It is important to know the facts about poverty because we are called by the Bible to help people in need. St. James asked rhetorically, "How can we say we love God when we do not love our neighbor? If we say we love someone who has no coat and just tell them to 'be warmed and filled' we are not really caring for them." (My summary)
John Zogby, a famous pollster, recently wrote a book called, The Way We Will Be on trends in America. In it he notes that strongly emphasizes the economic problems we are currently having. However, he also notes the following statistics about the poor.
...among people living below the poverty line in 2002, 93% had microwave ovens, 88% had VCRs and that means many more had TVs, 59% had computers and 58% had dishwashers.
What do you think about poverty in America? Do we who follow Christ still need to reach out to the poor?
2 comments:
Hi Gary,
First of all, I will be praying for your trip to Russia...and that the finances will come as they are needed.
In answer to your question: "What do you think about poverty in America?" It exists. I have seen it. On Indian Reservations and in the inner city. Poverty. Lack. Need. However, regardless how we define poverty here in the US (I was mortified to hear Obama's answer to Rick Warren's question: "How much money is rich?" Obama put those in dire poverty in the same category as "middle class" (which is, according to the good senator, 150,000 per year or less) OH MY GOSH! The majority of folks I know live day to day on SO MUCH LESS!) I digress...
Although the conditions on the reservations I've visited are difficult and poverty stricken, OUR poverty, (in the United States) is still wealth compared to third world countries...
I know the issues of poverty and economic oppression are complex, but the thing that runs through my mind when I am on the res is, "WHY is this happening in AMERICA? We are one of the wealthiest countries on the planet, and yet we cannot take care of our own...what's up with that?"
Good differentiation on the topic. Not all the people we think of as "poor" are as poor as some others. There seem to be extreme pockets of poverty in some places. That makes national policies very difficult to implement that can serve everybody.
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