Are we misusing God's blessing?

[CWRUzer]

According to numerous humanitarian and Christian organizations, including World Vision, 30,000 children younger than 5 years old die every day of preventable causes related to poverty, like hunger, poor access to clean drinking water, and lack of childhood immunizations. Today, July 19th, is the 200th day of the year, meaning that today marks the six millionth child's death caused by extreme poverty in 2005. This total matches the number of Jews who were killed in Hitler's concentration camps during the entire course of the Holocaust.

Unlike the Jewish Holocaust, the death toll of the current Children's Holocaust does not stop at six million. Over the next 200 days, another six million will die, and six million more the 200 days after that. Any one of these six million children could have been the one in the midst of Jesus and the disciples when He said "Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me."

Luckily, the end of the Children's Holocaust will not require a world war. The basic nutritional and health needs of the world's poorest people could be met with an additional $13 billion in aid annually. This is equal to less than half of what Americans spend on pet food every year and less than a tenth of what we spend annually on tobacco.

The centrality to Christ's ministry of our relationship with the poor is illustrated, among many other parts of Scripture, in the 25th chapter of Matthew. There, Jesus teaches that we are to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and care for the sick. We are not to stand apart from those who are dying and self-righteously proclaim that they should somehow find employment in places where no economy exists. We are to open our hands to them and teach them, not ignore them.

When asked which commandments were greatest, Christ responded "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." The relevance of these commandments to our Christian responsibilities to the poor is clearly stated in 1 John 3:17-18: "How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help? Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action."

We in America have been blessed with great amounts of the world's goods. And yet, despite all of the wealth with which God has blessed us, there is a Children's Holocaust raging all around the world. By rediscovering the love that we as Christians are to have for all of God's children, we can put an end to the suffering of the weakest and most vulnerable among us.

 

[Garnet2727]

Excellent sentiment. Now, other than "rediscovering love", what's the plan? How shall we or if you wish to exclude non-believers, how will believers go about fixing this mess?

 

[HouseApe]

Feed the children in poverty, and they will multiply. Eventually to the point where you can't grow enough to feed them anymore.

 

[CWRUzer]

If you want the short answer, by spending less on ourselves and more on others. More specifically (but not limited to), by funding education and job training, as well as paying Africans to make, for example, clothes for Africans (rather than sending them clothes, which puts their tailors out of business) , we can help them build an economy and become self-sufficient.

 

[CWRUzer]

Feed the children in poverty, and they will multiply. Eventually to the point where you can't grow enough to feed them anymore.

Actually, history shows that with economic development, fertility rates (i.e., how many children are born) goes way down. And I don't recall Jesus saying "only feed the poor if you think they won't reproduce."

 

[Garnet2727]

If you want the short answer, by spending less on ourselves and more on others. More specifically (but not limited to), by funding education and job training, as well as paying Africans to make, for example, clothes for Africans (rather than sending them clothes, which puts their tailors out of business) , we can help them build an economy and become self-sufficient.

Great. So how are you going to implement this plan?

 

[CWRUzer]

there are plenty of charitable organizations already doing things like this in the Third World, but they don't have the funds to be nearly as effective as they could be.

 

[HouseApe]

Actually, history shows that with economic development, fertility rates (i.e., how many children are born) goes way down.

That is not the real cause/effect relationship. Fertility rates drop once children become expensive, and women are empowered to control their pregnancies. Economic development requires educating children, making them more expensive to maintain and less valuable as cheap labor. Fertility rates didn't really begin declining in the West until the '50's. Generally the time when when true universal education began taking place and affordable birth control hit the scene.

And I don't recall Jesus saying "only feed the poor if you think they won't reproduce."

Yeah, but you have to read it in the right context.

 

[Garnet2727]

Ok, so what is your plan to get them more money? I'm sorry, I need to stop here because I just realized that I am harrassing you because I'm having a bad day. I'm working in an environment where all people do is talk about problems, suggest solutions but do nothing to enact them. I agree with your sentiments but that is all they are, just sentiments. There's no plan of action.

 

[CWRUzer]

Generally the time when when true universal education began taking place and affordable birth control hit the scene.

Right, so true universal education and affordable birth control should be part of any aid initiative.

Yeah, but you have to read it in the right context.

Enlighten me.

 

[CWRUzer]

There's no plan of action.

Of course there is. The plan is already being put into action (world vision, red cross, etc.), but it's not as effective as it could be because of lack of funds. The easiest way for us to help is to give up luxuries we don't need and give the money to people who can use it to save lives.

 

[HouseApe]

Right, so true universal education and affordable birth control should be part of any aid initiative.

Enlighten me.

Hey, I don't know. That's just what I usually here from my Fundamentalist Republican friends.

 

[CWRUzer]

Hey, I don't know. That's just what I usually here from my Fundamentalist Republican friends.

oh, ok. As long as that's settled

 

[Garnet2727]

Of course there is. The plan is already being put into action (world vision, red cross, etc.), but it's not as effective as it could be because of lack of funds. The easiest way for us to help is to give up luxuries we don't need and give the money to people who can use it to save lives.

*sigh* Ok, so what is your plan of action to encourage people to give up luxuries and give money? What is your strategy? How will you implement it? If you don't have a strategy that you are going to implement, you are merely expressing opinion. Nothing wrong with that, not a thing. As I said before, I'm just dealing with more than a bit of frustration here.

 

[CWRUzer]

Ok, so what is your plan of action to encourage people to give up luxuries and give money?

Well, for starters, I'm gonna post this message on internet Christian forums, as well as speaking at meetings and otherwise advocating for the poor at my church. Beyond that, i'm open to suggestions as to how best get the message out.

 

[Garnet2727]

Well, for starters, I'm gonna post this message on internet Christian forums, as well as speaking at meetings and otherwise advocating for the poor at my church. Beyond that, i'm open to suggestions as to how best get the message out.

Kewl.

 

[CWRUzer]

I think it's unreasonable to expect that i'm going to have some grand plan to tackle world poverty all by myself. if you agree with my "opinion", then go with it, and advocate it to your friends and congregation. if it's got merit, it'll spread.

 

[HouseApe]

I think it's unreasonable to expect that i'm going to have some grand plan to tackle world poverty all by myself. if you agree with my "opinion", then go with it, and advocate it to your friends and congregation. if it's got merit, it'll spread.

You'll never get enough money out of church congregations to get the job done. The problem isn't lack of money. The problem is a lack of knowledge and social structure in poor countries. The U.S. is a wealthy nation, but at one time very poor. The Europeans didn't give up luxuries to make the U.S. wealthy. Americans had the knowledge and social structure to do it ourselves.

The issue in Africa is that they don't have economic systems that will reward small scale private investment. If you try to start a business, the risk is very high that all profits will be siphoned off to corrupt government officials, or your establishment will be robbed blind and burned to ground by local hoodlums. So few people try it.

Which means that there is high unemployment and a very small return for producing any more food than is needed for personal consumption. Which means that even a short drought can mean mass starvation.

So the problem is much deeper than you think. And is mostly self-inflicted. So, I think you might be charging at a windmill here.

 

[CWRUzer]

I noticed you didn't mention anything from the Bible in your response.

i don't want to get into an argument about American history here, but ask a native american if it was just our "knowledge and social structures" which got us where we are today.

regarding the "self-inflicted" claim, most of the corrupt governments were set up by Europeans during the colonial period.

but i will grant you that there are places in the world where it is impossible for us to help. however, there are plenty of places where our help is needed, worthwhile, and possible.

 

[HouseApe]

I noticed you didn't mention anything from the Bible in your response.

Overall, it is irrelevant to the issue.

i don't want to get into an argument about American history here, but ask a native american if it was just our "knowledge and social structures" which got us where we are today.

Our knowledge and social structures allowed us to organize violence in a way that native Americans had no chance against.

regarding the "self-inflicted" claim, most of the corrupt governments were set up by Europeans during the colonial period.

True, but most were promptly overthrown by local generals.

but i will grant you that there are places in the world where it is impossible for us to help. however, there are plenty of places where our help is needed, worthwhile, and possible.

Yes, but the devil is in the details.