Is it possible that God would use secular governments as His means for caring for the poor?

That’s why I have continued to be a Democrat when a lot of my fellow Christians have ran the other way in the last 30 years. God does do those things but he relies on me to do it. I will do it in the voting booth as well as in acts of charity.

I am fully of the belief that God acts through humankind. His messages are shared through people and reflected in those they reach out to.

It makes perfect sense to me that God would use whatever means available to enact his will through the people. Anyone who fights against programs that are in line with God’s message to love and honor each other, is not really paying attention to their own religion.

GREAT QUESTION

Commendable Judi.

Harp,

The way I understand it is that God doesn’t want to force you to give to charity and feed the poor. You are suppose to want to do so. It’s possible that an organization (or government) could be doing Gods work but no one would know in this life if that was happening.

There’s a mean streak into today’s society that seems to say, “If you’re poor then you obviously deserve to be that way,” when this is not necessarily true. Christians and non-Christians alike seem to have this viewpoint.

If the world were a place where everyone would sing God’s praise and help each other, it would put us in to sort of a volunteer communism with Christianity as the dictator. Of course this would break down because even within the Christian sect no one can agree on the divinity of Jesus, what God meant in the bible, and how God wants his message implemented.

Agreed. Great Question.

An argument could be that if the government starts running a few things, they’ll think they can run them all. If they gain more control, there is a possibility they would try to control which religions should be tolerated in our country. If they decide Christianity should not be allowed, then those who voted liberal would have taken part in outlawing Christianity.

I have a friend who thinks that if you are poor, you aren’t doing enough to not be poor because you live in the wealthiest nation. If you’re rich, great job you worked harder than all the other lazy people. Therefore no one should help the poor because they deserve their life of poverty.

My opinion is that no matter what we should help the poor. If they misuse what they are given, then that’s their problem. That question was sweet and I like your arguments so when I use them I’ll give credit to you lol.

volunteer communism with Christianity as the dictator
lmao – bodyhead, you crack me up sometimes

@bodyhead
God had no qualms about compulsory “wealth redistribution” at Deuteronomy 26:12:
“When you have finished paying all the tithe of your increase in the third year, the year of tithing, then you shall give it to the Levite, to the stranger, to the orphan and to the widow, that they may eat in your towns and be satisfied”.

Harp, that’s old testament. Nowadays, we don’t stone people to death either. The new testament is far kinder in terms of accepting Jesus and giving to the poor.

@queenz—“If they gain more control, there is a possibility they would try to control which religions should be tolerated in our country. If they decide Christianity should not be allowed, then those who voted liberal would have taken part in outlawing Christianity.”

The funny thing is that I fear this also, but with the way the government’s been lately, it’s a greater possibility that Christianity would be the ONLY religion allowed.

That said, I don’t think that anyone can really know the will of God—or at least, that’s what the most realistic Christians I know often say. Maybe it’s God, maybe it ain’t, but if it’s His way of looking out for the poor amongst us, He needs to find a better way. Thousand points of light, anyone?

There are overlaps between religious thought and governmental design which proceed from essential human practicality, not to mention morality. Mercy for the unfortunate makes a good society, despite the teaching of John Calvin (a complete fucker if there ever was one).

Those were the best two sentences I’ve ever written

Sure, why not. But I don’t believe in magical intervention Harry Potter style. If God exists (and I believe he does) then humans who are part of the universe have all the means to take on challenges. Social behavior and solidarity is part of being human and this applies to both religious and non-religious people. We have a duty to care for the poor. It’s called shared responsiblity and has nothing to do with socialism as some right-wingers want us to believe.