Can someone here explain to me what is wrong with giving to the poor?

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JTB

Well-known member
Aug 31, 2021
2,076
634
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Seriously!! I assume you're living in America right now and aren't independently wealthy... No blinders.
First my apologies. I don't get much time here so sometimes my responses are rushed and that makes them ... well, not what they should be.

Also, sometimes I start on an involved response, only to abandon it once I realize I'm probably just wasting my time and energy because most people here are set in their thoughts and no amount of reason is going to sway them.

So I need to learn to just walk away rather than take a half hearted shot from the hip. Mea culpa.

But to answer the previous question ... as Aerial said above, I think most agree that the libs are a godless Marxist regime who at this point must be abandoned by God loving Christians. They may use the word 'god' but given their polytheism and atheist stands, no one seriously takes them serious as to claiming to speak for Jehovah God.

Which is why the republicans are such a danger to Christians. Again the perceived notion is that if you reject the godless libs, you MUST embrace the cons(ervatives). Who point to a few things like abortion, using them to shore up claims of being for Jehovah God - thus blinding people to their larger un-godly stands like mammon worship, self-idolatry, deceit and hypocrisy, and the abandonment of compassion for the honestly sick and poor.

As for your last comment, last I checked, we are in the 15%, which means that 85% of the US population earns less than us. And that scares me, because if you live within your means, even at 15% it doesn't go far. Which is why the average American carries a large amount of debt. Worker bees in this country just can't make enough to survive in this the-rich-get-first-dibs economy (thank you saint Reagan).
 
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SophieT

Guest
Well, some people do.

And those who don't will burn.

Because that's the only Jesus through whom salvation comes.

If you want a nice, fluffy Jesus who doesn't care if you hurt others, you can go join a social club. That's not Christianity.

actually I just don't want the angry, smug, name calling and hypocritical one you seem to know ;)
 
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SophieT

Guest
On the other hand, Jesus himself lost his temper under lesser violations than this, so at least I'm in good company.
the Bible says get angry but don't sin

you loosing it would be sin

Jesus did not sin

you are just spouting nonsense

I'm not responding to you anymore. that puts me in bad company :giggle:
 
K

kaylagrl

Guest
Which is why the republicans are such a danger to Christians. Again the perceived notion is that if you reject the godless libs, you MUST embrace the cons(ervatives). Who point to a few things like abortion, using them to shore up claims of being for Jehovah God - thus blinding people to their larger un-godly stands like mammon worship, self-idolatry, deceit and hypocrisy, and the abandonment of compassion for the honestly sick and poor.

.

Can you explain why you think conservatives are guilty of "mammon worship, self-idolatry, deceit and hypocrisy, and the abandonment of compassion for the honestly sick and poor."? Because that is not what I see the party standing for. That is not to say every Repub. is a born again Christian. But I don't see these issues in the party.
 

HillsboroMom

Active member
Jan 3, 2021
287
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There is nothing i need to confess in regards to Homosexuality..
I'm so glad to hear that.

I do note however you have failed to answer my question..
I just scrolled back and couldn't find any unanswered questions from you in this thread. Only one question, in fact, at all: you asked if I was trying to justify homosexual behavior. I answered that very clearly that I am not. Again, evangelicals are so busy worried about gays they miss the things that are right in front of their faces. Like direct answers to their questions.
 

Adstar

Senior Member
Jul 24, 2016
7,426
3,478
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I'm so glad to hear that.


I just scrolled back and couldn't find any unanswered questions from you in this thread. Only one question, in fact, at all: you asked if I was trying to justify homosexual behavior. I answered that very clearly that I am not. Again, evangelicals are so busy worried about gays they miss the things that are right in front of their faces. Like direct answers to their questions.
You did not answer me.. Maybe you did answer in another post to another person.. But i do not read all posts in a thread.. I mostly have one on one conversations with individuals in threads.. Also i am a Christian so please do not box me into a particular denomination because i do not belong to one..
 

ZNP

Well-known member
Sep 14, 2020
31,692
5,609
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I just scrolled back and couldn't find any unanswered questions from you in this thread. .
He asked why you brought up gays, it was irrelevant to the discussion, he wanted further explanation on what the purpose of doing that was.
 
R

RichMan

Guest
Ah, yes.

I remember now, Jesus said to the poor man, "But have you tried to get a job? First, go and try to get a job, and then, only after you have proven to me that you are not some lazy bum, then you will be worthy of my love."

Wait, no he didn't.

I don't recall anything in Scripture that:
  • makes a distinction about why a person is poor
  • indicates that one "type" of poverty is any less worthy of our care, love, or justice than any other type of poverty
  • says Jesus, Paul, or any prophet asked ANYONE why they were poor before providing charity or healing.
Furthermore, thinking that anyone who is poor in the US is that way because they are "lazy" is the height of conceit, prejudice, and disdain.

98% of welfare recipients in the U.S. fit at least one of these categories, and usually more than one:
  • they are under age 16 or over age 65
  • they are permanently and totally disabled
  • they are employed
  • they are in some sort of training program to improve their skills
The remaining 2% are generally on some sort of temporary disability, mental health emergency, between jobs, or some other specific issue.

So, which one of those four categories do you think are unworthy of charity? Which would Jesus turn away?

Either you're reading a very different Bible than I am, or you are worshiping a very different God than I am.

Or both.
I have a difficult time feeling sorry for a poor person using food stamps at WalMart when they are buying chips, frozen pizza, candy, and snack cakes instead of fresh fruits and vegetables, dry beans and rice.
They then spend their cash for tobacco products, beer, and lottery tickets while talking on fancy cell phones.
 

tourist

Senior Member
Mar 13, 2014
41,315
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Tennessee
On the other hand, Jesus himself lost his temper under lesser violations than this, so at least I'm in good company.[/QUOTE]Jesus did display zeal for his Father's house by getting angry at the money changers but there is no scripture that indicates that Jesus 'lost' his temper.
 

Aerials1978

Well-known member
Dec 10, 2019
1,707
986
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I have a difficult time feeling sorry for a poor person using food stamps at WalMart when they are buying chips, frozen pizza, candy, and snack cakes instead of fresh fruits and vegetables, dry beans and rice.
They then spend their cash for tobacco products, beer, and lottery tickets while talking on fancy cell phones.
That’s taking into account that her statistics are even accurate which they are not.
 

Huckleberry

Senior Member
Aug 25, 2013
1,698
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Scripture tells us that if a man has two coats, he must give one to the man who has no coats.

Scripture tells us that it is harder for a rich man to get into heaven than for a camel to go through the eye of a needle.

Scripture tells us that God will give good things to the poor, and the rich he will send away empty.

Scripture commands us to care for the needy. Scripture says that those who do not will be sent to the lake of fire. That punishment is not reserved for anyone else, not even homosexuals or abortionists. Yes, those who do not care for the poor are worse than perverts and atheists.

Neither the prophets nor Jesus ever say, "Well, why are you poor? You should just pull yourself up by your own bootstraps. You're only poor because of your own poor choices. If you made better choices you would be rich, and wealth is a sign of being blessed."

Such thinking is completely antithetical to the message repeated, over and over again, throughout both Old and New Testament. Yet I hear these exact words from the mouths of many people who claim to be Christians.

Many Christians (not all ... but many, even on these very boards) are quick to condemn the gays, and the scientists, and the worldly, but there are thousands more verses about the way poor people are treated, verses against the misuse of wealth.... and don't even get me started on immigrants.... Yet too many Christians ignore these, and partake in the very behaviors denounced in Scripture. How is it okay to be haughty but not okay to be gay? Are both not equally evil in God's sight?

Or do you only condemn things that you're not guilty of yourself? After all, it's easy to condemn homosexuality, because you think it's gross, and you would never be tempted to do that yourself. But wealth? Well, that's harder to condemn, because you like having money, and you don't want to condemn that, because that means you can't seek money.

But this makes you a servant not of God, but of Mammon.

Choose this day whom you shall serve.

As for me and my house, we shall serve JHWH
Virtue signaling is antithetical to scripture.
Nobody cares how great you think you are.
https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Matthew-6-1_6-4/