Our mission...

[Strivax]

...Should we choose to accept it, is to save the world.

That means saving it both temporally (inside of time, temporarily) and spiritually (outside of time, eternally).

For me, the strategy is to eradicate global, absolute poverty, while still living within the confines of the world ecological carrying capacity. And comfortably so, to leave living space for the rest of God's creation.

It may well be that in the course temporal salvation, spiritual salvation comes along automatically. If we Christians are no longer associated with the greedy nastiness of the laissez-faire economic system, it might just be that our friends from other religions would choose to join the winning team.

Thus our choice is clear. Do we want to be rich, or good? Is our God Mammon, or Jesus' loving, forgiving, redeeming Father of humanity?

What do you think?

Best wishes, Strivax

 

[royal priest]

...Should we choose to accept it, is to save the world.

That means saving it both temporally (inside of time, temporarily) and spiritually (outside of time, eternally).

For me, the strategy is to eradicate global, absolute poverty, while still living within the confines of the global ecological carrying capacity. And comfortably so, to leave living space for the rest of God's creation.

It may well be that in the course temporal salvation, spiritual salvation comes along automatically. If we Christians are no longer associated with the greedy nastiness of the laissez-faire economic system, it might just be that our friends from other religions would choose to join the winning team.

Thus our choice is clear. Do we want to be rich, or good? Is our God Mammon, or Jesus' loving, forgiving, redeeming Father of humanity?

What do you think?

Best wishes, Strivax

The removal of poverty and illness will not make men right with God. Salvation comes through the Gospel and can save men in and through suffering. Salvation was accomplished on the cross when, by His death, Jesus removed the guilt, condemnation and punishment of sin. Salvation is applied by the Spirit by applying what Jesus accomplished to the believer's life. Our mission is to declare the Gospel so that men might believe and be saved.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

...Should we choose to accept it, is to save the world.

That means saving it both temporally (inside of time, temporarily) and spiritually (outside of time, eternally).

For me, the strategy is to eradicate global, absolute poverty, while still living within the confines of the world ecological carrying capacity. And comfortably so, to leave living space for the rest of God's creation.

It may well be that in the course temporal salvation, spiritual salvation comes along automatically. If we Christians are no longer associated with the greedy nastiness of the laissez-faire economic system, it might just be that our friends from other religions would choose to join the winning team.

Thus our choice is clear. Do we want to be rich, or good? Is our God Mammon, or Jesus' loving, forgiving, redeeming Father of humanity?

What do you think?

Best wishes, Strivax

Jesus said, "the poor you will always have with you."

You can not eradicate poverty, as there will always be those who lack the skills necessary to make a basic living, whether it's due to their own lifestyle, or varying circumstances, but it's part of life.
Redistribution of wealth is a recipe for disaster as we've seen.

We can help the helpless and provide basic living standards for them, but we can't move them to live as good as doctors and lawyers. It can't be done and would not be a good thing to stifle the creative and skilled in order to have equal outcome for all.

The best we can do is open the door of opportunity and let those who seek to succeed go through.

Soviet and Mao's communism attempted to make equal outcome for all and it was a disaster. They ended up starving people as the successful and intellectuals were shot or thrown into prisons and they were replace by people who didn't have the skills to do the job.

We in the West, especially here in the USA, have it pretty good. In fact it could be far worse and all we have to do is look around the globe to see what things could be like.

However, we're on the cusp of losing it all, as we see the radical left running the cancel culture war against society.

 

[Albion]

Rich and good. The only one of the major social systems that permits this combination is free enterprise/limited government.

 

[Strivax]

... Our mission is to declare the Gospel so that men might believe and be saved...

Just declare, or actively persuade?

Best wishes, 2RM.

 

[Strivax]

Jesus said, "the poor you will always have with you."

Yes, but He said that to a specific audience (His disciples) at a specific point in time (close to His crucifixion). His next words are telling: 'Me, ye shall not have always.' I do not think that He meant for His words to provide us, now, with an excuse to do nothing about eradicating absolute poverty, now we have the economic wherewithall to do that, if only we could muster the political will to do so.

Best wishes, Strivax.

 

[Strivax]

Rich and good. The only one of the major social systems that permits this combination is free enterprise/limited government.

Yes, I am not entirely agin the free-market system. Nevertheless, it should be recognised that without government intervention it results in massive economic disparities. Such that some can afford gin-palace yachts and private 747 jets, while others are hungry, malnourished, and starve. While this situation persists, I just do not think one can be both rich and good.

Mammon or God? It's your decision. Choose your preference, but don't come crying to me if God gives you a tough time, come judgement day.

When everyone has enough to eat, clean water to drink, adequate and secure shelter, climate appropriate clothing, decent sanitation, access to primary education and healthcare, why? Then it will be time to party! But not until then.

Best wishes, Strivax.

 

[Strivax]

...We can help the helpless and provide basic living standards for them,...

I would be content with just that.

Best wishes, Strivax.

 

[Albion]

Yes, I am not entirely agin the free-market system. Nevertheless, it should be recognised that without government intervention it results in massive economic inequalities. Such that some can afford gin-palace yachts and private 747 jets, while others are hungry, malnourished, and starve.

Did you ever notice how it works out in a dictatorship, leaving all the rhetoric aside? That's right; the leaders and the groups favored by them live' high on the hog' while "the people" are often in poverty.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

Yes, but He said that to a specific audience (His disciples) at a specific point in time (close to His crucifixion). His next words are telling: 'Me, ye shall not have always.' I do not think that He meant for His words to provide us, now, with an excuse to do nothing about eradicating absolute poverty, now we have the economic wherewithall to do that, if only we could muster the political will to do so.

Best wishes, Strivax.

It's not an excuse to do nothing, but a reality check based on the utopia you suggested.

Poverty will always exist just as those with wealth will always exist

Help those you can, but also don't able the alcoholic and drug addict.

 

[Strivax]

Did you ever notice how it works out in a dictatorship, leaving all the rhetoric aside? That's right; the leaders and the groups favored by them live' high on the hog' while "the people" are often in poverty.

Who ever suggested a dictatorship? I would by far prefer that we wealthy people in the West chose of our own free will to succour the poor of the South.

Best wishes, Strivax.

 

[Strivax]

It's not an excuse to do nothing, but a reality check based on the utopia you suggested.

Poverty will always exist just as those with wealth will always exist

Help those you can, but also don't able the alcoholic and drug addict.

We all make mistakes in life. For some those mistakes result in addiction. But there are programs of treatment that have proven effective against those addictions.

As for Utopia, I would just love that. I think we all would. But we cannot achieve it by limiting it to our families and friends. Utopia must be Utopia for everyone, or it is not Utopia at all, just selfishness.

Best wishes, Strivax.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

We all make mistakes in life. For some those mistakes result in addiction. But there are programs of treatment that have proven effective against those addictions.

As for Utopia, I would just love that. I think we all would. But we cannot achieve it by limiting it to our families and friends. Utopia must be Utopia for everyone, or it is not Utopia at all, just selfishness.

Best wishes, Strivax.

You can't help an alcoholic or drug addict until they want to help themselves.

Abeling them by providing them with help so they can continue their addictive behavior doesn't help them.

Utopia doesn't exist in this life, and never will.

 

[Strivax]

Poverty will always exist just as those with wealth will always exist

Relative poverty will always exist, in that some will inevitably become richer than others. And, arguably, it should so exist, so as to provide incentive to work smart, and work hard.

But absolute poverty, the inability for economic reasons to care for oneself and one's family, need not, and should not, be allowed to persist, in this day and age.

Best wishes, Strivax.

 

[Strivax]

You can't help an alcoholic or drug addict until they want to help themselves.

Ableing them by providing them with help so they can continue their addictive behavior doesn't help them.

Interesting you should continue with this theme. Do you think, then, that all absolute poverty is caused by alcoholism and drug addiction?

Best wishes, Strivax

 

[Strivax]

Utopia doesn't exist in this life, and never will.

That should not stop us striving after it.

Best wishes, Strivax.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

Relative poverty will always exist, in that some will inevitably become richer than others. And, arguably, it should so exist, so as to provide incentive to work smart, and work hard.

But absolute poverty, the inability for economic reasons to care for oneself and one's family, need not, and should not, be allowed to persist, in this day and age.

Best wishes, Strivax.

For the most part it doesn't exist for those who are unable to care for themselves. Most people who are disabled are on SSI or they're elderly receiving SS benefits. I have a son with cerebral palsy and on Social Security Disability. I also had parents on such services until they passed away.

Those living in destitution are for the most part, alcoholics and drug addicts, many who were veterans.

They also include people who are mentally ill, and here the state failed when they shut down all the mental institutions and put these people on on the streets. Unless they cause harm to others or themselves, the state can't do anything. This is a failure by the state.

So, we have charities that help provide for these people and we as Christians help those people by helping the charities.

It's not going to end poverty, but will ease some of the pain that people feel.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

That should not stop us striving after it.

Best wishes, Strivax.

We should stop striving toward things that can't be reached, especially if it involves causing more harm to society overall.

We already saw the results of that effort and now witness a subculture destroying the streets of major cities.

 

[Strivax]

You can't help an alcoholic or drug addict until they want to help themselves.

Abeling them by providing them with help so they can continue their addictive behavior doesn't help them.

Utopia doesn't exist in this life, and never will.

I believe the relevant Christian Grace is Hope, not Despair.

Best wishes, Strivax.

 

[Albion]

Who ever suggested a dictatorship?

I advocated a free enterprise and limited government system, which was met with a comment about disparities in income.

It's important to realize that governments that are more authoritarian--the opposite of what I identified--do not actually bring about equality of income or much of anything else, although that is the claim.