Posted on 07/24/2012 5:38:52 PM PDT by sagar
Am I the only one who feels utter and total contempt for the so called poor? This is the most free, by far, any country in the history of the world, and yet we have these scum-sucking parasites that have not taken advantage of it, instead they cannot take care of themselves, their children, nor their elderly.
When I see a poor person, I am filled with disgust. How can this individual(or group of individuals) live like this and not feel that they have the opportunity just in front of them that the rest of the world would kill for?
My contempt level is pretty high for the poor parasites, but it reaches epic proportions for those that are poor and obese! How can they even live like it? Do they have no dignity? No shame?
America is wasted on them. In fact, America is now dying under their weight.
Sorry for the rant.
DO you think I like being poor? Listen you dip *hit, I busted my butt for many years, got hurt on a military deployment, now live on a pittance of retirement (less than 24k/yr of which I pay little less than 5k for medical insurance). Funny though, once a white man is over the age of 50, no one will hire. I do not take handouts from the government, yes I do qualify but I flat out refuse.
Oh...BTW...not all of us poor people are fat.KMA
That is the money quote.
We have great misery in this country.
However, anyone who can look at the general conditions in even the proud rural poor of the Dominican Republic, and then look at the family of four in this country receiving food stamps and housing assistance, and can then tell me that we have poverty in this country - that person is a person with a serious personal integrity problem.
“Poor” in this country means welfare checks, food stamps, Section 8 housing vouchers. Give me a break. The “poor” in this country are driving around in leased BMWs and have a few color TVs in their house. Thanks to the great welfare state started by LBJ.
If we were at full employment and jobs were plentiful, you’re attitude would still be wrong but at least understandable.
But we are at almost 25% unemployment. You really think 1 in 4 people want to mooch off the system instead of have a decent job? Right now there aren’t jobs and so your attitude is completely contemptable.
What you really need to do is go to an onliine bible site, like blueletterbible.com and do a word search on “poor and needy” and just “poor”. Contrast God’s attitude towards the poor with your own, and you will begin to understand just how far off base you really are.
You all should note that sagar said the “so called” poor. I agree with him/her that the poorest Americans are richer than most of the rest of the world.
I believe he is meaning the ones taking advantage of the system and therefore bringing the rest of us (who used to be middle class) down to their level. that ticks me off.
I do not hold anything against anyone who is truly unable to work, but unfortunately, there seem to be more people who are unwilling to work rather than unable to these days.
My point is that you can't equate the poor of Christ's time with the poor that live in a "free" society.
We've become a Nation of belittling successful people as being "the rulers and Kings"< that's not right.
Yes there are some who for whatever reason are debilitated and deserve our Christian support, it's just that it has gotten way out of hand.
For example, how is poverty defined in this Country?
Believe me, I think Christians and other humble Americans have an obligation to those who are truly in need, I do not believe it is the roll of the Government to do it.
I want to also thank you for your generous reply, yours is how FR should be.
Deut. 15:11: There will always be some in the land who are poor. That is why I am commanding you to share freely with the poor and with other Israelites in need. (NLT)
God doesn’t seem to have different rules for “the poor” and “the needy”, and “I am commanding you to share freely” doesn’t have a lot of wiggle room in it. God knows the difference - I’ll do my part and let Him sort ‘em out.
Well, I was going to say something, but FReeepers pretty much have things covered.
God cares about the poor. Get a concordance and look up the references to the word “poor”. It’s a sobering experience. Or read the book of Amos in the Old Testament.
That’s not to excuse laziness or other bad character traits, but, as someone mentioned, being overly critical of the poor is definitely painting with way too broad of a brush.
By the way, very proud of most FReepers right now.
Our socialized society has created a new class of poor.
The middle class, who do not qualify for any programs, but have substantially less expendable income than the ‘poor’.
In order to start a business in most professions, the regulatory costs nearly mandate a $250k income in order to clear about a $75k income, if one is lucky, and with substantial risk of greater liability.
Meanwhile, the poor who give up on ownership can live twice as well with less risk than the middle class.
The poor might reorient their relationships to more favorably receive program benefits, and I don’t envy their predicament, ....but I see so very many poor, with new homes, new cars, part time jobs, and spare time, while I observe the middle class driving 20 year old economy cars/trucks, working overtime, paying for insurance and still in debt with medical and older homes not presently in compliance with modern codes.
I don’t see any middle class going to midnight movies, but I do see lots of ‘poor’ class partying from sundown to sunup, sleeping till noon, with middle class not partying, waking before dawn and turning in after they get home from work.
“If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered.”
-Proverbs 21:13
There are other verses in Proverbs and elsewhere in God’s Word that say essentially the same thing, in various ways.
So: yes, of course, with God’s Word as my instruction and Jesus as my example, I have sympathy and empathy for those who are truly poor.
~having said that~
There are many definitions of poverty, and just because the government *defines* someone as “poor” doesn’t mean I have to agree with their definition, or think it wise to give them handouts.
I suspect that’s what you’re getting at.
I want government out of the way, not only for my own sake but for the sake of the poor.
Right off the top, its a lot easier to be charitable when government leaves a little something to give. I saw what happened when John Engler became governor here in Michigan. The economy improved and a lot of “welfare bums” did choose work and a lot of them are conservatives today.
Thx much (in Him of course!)...
There are people on this forum who sacrificed, who worked hard, some are vets, some near retirement, some neither of these.
They are poor now. They weren't always, some had their own businesses, but with this economy it's hard to bounce back if you have certain strikes against you like age, destroyed credit, health setbacks or the self-sustaining anchor of on-going joblessness.
Still others in this nation have not been taught how to build or cultivate opportunities. They didn't have mentors, they weren't exposed to entrepreneurial spirit.
Despite the American mythology, it isn't something anyone can do just because they're in America.
Since you have it all figured out, you tell us what to do or just SHUT UP.
Back attcha FRiend.
When I was about 7 or 8 years old I asked my father if we we poor. You see, I had reached the age that I realized how we lived vs how most others did. Here is exactly what my beloved father told me. I have never forgotten:
“I have been broke many times in my life, but I have never been poor. Being poor is a condition of the spirit, of the soul and has nothing to do with how much money you have or do not have”.
I'll be 47 on Friday and his words still work for me...
MOgirl
I hear you, DAV. I hear you.
Yes in the sense that they are deprived of the sense of free will and freedom and become servants early on.
no in the sense that they become leeches and parasites on TJE taxpayer.
Personally I think there are great advantages in growing up poor. I’ve found that I don’t really want for much and going without isn’t as stressful for me as it is for a lot of people.
Poor folks are often the ultimate preppers.
“Am I the only one who feels utter and total contempt for the so called poor? This is the most free, by far, any country in the history of the world, and yet we have these scum-sucking parasites that have not taken advantage of it, instead they cannot take care of themselves, their children, nor their elderly.
When I see a poor person, I am filled with disgust. How can this individual(or group of individuals) live like this and not feel that they have the opportunity just in front of them that the rest of the world would kill for?”
Well, sir, welcome to the Ebeneezer club.
But — it might be worth your while to hone a sharp instinct so that you may distinguish between the “deserving poor”, and those “undeserving”.
There is a clear distinction to be drawn between those who warrant contempt for situations of their own making, and others who have, through no fault of their own, fallen on hard times.
There, but for fortune...
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