Thinking Biblically about Poverty, Part 1: What is Poverty?

Aaron Blumer

poor boy

Why are the poor poor?

It seems few are asking this question anymore—just when we need most to be asking it, just when interest in helping the poor has apparently reached an all time high.

I don’t recall ever hearing and seeing so many radio and TV ads for charitable causes, donation displays at retailers’ cash registers, or businesses prominently displaying how they’re helping the needy (or how they’re saving the world from environmental catastrophe—or both).

Evangelicals seem to be giving poverty more attention as well—in increasingly passionate terms and from quarters not historically known for that emphasis. Witness this observation from Southern Baptist, David Platt:

Meanwhile, the poor man is outside our gate. And he is hungry…. We certainly wouldn’t ignore our kids while we sang songs and entertained ourselves, but we are content with ignoring other parents’ kids. Many of them are our spiritual brothers and sisters in developing nations. They are suffering from malnutrition, deformed bodies and brains, and preventable diseases. At most, we are throwing our scraps to them while we indulge in our pleasures here….

This is not what the people of God do. Regardless of what we say or sing or study on Sunday morning, rich people who neglect the poor are not the people of God. (Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream, p.115)

Discussion

Americans Give U.S. Moral Climate Low Marks

SI Filings
“Overall, three out of four Americans give the moral state of the U.S. a grade of a C or below. Meanwhile, only 22 percent said they would grade the moral climate with an A or B.” More at CP

Discussion

Arizona Memorial

jwolf6589
Watching the memorial. They allow a man to promote Native American religious views, but people get all upset over the Ten commandments being displayed? Oh come on! Ppl are afraid of Christianity.

This greatly upsets me. People need to stand for the truth and stand against this man, and those that promote these false religious views. The best books I can think of pertaining to apologetics, discernment, and fighting the false teachers are below.

Discussion

Understanding Homosexuality

BobL
This subject is often raised on Forums, and is surely a worldwide problem. Here is a paper that may help in understanding it from a Christian perspective.

- BobL

A New Morality?

HOMOSEXUALITY IN OUR SOCIETY

Discussion