The Biblical Call to Care for the Poor: Personal or Political?

Is the biblical call to care for the poor a mandate to individuals, or is it a mandate to governments and bureaucracies?

Christians readily agree to the idea of caring for the poor among us, but seldom to how this should be done. Does the biblical tithe factor into this, and what about the gleaning laws of the Old Testament? Are American Christians "off the hook" because the federal, state, and local governments have taken it upon themselves to create poor and welfare laws in an attempt to alleviate the suffering of the "poor, the tired, and the huddled masses"?

The Right Wing Reverend continues to consider President Obama's Christianity as he further examines the President's speech at the National Prayer Breakfast in February 2012.

« Previous Article

Posting Policy

We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, vulgarity, profanity, all caps, or discourteous behavior. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain a courteous and useful public environment where we can engage in reasonable discourse. Read more.

Vladimir

I find nothing in the scriptures that directs governments to perform charity. Many will argue that our government is the people and therefore should provide for the needy. However, when I give of my substance to help the poor, I do it with money or property that I earned. Governments don't earn money, they acquire it through the force of tax laws. There is no charity in giving to the poor that which you took from others under the threat of prison.

Many politicians cloak themselves in the aurora of helping others, but their reward is political office and power. If we confuse charity with socia lism we will go down the road that Soviet Russia traveled and all the others that promised a paradise on earth. Forced redistribution of wealth in the guise of charity is one of Satan's most pernicious tactics to destroy our country.

Should people help the needy through their government? Yes, but only at the community level where there is direct interaction between donor and those being helped. Never, never at the federal level. The founders reserved that right for the people and the states.
- http://youtu.be/7RUciHVpCbw Despeville
  
  Which "scriptures" Vlad? Playing a popular note again to smuggle a bit of your polytheistic religion of Mormonism?
  
  Which "scriptures" ? Book of Mormon? Pearl of Great Price? Mormon Doctrine? Or you actually refer to the Bible filtered through mentioned fallacious works of fallen men?
  
  Is Mormonism Christian? 8 minutes video: http://youtu.be/y2hN9pgpyao
  - Esteban Cafe
    
    Sir, you should focus on the context of the discussion: are you saying that scripture (any) tell us that government is responsible for charity?
    - http://youtu.be/7RUciHVpCbw Despeville
      
      Nope and unless you are new here (which you are not) then you must have observed that thread go all kinds of directions not necessarily in line with the topic article. Every single poster here does this, at least from time to time. So?
  - LouiseCA
    
    I think you need to get off his back. If he has a heart to help others, it's none of your business which church or religion he belongs to.
  - gail
    
    We are NOT a theocracy – therefore our giving should be personal – the government exists to protect its citizens from those who would steal, kill – in other words it has the power of force and should only use it against criminals – it should not be a criminal itself and steal from others to give to others – and Vlad may be a Mormon, but he is dead on right about politicians using "giving" to make people dependent to ensure their votes – if you notice most of polticians do not give in proportion to the money they gain by inside information and graft – you want to help people – do it! The Holy Spirit will guide your conscience as to how much – whether 10% or 100% – It should be with joy we give – not oppression
- http://youtu.be/7RUciHVpCbw Despeville
  
  Joseph Smith said there are many gods:
  
  "Hence, the doctrine of a plurality of Gods is as prominent in the Bible as any other doctrine. It is all over the face of the Bible . . . Paul says there are Gods many and Lords many . . . but to us there is but one God–that is pertaining to us; and he is in all and through all,"
  
  ~ History of the Church, vol. 6, p. 474
  
  "In the beginning, the head of the Gods called a council of the Gods; and they came together and concocted a plan to create the world and people it,"
  
  ~Journal of Discourses, vol. 6, p. 5
  - Guest
    
    Please don't proporgate your false doctrines and religious cult material here. Your god is the work of Satan.
    - http://youtu.be/7RUciHVpCbw Despeville
      
      Unless you are a Mormon your comment does not make any sense… Are you then a Mormon?
      - Esteban Cafe
        
        Sir, do you actually know any Mormons? Would to God that my Christian (Evangelical) friends were as honorable and Christ-like as the two Mormon families in the neighborhood. To have disagreements over doctrine is normal–just look at all the Christian sects out there today, dividing over minutae and minor points.
        
        We should be careful here: "By their fruits ye shall know them" has broad application. I will condemn no one who professes a belief in Christ. Even Mormons.
      - http://youtu.be/7RUciHVpCbw Despeville
        
        You just attested how deceived you are… Truth is not depended on how "nice" something or someone is…
        Nor on your or my personal preferences, opinions, experiences, feelings and social circles… All of that is a matter of subjectivity.
        
        The truth is objective, eternal and not dependent on people. Do not kid your self with asserting the vast differences between Biblical Christianity and Mormonism as if "doctrines only" type of differences.
        This type of differences are internal to Christianity while your Mormon cult is external and alien to Christianity to begin with.
      - Bobseeks
        
        Esteban: Then you are denying Christ by refusing to refute those who slander Him, the Father, His mother, and the Bible. Mormons claim that Jesus is the product of sexual intercourse between GOD and Mary, making Mary an adultress, GOD an adulterer, and Jesuis their bastard son. That also means they are calling the Biblical account a lie. If that doesn't enrage you esteban, then you are no Christian and Jesus will deny you as you have denied Him. Mormons are deceivers and the toxic waste of humanity.
      - http://youtu.be/7RUciHVpCbw Despeville
        
        "nice" seems to be a defining characteristics for so many deceived people here and elsewhere:
        
        nice
        late 13c., "foolish, stupid, senseless," from O.Fr. nice "silly, foolish," from L. nescius "ignorant," lit. "not-knowing," from ne- "not" (see un-) + stem of scire "to know."
        
        Etymology Dictionary
- http://twitter.com/lambsev11 @lambsev11
  
  Vladimir! You are right! And what man or woman ever loved the tax man for taking their money to the point of depriving them of the performance duty/priviledge/joy of giving charity?
Bobseeks

Charity is personal and not the role of government. Lieberals like to see the government involved because it frees them from having to take care of the poor themselves and puts the burden on everyone, including the poor who pay taxes or buy products and services that are inflated in cost because of taxes. The fact is, all the "cheerful" givers I know are conservatives who give because they love Christ and want to show that love to others. None of the lieberals I know is involved in charity to any great extent because they feel that the government "has it covered" and that voting for big government parasites like maobama is all the "work" they need to do. Another reason the lieberals want the government to handle charity is because government involement always results in a bloated, wasteful system off of which worthless lieberals can feed through government jobs. Lastly, government involvement creates a permant underclass of lazy, dependant people who demand more and more government largesse, thus creating more opportunities for lieberal parasites to feed. Any lieberals who tell you that they are trying to help the poor is a liar – they just want to feed off of the poor and keep them in poverty.
- Esteban Cafe
  
  Excellent points. I have seen the same in my country: a permanent class of beggers who can be depended upon to provide the votes neccessary to keep their masters in power. Now your country is approching 50% as to this type of person. I wonder if any democracy / federal republic has ever recovered once people found that they could vote money out of their working neighbors' pockets into their own?
  - Bobseeks
    
    The answer to that question is no.
- keyboardshark
  
  "“A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship. The average age of the world's greatest civilizations has been 200 years.”
  ― Alexis de Tocqueville"
  
  "“The American Republic will endure until the day Congress discovers that it can bribe the public with the public's money.”
  ― Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America http://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/465.Alexis…
Myrtlelinder

I sincerely believe in helping the poor who are poor in spite of the fact, they are struggling to make a living. When the government gives a family $1,800 per child for from 6 to 12 children, generation after generation is not helping them in any way, except making dead beats and dependents of the government I don't even come close to getting $1,800 income for myself, while I live alone. The WORD OF GOD tells us if we refuse to work, being able to work, we should not eat.
- LaNell
  
  Amen, Myrtlelinder!!!! I like to give, but don't want someone (the government) telling me what to give, when to give and who to give to. And I'm tired of our government giving to people who don't get out and work. I'm 70 years old, still working so that I don't have to be dependent on anyone else. Yes, I get Social Security, which I've paid into for 40+ years. It's not charity!!! If the government would have left it alone and invested what has been put in all these years there would be enough for everyone. Rather, they have robbed the Social Security fund and spent it on other things.
Winston

First off, the article failed to define "poor". Many in the U.S. today are considered "poor" and have become co-dependent upon the socialist governement in order for the government to "get their vote" so that those pseudo-poor can perpetuate their entitlement mentality and raise generations of "poor". The Bible is clear that if you do not work then you should not eat. I've visited many "poor" persons homes in various ministries to deliver food and essentials, but we found many living better than those who were ministering to them! They had new furniture, new big screen digital TV's, new(er) cars/trucks, et al. I'd then return to our church "giving" program director and report the abuse of our ministry.
- Bobseeks
  
  True, there are very few real poor people in America. The "poor" in America are probably in the top 10-0% of the people in the world as far as material well-being goes.
http://conservativebyte.com Michael G.

I'll make this suggestion again. Don't argue with these individuals. How do you know you aren't dealing with a demon?
msjallen

It is always the believer's responsibility to help those in need. The "Church" has failed in their responsibility to help the needy and therefore, the government has taken over and we are in a worse situation now that welfare is taking its toil on the economy of our country.
I am for doing good to the poor, but I differ in opinion of the means. I think the best way of doing good to the poor, is not making them easy in poverty, but leading or driving them out of it. In my youth I traveled much, and I observed in different countries, that the more public provisions were made for the poor, the less they provided for themselves, and of course became poorer. And, on the contrary, the less was done for them, the more they did for themselves, and became richer.
Benjamin Franklin, On the Price of Corn and Management of the Poor, November 1766
Gdrake

Just who was the poor in the bible OT. & NT they are described quite nicely . They were people WHO PHYSICALLY COULD NOT WORK!
You know lepers , lame ,blind , deaf elderly widows and orphans
Not healthy lazy women who only skill is to have babies with no fathers or multiple fathers. Or lazy drug addicted or alcoholic men people who just don't want to work.
If you foolishly lost your land you worked it off instead of racking up more debt.
Our children are being taught that they are entitled to cradle to grave care.,remember one of the 7 deadly sins is slothfulness
http://twitter.com/lambsev11 @lambsev11

What man or woman ever loved the tax man for taking their money to the point of depriving them of the performance duty/priviledge/joy of giving charity?
Grant

Pres. Obama had the prayer breakfast? Well number one this is voting year, so let's make sure we have our p's and q's in the right places…
Furthermore, Jesus said you will always have the poor with you. Spend this time with me before I ascend to the Father…even the grain was left for the poor…
We all have so much to be thankful for…I'm sure we could live with a whole lot less then what we're living with…
Charity should be of your choosing, that's your choice…but we do have a lot of poor people. Just in the country alone…
Grant

If I recollect right, the last time I heard the poor were 42 milllion on 'Food Stamp' program..just undet the 'administration' alone…
http://www.todayssyntheticoil.com synthetic oil

I'm no longer certain the place you are getting your information, but good topic. I needs to spend a while finding out much more or working out more. Thank you for fantastic information I was searching for this info for my mission.