What you call the cops on Jesus?
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1still_waters
Guest
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psalm6819
Guest
I think the artist/sculptor's purose was served, his art brought about awareness of the plight of the homeless, a reminder that we are responsible to the Lord,that we are His hands that should be outstreched to help not crammed in our pockets.
Charity is not the cure for poverty, a job is.
Marxist christianity is not generosity, its a perversion of that fruit, to give power in the hands of a few while looking to be helpful.
Your financial status has nothing to do with your spiritual status, rich or poor.
Jesus chose His position on earth, one of humility and service. Jesus was never poor, never in need and of very sound mind and its the marxist christianity myth that says poverty is more holy....its because marxism needs the poor to thrive.
That is the dirty secret here when marxist christians talk. I am not sure they even know it, but marxism has always existed, not for the downtrodden, but for those who write the rules to ''help'' the downtrodden. In fact, in EVERY instance marism has been tried two things happen...
it creates more poverty...
and fewer men in power.
A Holy Spirit indwellt person will exhibit the fruits of the Spirit and one of those is generosity. Generosity is not throwing someone else's money at people. Its called the result of loving someone. Truly helping them....
not making yourself look good by throwing a fiver at a homeless person.
Marxist christianity is not generosity, its a perversion of that fruit, to give power in the hands of a few while looking to be helpful.
Your financial status has nothing to do with your spiritual status, rich or poor.
Jesus chose His position on earth, one of humility and service. Jesus was never poor, never in need and of very sound mind and its the marxist christianity myth that says poverty is more holy....its because marxism needs the poor to thrive.
That is the dirty secret here when marxist christians talk. I am not sure they even know it, but marxism has always existed, not for the downtrodden, but for those who write the rules to ''help'' the downtrodden. In fact, in EVERY instance marism has been tried two things happen...
it creates more poverty...
and fewer men in power.
A Holy Spirit indwellt person will exhibit the fruits of the Spirit and one of those is generosity. Generosity is not throwing someone else's money at people. Its called the result of loving someone. Truly helping them....
not making yourself look good by throwing a fiver at a homeless person.
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Personally I'm going by the Bible here. I could care less about politics. The Bible says to give to the poor so I'll give to the poor. Christianity gets twisted and bogged down when we try to see the gospel through a political lens. I know nothing about Marxism or communism or whatever. I just know what Jesus says.
Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.
Of course money is needed for the person doing the teaching and for fishing rods etc. This is the most constructive of charity. Of course if you are in the middle of a war zone or drought there may not be any fish around you can get.
You will always have people with mental and physical disabilities that will need people to support them. You don't just concentrate on those that can help themselves and see those that can't with some sort of disgust.
Of course money is needed for the person doing the teaching and for fishing rods etc. This is the most constructive of charity. Of course if you are in the middle of a war zone or drought there may not be any fish around you can get.
You will always have people with mental and physical disabilities that will need people to support them. You don't just concentrate on those that can help themselves and see those that can't with some sort of disgust.
no problem...
And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in morter, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigour.
(Exo 1:14)
...twice as many bricks with half the straw (I saw it in a movie)
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kayem77
Guest
I've seen this trend of ''the poor just need a job'' becoming popular between some evangelicals, and honestly, I'm starting to worry people take it as to mean charity is not a Christian duty anymore. Yes, we are to encourage the idle brother as Paul told us. Yes, we are to work hard for our food and shelter. We are to set an example of hard work and honesty so that no one has anything bad to say about us. But we are to have compassion on strangers, on the immigrant, on our enemies, on our brothers and sisters, and of course, also on the widow on the orphan as most people already know. They are not mutually exclusive. Just because someone is going through a hard time, it doesn't mean that this person is lazy. I've seen the verse of ''if you don't work, don't eat'' taken out of context to neglect the command, yes, command, of helping those in need. That command was for the church, not for outsiders, and even then it's only in those cases where someone really doesn't want to work.
Deuteronomy 15:
If there is a poor man among your brothers in any of the towns of the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward your poor brother. 8 Rather be openhanded and freely lend him whatever he needs. 9 Be careful not to harbor this wicked thought: "The seventh year, the year for canceling debts, is near," so that you do not show ill willtoward your needy brother and give him nothing. He may then appeal to the LORD against you, and you will be found guilty of sin. 10 Give generously to him and do so without a grudging heart;then because of this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to. 11 There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land.
Proverbs 21:13
If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered.
Job 31:
if I have seen anyone perishing for lack of clothing, or a needy man without a garment, 20 and his heart did not bless me for warming him with the fleece from my sheep, 21 if I have raised my hand against the fatherless, knowing that I had influence in court, 22 then let my arm fall from the shoulder, let it be broken off at the joint. 23 For I dreaded destruction from God,and for fear of his splendor I could not do such things.
We should be careful with what we support so boldly. I'm not for Marxism, but I believe Charity is a beautiful thing. Charity is not the same as enabling, unless you are indeed enabling someone who is really just being lazy.
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oldernotwiser
Guest
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oldernotwiser
Guest
I guess I'm not surprised by many of these posts but I am saddened. I have seen the poor from the Bowery of New York in the 70s as a salvation army officer to the dirt roads of northern maine when pastoring congregational churches. II have seen the poor from maine to hong kong doing the hardest, dirtiest, work and still not making enough to live as a "decent evangelical christian." When we talk of "the poor" in these rooms we are usually talking about the homeless. Yes they need jobs, but will you hire them? Most of the homeless in america are the walking wounded of our society. They are on the streets for a lot of reasons but mental health is one of the big ones. Another big one is the collapsing american society and eonomy. There are few jobs and even fewer for someone with mental health issues or a history of homelessness. People do come back from homelessness without help but they are either exceptional people or just plain lucky. I think that the bottom line in this whole discussion is that old Tee shirt cliche ........ WWJD