaction.
The mainstream Anglo-American attitude around this kind of support leaves me scratching my head a lot of the time.
It is a kind of transaction. While I don't know the details, isn't it some form of you support the community, and the community supports you when you're in need?
Not at all. Tithing[0] is contributed as one is able, but assistance in the face of hardship is no questions asked. For my congregation in particular while I was growing up, this extended even to non-members, and there was a strong thread of volunteerism.
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0: Tithing can take many forms beyond giving cash. I tithed my RSUs.
The mainstream Anglo-American attitude around this kind of support leaves me scratching my head a lot of the time.