Question about your view of the Papacy for the past 50 years

[ArmyMatt]

Don't speak too soon;

Is Poverty a Sin? by Randy Gage
Poverty Comes from Sin – God, Money and Me...
"Poverty is a result of sin."
Help the Poor? Many Christians Prefer to Blame Them on EthicsDaily.com
"If you are good, God will bless you. If you are not good, God will curse you. The resulting conclusion, obviously, is that if you are poor or in any other way disadvantaged, it must be because of some underlying sin for which God is punishing you."

You see, God doesn't want you to suffer in this life, he wants you to coast to Heaven, in a yacht, build with slave labor, to make your poor friends feel inferior. The clearest sign of a saint is whether they can afford a Tesla.

I know, I know, I'm exaggerating and that the articles are more complex than this. Basically there's a popular mode of thought which says that your financial poverty is a result of your own sinfulness. That way we can avoid any discussion about society failing people. In fact it gives us a great excuse to not help them in any way, since it's their own fault they're poor.

while there was a lot of that Prosperity Gospel garbage in there, there was nothing about neglecting the poor.

 

[127.0.0.1]

while there was a lot of that Prosperity Gospel garbage in there, there was nothing about neglecting the poor.

If someone wants to neglect the poor, the are enough modes of though in the Christian diaspora, to allow someone to do so, feeling they're justified within a Christian context.

I'm not saying Christians neglect the poor; often times they don't. But if you want to neglect the poor, being a Christian won't stop you, you just church hop until you find a Priest or Pastor who supports your view or until you feel satisfied.

Do we have a problem of neglecting the needy? I often think so. Is it a specifically Christian problem? No. It's a national problem, a social problem, a political problem.

Does our duty to our fellow man need reminding? I also think this is useful. Without it, we allow the message to be overwritten by other narratives which demonize, rather than inspire.

 

[ArmyMatt]

If someone wants to neglect the poor, the are enough modes of though in the Christian diaspora, to allow someone to do so, feeling they're justified within a Christian context.

I'm not saying Christians neglect the poor; often times they don't. But if you want to neglect the poor, being a Christian won't stop you, you just church hop until you find a Priest or Pastor who supports your view and they you feel satisfied.

Do we have a problem of neglecting the needy? I often think so. Is it a specifically Christian problem? No. It's a national problem, a social problem, a political problem.

I have yet to hear a pastor en masse say that the poor should be neglected. even the ones that do the Prosperity Gospel usually donate to charity. again, even those links you posted did not say to NEGLECT the poor.

 

[127.0.0.1]

I have yet to hear a pastor en masse say that the poor should be neglected. even the ones that do the Prosperity Gospel usually donate to charity. again, even those links you posted did not say to NEGLECT the poor.

No, and you are quite right, I haven't heard a Pastor say not to give to charity either.

I do still feel the message bears reminding though.

 

[ArmyMatt]

No, and you are quite right, I haven't heard a Pastor say not to give to charity either.

I do still feel the message bears reminding though.

um, okay