The family has a nice, warm home. They have warm clothes and a comfortable bed to sleep in. They are well fed. Are they in poverty? According to many people, they are and need more money so they can have more things.
Our definition of poverty is crazy. We don't have poverty in America. Even the homeless people can have a place to stay and food whenever they want. The definition of poverty in America is if you don't have three wide screened televisions and can eat out three times a day.
Poverty in America is a poverty of moral values. Poverty in America is families without fathers. Poverty in America is the break down of the family and the "anything goes" mentality. Poverty in America is the unwillingness to work and expecting others to take care of you.
God tells us if we have food and clothing we should be content. I don't see any naked, starving people in America. I see that in Africa but not in America. We are a spoiled country and it is going to be the death of us unless we wake up and start being thankful.
God commands us over and over in the Bible to be thankful because when we stop being thankful, we fall into sin. We need to appreciate all that we have been given and rejoice in the Lord ALWAYS for He promises to provide our needs for us.
When a young woman is looking for a husband, I tell her to look for two things: a man who has deep roots in Jesus {loves the Lord with all of his heart, soul, and mind} and works hard. These are the most important qualities in a husband.
You will not experience poverty then since you have a husband who will work hard and provide even if it means bagging groceries and a God who will provide you with everything you need.
But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.
But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.
I Timothy 6:6-8
Logging you in...
Mrs. Mac · 625 weeks ago
Kath · 625 weeks ago
Vicki W · 625 weeks ago
oldfashionedgirls 0p · 625 weeks ago
PJB · 625 weeks ago
On the other hand, if they use their income for bad housing and cruddy food, and spend rather than moving up in the world -- I expect they might have enough for some middle class luxuries -- which does tend to skew what poverty looks like from the outside.
On the other hand, there are always debts, loans and overdue bills that make even a normal income level evaporate into hungry living... and that doesn't even account for the very real trap that addictions become (just because one is stupid enough to get in, doesn't mean it's easy to get out) and the sweeping effects of less than ideal mental health.
If poverty wasn't a complex problem, it would probably have been solved already by someone more intelligent than I.
I think your advice on husband selection is wise, but not a guarantee.
Good words on gratitude. Have you ever mused on the verse, "I have never seen the children of the righteous begging for bread?" -- I have often wondered if that is because the children miraculously don't go begging, or whether it is because when "I" see it, "I" feed them... and maybe that's the provision that is being talked about.
Joluise · 625 weeks ago
Ken · 625 weeks ago
If you or a family member are going without food, and the basic necessities in the USA, something is wrong with an adult or two in the family. No one disputes that children go to bed hungry, but the statistics on hunger in America are enormously skewed with the majority of people going hungry are the elderly who often refuse to go into a home as they want to live on their own.
Poverty exists in the USA, but with all the resources, handouts and Christians willing to help, if a child is going hungry it is not because of the lack of resources, but the fault of a parent who is too high to care, or too proud to ask for help from a church or para-church organization. Stand by a sign on the street asking for help and you can make $200 - $300 a day.
Ben Yarbrough · 624 weeks ago
This survey about homelessness is over ten years old, but I think the results are still relevant (perhaps even more so now due to the recent financial crisis): http://www.urban.org/publications/310291.html#2-i....
Key points:
44% of the homeless people interviewed had worked within the last week. This figure does not include people who probably tried to find work, but could not due to reasons such as lacking a permanent address, lacking a phone and therefore not being able to be contacted by potential employers, lack of access to facilities that make maintaining proper hygiene difficult (and therefore decreasing their chances of being hired for a job), etc.
16% of people moved across state lines in an attempt to find a job.
42% of people listed "help finding a job" as one of the three things they most needed help with at the moment.
To me, none of these things indicate that all homeless people are sitting around waiting for handouts and are homeless due to laziness. They want to work, but are down on their luck. 7% of people interviewed indicated that they were homeless due to drug use, and it could definitely be argued that they brought their misfortune on themselves. However, is it apparent that contrary to what you argue, most homeless people are not lazy.
In terms of food, "5.7 percent (6.8 million) of U.S. households had very low food security at some time during 2011" (http://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/food-nutrition-assistance/food-security-in-the-us/key-statistics-graphics.aspx#.UWK0VxxmiSo). This means that normal eating patterns were disrupted due to lack of resources. How long this condition lasts for each household is not discussed, but the fact that it exists at all means that Ken's argument about people facing food insecurity mostly being elderly is completely invalid. Individuals, families, young people and the elderly all risk facing food security due to unexpected financial difficulties, and something tells me you will not find any research backing up your claim that these people are only having problems because they are too proud to ask for help or too lazy to do anything about it. Your arguments have no basis in reality.
Do you truly believe that it's possible to earn $72,000 a year standing by a sign on the street asking for help (your math, not mine)? Where is your evidence that nine out of ten times it is "messed" parents that lead to hungry kids? Once again, you are forced to resort to made-up facts to prove your points. It seems that you believe that all of America resembles the wealthy suburb in which you reside. The reason you don't see any naked, starving people in America is because you would rather turn a blind eye than admit that a problem exists (By the way, what made you decide on the arbitrary condition of nakedness as one that determines poverty? You do realize that not everyone in Africa is running around without clothes on, right?). I recommend you try traveling to some less wealthy areas around the country and maybe even talking to some people living in poverty to see what brought them to where they are. You may find that not every person who is less fortunate than you is as lazy as you believe.
Regards,
Ben Yarbrough
Pomona College 2011
Lori Alexander 122p · 624 weeks ago
Lori Kay · 624 weeks ago
I grew up in a family that was dependent on public assistance. Our needs were met and I thank God for providing us our daily bread – food, shelter & clothing. There were people I knew who were much worse off even though they had jobs and probably a higher income, but alcoholism and other addictions took a huge toll. Public assistance (welfare) is the reason poverty looks so different in the U.S. than in places like Haiti or India or Brazil. Without a welfare system we would have the slums you see in those other countries (and we did in the 1930s). We would have naked people starving in the streets. Thank God we live in a country that has the means to care for its poor.
Fran · 624 weeks ago
gcp88 0p · 624 weeks ago