Thread: To my fellow christians. What is your lame half-way exscue for not helping homeless

Originally Posted by NonDualistic

The first half of what I said, prior to "welfare" is where my understanding of the bible on helping others sits.

In my opinion, religion, Christianity, has opted in for the mass charity avenue to the expense of spiritually helping the individual. I'm not being critical of it, this is just an observation I have made based on my understanding of spiritual teachings.

Do you know what Bible verse has them ticking that way?

Originally Posted by Universal Mind

Do you know what Bible verse has them ticking that way?

For me its an accumualtion of the whole and sitting back from it and making an observation of the whole picture. I try to refrain from picking and choosing verses individually, as that seems to send one off on untrue or semi true tangents. I also cross reference between texts such as the bible, bhagavad Gita, the Tao etc. One gets a much clearer view of the big picture

As far as others taking off on those tangents, I am of the opinion that to a large extent verses specifically dealing with the words of Christ used in such a pick and choose fashion has "them" ticking that way. At least thats how it used to be for me years and years ago when I was caught up in it.

there are many different ways to help the poor

a lot of these days people are shying away from simply giving the poor money. I see homeless all the time, but something about just giving them money didn't see right. These days things are more complicated. And the reality is simply giving some guy a buck doesn't really help him.

it is not the christians, or anyones responsibility to carry the burden of another. it is neither my fault that people are poor, nor my obligation to give them money. it is however, the christians responsibility to spread the Living Word. Problem is, people are confused and think the Living Word is found in a non living book of which only says what the Word was 2000 years ago. When the Living Word is LIVING and HAS things to say about issues today.

today, helping the poor is not about tossing money at them, pitying them, or supporting this or that organization. its about spreading the truth that you create your own reality - and that the Kingdom of Heaven is yours to claim, but only if you claim it. You DONT claim it, you DONT get it. Simple as it. Its your will to take it or leave. 'Wishing' or 'hoping' is not the same as claiming. To claim requires every fiber of your being and not a shred of doubt.

In short, the Living Word today says the poor are perfectly capable of helping themselves get out of poverty - but only if they realize that they have such power to do so. There are huge hurdles stopping the poor in both first world countries and in third world countries defeat their own poverty.

The first hurdle is the Catholic Church, which has told the poor to be humble and even happy to be poor and suffering for God. But God requires no one to be poor or to suffer. Yet I can tell you THOUSANDS IF NOT MILLIONS honestly believe it is their place in the world to be in a place of suffering. You can't end the poverty in a place like this that 'accepts' poverty in this way. You can't help people help themselves if they don't feel that they should help themselves. This mentality is not seen in the west as much, but its very real and its very much out there.

The second hurdle is the rest of the poor not realizing they have the power to end their own poverty. Just look at all the suffering through out time. Look at the slavery. Did not the slaves out number the masters? Yet why is it in situations where the number of slaves clearly out numbered the masters, the slaves were still too afraid to free themselves? Fear and doubt that things will never change is part of the problem. You can't claim the Kingdom of God if you doubt or fear that it isn't yours.

This is where faith is important, not wishful hoping. The Living Word doesn't just move through Jesus, nor can it be boxed up or told its just a book. The Living Word is described in the bible, in a nut shell, as going and doing as it pleases. No one, no church, no Pope, tells it where to go, what to do or even what to say. And its moved through humanity before, and not that long ago. One of the last great movements inspired by it was the black revolution here in the US.

And what happened when the Living Word moved through the black community not so long ago? Did it make the blacks sit and whine and cry on the streets "hey white people, will you be nice to us, please?? Pretty please?" NO. The Holy Spirit and the Living Word do not ask or beg that which stands in the way of Kingdom of God. It will knock it down, and in a way through the minds of the people who no longer accept an outer condition. This is related to other ideas floating around in the net such as the Secret or Thought Manifestation. Really, its all the same. Its a beautiful process, not accepting an outer condition, because it doesn't require a war or millions of lives being massacred.

Poverty today is not any different. The poor out number the rich. If the poor rebelled, they will win, hands down. Seriously, they out number the rich by the BILLLIOOONS. In the Kingdom of God you reap what is yours, and the rich have more than their fair share of earnings. And the poor have claimed virtually nothing of what is theirs. If all those billions of millions of zillions minds all together said give me what is mine, thats a lot of people. A lot of...mind power And would be the hugest and if not the last great revolution the earth will ever see

Now, someone some where started this idea that some how giving money to the poor ends poverty. It doesn't. It only feeds the poor and gives them clothes for today, for tomorrow. But it will never end their situation. It will never end the problem that created poverty or offer a real solution to end it for all time. It just sorta pats it on the head, heres a buck.

Neither am I saying, don't help the poor or don't help at all. On the contrary, I believe your actions are multiplied. You give and you receive even more. All I am saying is the best thing we can do for poverty in general is understand that poverty has the power to end itself - we can't end it for them. And even better than that is helping ourselves as a way to show others, they can help themselves too. How can america help its poor when middle class americans grow poorer everyday? If we accept our own wage decline, our bills increasing, our debts growing, how can we expect to help anyone else if we feel helpless to change the economy?

We have to first accept that we control our income. If we have to stop feeling insecure about our future. Or believing this is as good as it gets.

No one stands between you and God except Christ. Only through Christ can you come to unto God. 17:20, 21, which says: "Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, 'The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, 'See here!' or 'See there!' For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.'"

Therefore Christ is within you.