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

Seriously!! I assume you're living in America right now and aren't independently wealthy... No blinders.

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.

On the other hand, Jesus himself lost his temper under lesser violations than this, so at least I'm in good company.

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.

.

There is nothing i need to confess in regards to Homosexuality..

I do note however you have failed to answer my question..

I looks to me like you believe you can work you way to heaven by being good.

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.

I just scrolled back and couldn't find any unanswered questions from you in this thread. .

I have neither said nor implied that, and I do not believe it.

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.

De-nial is not a river in Egypt.

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.

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