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Is There A Biblical Answer To Poverty?
The Federalist ^ | 05/13/2014 | Gracy Olmstead

Posted on 05/13/2014 10:29:51 AM PDT by SeekAndFind

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To: SeekAndFind

Before you can have any meaningful dialog on “The Poor”; we must have a common definition of “Poor”.

Those who are considered “Poor” in the United States would be considered “Upper Middle Class” in most nations. It is absurd to classify these people in the same group as the slum dogs of India living in the trash heaps, or in the slums of Mexico living in cardboard houses or in Africa living in grass huts, or China living in caves, etc...

Until you draw a hard line this is a pointless discussion. The money this government provides for the “Poor” that is used on “The Poor’s” cable bills could feed a small nation. Throw in car insurance, cell phone bills, restaurant dinners, and Air Jordan shoes; and you could probably cloth them as well.

In the real world there are no fat Poor!


21 posted on 05/13/2014 11:26:18 AM PDT by CoastWatcher
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To: SeekAndFind

Jesus said: ‘Blessed are the poor for they shall inherit the kingdom of God’.


22 posted on 05/13/2014 11:27:36 AM PDT by Vinylly (?%)
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To: GeronL

And “If they do not work, neither shall they eat.”


23 posted on 05/13/2014 11:29:28 AM PDT by Little Ray (How did I end up in this hand-basket, and why is it getting so hot?)
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To: Alex Murphy; metmom
Is There A Biblical Answer To Poverty?

No, but the Pope has a Roman Catholic one up his sleeve.

24 posted on 05/13/2014 11:31:31 AM PDT by Gamecock (The covenant is a stunning blend of law and love. (TK))
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To: Vinylly

Jesus said: ‘Blessed are the poor IN SPIRIT for they shall inherit the kingdom of God’ (Matthew 5:3)


25 posted on 05/13/2014 11:33:39 AM PDT by SeekAndFind (If at first you don't succeed, put it out for beta test.)
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To: SeekAndFind

Feed a man a fish versus teach a man to fish.


26 posted on 05/13/2014 11:36:15 AM PDT by PistolPaknMama
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To: SeekAndFind
The Bible is a guide from God On what God wants HIS PEOPLE TO DO. It is NOT a guide for governments. If a hungry person asks for food, He expects His church to do something. DO NOT point the way to the food stamp office and think you are pleasing God. God's people know the ones that get drunk and sleep too long to work a job versus the truly handicapped that need care. The Bible says if you don't work you don't eat, but there is nothing to keep you from helping someone with no legs. The government somehow believes they can have a law that treats the dunk dope head the same as a bedridden widow.

There is NO INSTRUCTION for how Caesar was to govern his kingdom. The main references there would be "render unto Caesar what is Caesar's", and for us to submit to the authorities on the principle that if God was punishing His people He would give them a poor leader. The whole Bible is for the governance of God's children's lives, not how to govern a nation. If we elect Godly leaders, they will be led by God. This is why the Founders said we should prefer Christian leaders. Churches and individual believers should take care of the needy and you would find there would be less "needy".

If a politician decides to steal my money to dole out to a special interest group, that is not a Biblical principle. What we have done is allow the substitution of the state for God and God has been pushed to the side. Paying taxes and giving food stamps doesn't buy you any Treasure in Heaven.

27 posted on 05/13/2014 11:48:46 AM PDT by chuckles
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To: Arthur McGowan; GeronL
"One of the most-frequently twisted verses in Scripture.

Jesus was talking about the poor as contrasted with Himself—because He was going to die shortly.

He was not issuing a prophecy about poverty. He was certainly not—as is often claimed—saying that all efforts to help the poor are futile.

It seems to me Geron is not doing the twisting here. What Freeper has tried to claim "all efforts to help the poor are futile?" Not one.

You're correct when you say Jesus was referring to the fact that His death was approaching. However, His words are clear---He stated the poor will ALWAYS be with us. In other words, poverty will never be eradicated.

Deuteronomy 15:11 also states there will never cease to be poor in the land, and it continues on with instructions to help them with personal charity.

28 posted on 05/13/2014 11:53:28 AM PDT by CatherineofAragon ((Support Christian white males---the architects of the jewel known as Western Civilization).)
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To: Arthur McGowan

Yes - good point.


29 posted on 05/13/2014 11:54:10 AM PDT by plain talk
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To: SeekAndFind
But encouraging people to work isn’t meant to give the rich a “way out” of philanthropy.

I dislike that the word “rich” is never defined and I especially dislike the inference that only the “rich” need to do something.

Biblical: Matthew 25:35-36 - For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.

Liberal: For I saw someone who was hungry, and I took from someone else to feed him, but I did not talk to him; I saw someone who was thirsty, and I took from someone else to give him something to drink, but I did not hug him; I saw a stranger, and invited him in to live, but not in my neighborhood; I someone naked, and I took from someone else to cloth him; I saw someone who was sick, and I took from someone else to give him medical attention, but I did not visit him; I saw someone who was in prison, and I took from someone else to give him cable TV, cell phones, college degrees, and medical care, but I did not get involved with them.

30 posted on 05/13/2014 12:07:21 PM PDT by Sergio (An object at rest cannot be stopped! - The Evil Midnight Bomber What Bombs at Midnight)
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To: Arthur McGowan
"Do you always ROFLMAO when you hear the truth?"

No just when people promote Austrian economics as a plausible solution. Or when they equate it with reason or intellectual honesty. Then that just cracks me up.

31 posted on 05/13/2014 12:38:06 PM PDT by DannyTN
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To: SeekAndFind

We should and most christian conservatives I know do help the truly needy. Christ called us to help those in need, but.... When someone can afford a nice cell phone, newer car, name brand clothes, a regular pedicures and sculptured nails, yet can’t afford food and takes government assistance for housing and is on Medicaid, there is a problem. Today poverty to the left means you have less than the rich guy.

If someone is getting anything paid for by other taxpayers, we should be allowed to see where their money is going.


32 posted on 05/13/2014 12:43:04 PM PDT by Linda Frances (Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness.)
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To: SeekAndFind

Mark 14-7

For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always.

Poverty will never be completely eradicated.


33 posted on 05/13/2014 12:48:50 PM PDT by JimRed (Excise the cancer before it kills us; feed & water the Tree of Liberty! TERM LIMITS NOW & FOREVER!)
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To: GeronL
The poor will always be with us

You might AT LEAST attribute this to the One who said it.

34 posted on 05/13/2014 12:54:04 PM PDT by cloudmountain
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To: Arthur McGowan
Do you always ROFLMAO when you hear the truth?

Pardon the interruption in DannyTN's illustrious conversation but I couldn't resist.

Usually folks who are terribly young, confused, nervous or embarrassed (or all of the above) use laughter. That is why girls GIGGLE when confronted with a misdeed. It's a HUGE mark of immaturity.

35 posted on 05/13/2014 12:59:59 PM PDT by cloudmountain
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To: SeekAndFind

Proverbs 3 comes to mind.


36 posted on 05/13/2014 1:26:58 PM PDT by ealgeone (obama, borderof)
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To: SeekAndFind

The progressive solution is to ensure everyone is equally poor and must beg for handouts from the few allowed to be wealthy overseers. North Korea comes to mind.

As for a biblical solution to worldly poverty there is no solution I saw. Personal charity is lauded. But the only solution was in regards to spiritual poverty.


37 posted on 05/13/2014 2:25:53 PM PDT by Organic Panic
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To: Arthur McGowan

He doesn’t understand any truth that doesn’t involve ‘tariffs’.


38 posted on 05/13/2014 2:29:32 PM PDT by Fledermaus (Conservatives are all that's left to defend the Constitution. Dems hate it, and Repubs don't care.)
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To: SeekAndFind

Luke 3:7-14 comes to mind:

He said to the crowds who came out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

Produce good fruits as evidence of your repentance; and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God can raise up children to Abraham from these stones.

Even now the ax lies at the root of the trees. Therefore every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”

And the crowds asked him, “What then should we do?”

He said to them in reply, “Whoever has two tunics should share with the person who has none. And whoever has food should do likewise.”

Even tax collectors came to be baptized and they said to him, “Teacher, what should we do?”

He answered them, “Stop collecting more than what is prescribed.”

Soldiers also asked him, “And what is it that we should do?” He told them, “Do not practice extortion, do not falsely accuse anyone, and be satisfied with your wages.”


39 posted on 05/13/2014 2:29:50 PM PDT by rwa265 (Love one another as I have loved you, says the Lord.)
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To: SeekAndFind

There used to be a distinction between the deserving poor and undeserving poor. The former were those who wanted to work and get ahead, but who had been given an uppercut by life: someone died, or went blind, or had not been taught to read or how to fix things, or in some other way lacked the ability to work their way up. They deserved help, and generous help.

The undeserving were those who refused to give up drinking, who were lazy, etc. My grandfather on one side was like that. He owned a farm, and even during the Great Depression could find work because when he WANTED to do work, he was extremely good at it. However, his sons grew up hating him, because he only worked when the family was about to starve, and he never did a lick of work on the farm. From the time the boys were little, it was the Mom and the boys who worked, while he sat on the porch and watched.

I never heard any of them say a bad word about their Mom, other than she was too religious. I never heard any of them say a kind word about their Dad.

God knows there are both sorts, and I believe he wants us to use discernment in giving help.


40 posted on 05/13/2014 2:41:21 PM PDT by Mr Rogers (I sooooo miss America!)
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