why believers in the one and only God, should not neglect serving the poor

[kiwiman127]

I agree 100% with the premise of this thread.
I grew up in a very Christian and very Republican household.
The difference then as opposed to today, Republican Christians back in the olden days practiced what the Bible preaches. Now it seems that GOP Christians practice what their ideology preaches to them and use the Bible when it's convenient for their ideology.

 

[Lonestar_logic]

Tithing was by force and so was the requirement for farmers to open their fields to the poor....Jesus did NOT speak out against these things that were happening...

Tithing was a TAX in the name of religion...

Tithing was never by force.

 

[Care4all]

Tithing was by force and so was the requirement for farmers to open their fields to the poor....Jesus did NOT speak out against these things that were happening...

Tithing was a TAX in the name of religion...

Tithing was never by force.

yes it was......since you all have determined that paying ones taxes is "by force" then the SAME can be said in this case.

It absolutely, without a doubt, was mandatory to tithe

 

[Lonestar_logic]

Tithing was by force and so was the requirement for farmers to open their fields to the poor....Jesus did NOT speak out against these things that were happening...

Tithing was a TAX in the name of religion...

Tithing was never by force.

yes it was......since you all have determined that paying ones taxes is "by force" then the SAME can be said in this case.

It absolutely, without a doubt, was mandatory to tithe

Which chapter and verse draws you to that conclusion?

 

[Gadawg73]

Tithing was by force and so was the requirement for farmers to open their fields to the poor....Jesus did NOT speak out against these things that were happening...

Tithing was a TAX in the name of religion...

Tithing was never by force.

You are right, not by physical force.
But if you didn't tithe how could you sell anything anywhere then?
That is force by circumstance but a force nonetheless.

 

[Gadawg73]

The definition of what "poor" was 2000 years ago was far different than what that definition is today.
You can be defined poor today with a 42" big screen, cell phone, car, washer and dryer, free health care, free day care, free or subsidized housing, food stamps, energy assistance and AFDC.

 

[Lonestar_logic]

Tithing was by force and so was the requirement for farmers to open their fields to the poor....Jesus did NOT speak out against these things that were happening...

Tithing was a TAX in the name of religion...

Tithing was never by force.

You are right, not by physical force.
But if you didn't tithe how could you sell anything anywhere then?
That is force by circumstance but a force nonetheless.

You obviously don't know what tithing is. It has nothing to do with selling anything.

 

[Gadawg73]

Tithing was never by force.

You are right, not by physical force.
But if you didn't tithe how could you sell anything anywhere then?
That is force by circumstance but a force nonetheless.

You obviously don't know what tithing is. It has nothing to do with selling anything.

20 feet over your head as usual.
If you didn't tithe in those days no one in the community would do business with you. They would boycott your business, not hire you for anything and outcast you.
If that would not force you to tithe then your family would go hungry.

 

[Care4all]

lonestar.....fyi

The third year was called "the year of tithing" Deuteronomy 26:12-14 in which the Israelites set aside 10% of the increase of the land, they were to give this tithe to the Levites, strangers, orphans, and widows. These tithes were in reality more like taxes for the people of Israel and were mandatory, not optional giving. This tithe was distributed locally "within thy gates" Deuteronomy 14:28 to support the Levites and assist the poor.

 

[Lonestar_logic]

You are right, not by physical force.
But if you didn't tithe how could you sell anything anywhere then?
That is force by circumstance but a force nonetheless.

You obviously don't know what tithing is. It has nothing to do with selling anything.

20 feet over your head as usual.
If you didn't tithe in those days no one in the community would do business with you. They would boycott your business, not hire you for anything and outcast you.
If that would not force you to tithe then your family would go hungry.

That's bullshit.

 

[Lonestar_logic]

lonestar.....fyi

The third year was called "the year of tithing" Deuteronomy 26:12-14 in which the Israelites set aside 10% of the increase of the land, they were to give this tithe to the Levites, strangers, orphans, and widows. These tithes were in reality more like taxes for the people of Israel and were mandatory, not optional giving. This tithe was distributed locally "within thy gates" Deuteronomy 14:28 to support the Levites and assist the poor.

I looked up both verses and nowhere does it say it's a tax or that it's mandatory.

Nice try but you failed.

I'll concede that the Lord commanded it. But the Lord commands a lot of things that are not heeded.

 

[Gadawg73]

You obviously don't know what tithing is. It has nothing to do with selling anything.

20 feet over your head as usual.
If you didn't tithe in those days no one in the community would do business with you. They would boycott your business, not hire you for anything and outcast you.
If that would not force you to tithe then your family would go hungry.

That's bullshit.

You know nothing about any Biblical history and are as naive an individual as I have ever met.
Most times tithes were given IN CROPS AND OTHER MATERIALS. Nehimiah 13:5-12
Tithing was never money or income based then. Tithing was LAND based. In fact it was against the law to sell the tithe! One had to bring the tithe, THE PRODUCT, NOT WHAT THE PRODUCT WAS WORTH.
Mosaic law was written on an agricultural basis as the church played the role of the government then as those rules were passed down by Moses.
All over the Bible, the curses of not tithing are discussed.
Are you claiming the societies did not carry out the financial and societal curses dictated under Mosaic law and the Scriptures if someone did not tithe?
Can you name the 2 different tithes in the Bible?
Most Americans are totally ignorant of most everything in the Bible and the history of the day.

 

[Lonestar_logic]

20 feet over your head as usual.
If you didn't tithe in those days no one in the community would do business with you. They would boycott your business, not hire you for anything and outcast you.
If that would not force you to tithe then your family would go hungry.

That's bullshit.

You know nothing about any Biblical history and are as naive an individual as I have ever met.
Most times tithes were given IN CROPS AND OTHER MATERIALS. Nehimiah 13:5-12
Tithing was never money or income based then. Tithing was LAND based. In fact it was against the law to sell the tithe! One had to bring the tithe, THE PRODUCT, NOT WHAT THE PRODUCT WAS WORTH.
Mosaic law was written on an agricultural basis as the church played the role of the government then as those rules were passed down by Moses.
All over the Bible, the curses of not tithing are discussed.
Are you claiming the societies did not carry out the financial and societal curses dictated under Mosaic law and the Scriptures if someone did not tithe?
Can you name the 2 different tithes in the Bible?
Most Americans are totally ignorant of most everything in the Bible and the history of the day.

Show where the Bible states that those who do not tithe will be boycotted.

 

[Gadawg73]

That's bullshit.

You know nothing about any Biblical history and are as naive an individual as I have ever met.
Most times tithes were given IN CROPS AND OTHER MATERIALS. Nehimiah 13:5-12
Tithing was never money or income based then. Tithing was LAND based. In fact it was against the law to sell the tithe! One had to bring the tithe, THE PRODUCT, NOT WHAT THE PRODUCT WAS WORTH.
Mosaic law was written on an agricultural basis as the church played the role of the government then as those rules were passed down by Moses.
All over the Bible, the curses of not tithing are discussed.
Are you claiming the societies did not carry out the financial and societal curses dictated under Mosaic law and the Scriptures if someone did not tithe?
Can you name the 2 different tithes in the Bible?
Most Americans are totally ignorant of most everything in the Bible and the history of the day.

Show where the Bible states that those who do not tithe will be boycotted.

That is not what I said. I said that PEOPLE boycotted others that did not tithe.
If you do not know that the Bible is full of the curses. And in those days anyone that did not pay their tithe could not hold any office in the their ward, their church or their society.
People have suffered for centuries because they believed and were taught that if they tithe to their local church, THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY AND GOVERNMENT in those days, that God will bless them for it. The societal pressures to do so were ingrained in the very nature of tithing.
Malachi 3:8 God reprimands Isreal for not delivering the tithe and reiterates the blessings or curse that would be a result of whatever decision they made.
Tithing was almost like a tax in those days. The New Testament teaches otherwise but how many folks take the ENTIRE Bible literally now and through history.

 

[PLYMCO_PILGRIM]

Why One Should Not Neglect Serving the Poor

Exodus 22:21-27 “Do not mistreat an alien or oppress him, for you were aliens in Egypt. Do not take advantage of a widow or an orphan. If you do and they cry out to me, I will certainly hear their cry. My anger will be aroused, and I will kill you with the sword; your wives will become widows and your children fatherless. If you lend money to one of my people among you who is needy, do not be like a moneylender; charge him no interest. If you take your neighbor's cloak as a pledge, return it to him by sunset, because his cloak is the only covering he has for his body. What else will he sleep in? When he cries out to me, I will hear, for I am compassionate.”

Proverbs 14:31 “He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.”


Isaiah 10:1-3 " Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless. What will you do on the day of reckoning, when disaster comes from afar? To whom will you run for help? Where will you leave your riches?”

Jeremiah 5:28 “‘Their evil deeds have no limit; they do not plead the case of the fatherless to win it, they do not defend the rights of the poor. ‘Should I not punish them for this?’ declares the LORD. ‘Should I not avenge myself on such a nation as this?’”

Ezekiel 16:49 "Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy.”

Ezekiel 22:29, 31 "The people of the land practice extortion and commit robbery; they oppress the poor and needy and mistreat the alien, denying them justice. So I will pour out my wrath on them and consume them with my fiery anger, bringing down on their own heads all they have done, declares the Sovereign LORD."

Amos 5:12 “For I know how many are your offenses and how great your sins. You oppress the righteous and take bribes and you deprive the poor of justice in the courts.”

Luke 6:24 " But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort."

Luke 16:19-25 "There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.' But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony.'"

1 John 3:17 “If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?”

James 5:1-6 “Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you. Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered innocent men, who were not opposing you.”

World Vision - What Does the Bible Say About the Poor?

Care it says not to Opress the poor, it says nothing about serving them. It says to help those who are less fortunate as an individual and not through the government .

 

[Care4all]

Why One Should Not Neglect Serving the Poor

Exodus 22:21-27 “Do not mistreat an alien or oppress him, for you were aliens in Egypt. Do not take advantage of a widow or an orphan. If you do and they cry out to me, I will certainly hear their cry. My anger will be aroused, and I will kill you with the sword; your wives will become widows and your children fatherless. If you lend money to one of my people among you who is needy, do not be like a moneylender; charge him no interest. If you take your neighbor's cloak as a pledge, return it to him by sunset, because his cloak is the only covering he has for his body. What else will he sleep in? When he cries out to me, I will hear, for I am compassionate.”

Proverbs 14:31 “He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.”


Isaiah 10:1-3 " Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless. What will you do on the day of reckoning, when disaster comes from afar? To whom will you run for help? Where will you leave your riches?”

Jeremiah 5:28 “‘Their evil deeds have no limit; they do not plead the case of the fatherless to win it, they do not defend the rights of the poor. ‘Should I not punish them for this?’ declares the LORD. ‘Should I not avenge myself on such a nation as this?’”

Ezekiel 16:49 "Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy.”

Ezekiel 22:29, 31 "The people of the land practice extortion and commit robbery; they oppress the poor and needy and mistreat the alien, denying them justice. So I will pour out my wrath on them and consume them with my fiery anger, bringing down on their own heads all they have done, declares the Sovereign LORD."

Amos 5:12 “For I know how many are your offenses and how great your sins. You oppress the righteous and take bribes and you deprive the poor of justice in the courts.”

Luke 6:24 " But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort."

Luke 16:19-25 "There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.' But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony.'"

1 John 3:17 “If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?”

James 5:1-6 “Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you. Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered innocent men, who were not opposing you.”

World Vision - What Does the Bible Say About the Poor?

Care it says not to Opress the poor, it says nothing about serving them. It says to help those who are less fortunate as an individual and not through the government .

serving, is helping them PP, not just monetarily, but with Justice...treated fairly and not looked down upon.

and you are wrong, NOWHERE in any of those passages, does it say to shut yourself down once you leave the synagogue....be kind and just to them, in ALL that you do....YOU are the gvt of we the people.

NOWHERE does it say "Not through the government", so I have no idea why those of you who say such, GET SUCH? Maybe you can lead me to a passage in the bible that states it....but I don't remember EVER reading such?

Yes, there are poor people who take advantage of the system and this pisses everybody off....so that ALL THE POOR are looked down upon, are called vicious names, or labeled stupid or lazy or even thieves by some people...they are spat upon in a literal sense....

Well, I won't ever do that or join in on that kind of lynch mob mentality band wagon.

 

[PLYMCO_PILGRIM]

Why One Should Not Neglect Serving the Poor

Exodus 22:21-27 “Do not mistreat an alien or oppress him, for you were aliens in Egypt. Do not take advantage of a widow or an orphan. If you do and they cry out to me, I will certainly hear their cry. My anger will be aroused, and I will kill you with the sword; your wives will become widows and your children fatherless. If you lend money to one of my people among you who is needy, do not be like a moneylender; charge him no interest. If you take your neighbor's cloak as a pledge, return it to him by sunset, because his cloak is the only covering he has for his body. What else will he sleep in? When he cries out to me, I will hear, for I am compassionate.”

Proverbs 14:31 “He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.”


Isaiah 10:1-3 " Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless. What will you do on the day of reckoning, when disaster comes from afar? To whom will you run for help? Where will you leave your riches?”

Jeremiah 5:28 “‘Their evil deeds have no limit; they do not plead the case of the fatherless to win it, they do not defend the rights of the poor. ‘Should I not punish them for this?’ declares the LORD. ‘Should I not avenge myself on such a nation as this?’”

Ezekiel 16:49 "Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy.”

Ezekiel 22:29, 31 "The people of the land practice extortion and commit robbery; they oppress the poor and needy and mistreat the alien, denying them justice. So I will pour out my wrath on them and consume them with my fiery anger, bringing down on their own heads all they have done, declares the Sovereign LORD."

Amos 5:12 “For I know how many are your offenses and how great your sins. You oppress the righteous and take bribes and you deprive the poor of justice in the courts.”

Luke 6:24 " But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort."

Luke 16:19-25 "There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.' But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony.'"

1 John 3:17 “If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?”

James 5:1-6 “Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you. Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered innocent men, who were not opposing you.”

World Vision - What Does the Bible Say About the Poor?

Care it says not to Opress the poor, it says nothing about serving them. It says to help those who are less fortunate as an individual and not through the government .

serving, is helping them PP, not just monetarily, but with Justice...treated fairly and not looked down upon.

and you are wrong, NOWHERE in any of those passages, does it say to shut yourself down once you leave the synagogue....be kind and just to them, in ALL that you do....YOU are the gvt of we the people.

NOWHERE does it say "Not through the government", so I have no idea why those of you who say such, GET SUCH? Maybe you can lead me to a passage in the bible that states it....but I don't remember EVER reading such?

Yes, there are poor people who take advantage of the system and this pisses everybody off....so that ALL THE POOR are looked down upon, are called vicious names, or labeled stupid or lazy or even thieves by some people...they are spat upon in a literal sense....

Well, I won't ever do that or join in on that kind of lynch mob mentality band wagon.

Whoa whoa whoa back up a bit there I didn't say some of those things.

I said the bible tells you that you are personally responsible to help those less fortunate than you. The bible does not talk about collective salvation, aka govt salvatation...it talks about individual salvation and redemption.

I'm ont sure why you are trying to imply I said anything other than what I typed? did my post come across to you the wrong way or something?

On a side note, when was the last time you volunteered to help the poor? I did food pantry duty in boston 2 weeks ago.

 

[Care4all]

Care it says not to Opress the poor, it says nothing about serving them. It says to help those who are less fortunate as an individual and not through the government .

serving, is helping them PP, not just monetarily, but with Justice...treated fairly and not looked down upon.

and you are wrong, NOWHERE in any of those passages, does it say to shut yourself down once you leave the synagogue....be kind and just to them, in ALL that you do....YOU are the gvt of we the people.

NOWHERE does it say "Not through the government", so I have no idea why those of you who say such, GET SUCH? Maybe you can lead me to a passage in the bible that states it....but I don't remember EVER reading such?

Yes, there are poor people who take advantage of the system and this pisses everybody off....so that ALL THE POOR are looked down upon, are called vicious names, or labeled stupid or lazy or even thieves by some people...they are spat upon in a literal sense....

Well, I won't ever do that or join in on that kind of lynch mob mentality band wagon.

Whoa whoa whoa back up a bit there I didn't say some of those things.

I said the bible tells you that you are personally responsible to help those less fortunate than you. The bible does not talk about collective salvation, aka govt salvatation...it talks about individual salvation and redemption.

I'm ont sure why you are trying to imply I said anything other than what I typed? did my post come across to you the wrong way or something?

On a side note, when was the last time you volunteered to help the poor? I did food pantry duty in boston 2 weeks ago.

we are having a huge food drive right now for the StatI guess May is Food Pantry refill month for your state as well.....

I am sorry if i directed my comments to you personally....I did not mean to imply you are unjust, or cruel to the poor....

But, i still stand by "Nowhere in the Bible does it tell us to NOT help the poor in all that we do, INCLUDING with our government"

Tithing was a form of a mandated tax during the time of Christ...the church/synagogue elders, WERE the governing power...and they collectively took care of the needy, ALONG WITH everyone individually taking care of the poor.

so i think it was that "line" of yours regarding the Bible telling us that this should NOT be through our gvt, that set me off....because I don't believe it to be true, but misleading, for other Christians as well.

No one, especially not me, is talking salvation through the government. My salvation comes through Christ....this is not about salvation, this is about seeing Christ in all human beings, and treating them all, as if they were Christ....whether at the Church, stranger walking on the street, in court, or in prison, or even on this board....

and btw...good morning !

care

 

[PLYMCO_PILGRIM]

serving, is helping them PP, not just monetarily, but with Justice...treated fairly and not looked down upon.

and you are wrong, NOWHERE in any of those passages, does it say to shut yourself down once you leave the synagogue....be kind and just to them, in ALL that you do....YOU are the gvt of we the people.

NOWHERE does it say "Not through the government", so I have no idea why those of you who say such, GET SUCH? Maybe you can lead me to a passage in the bible that states it....but I don't remember EVER reading such?

Yes, there are poor people who take advantage of the system and this pisses everybody off....so that ALL THE POOR are looked down upon, are called vicious names, or labeled stupid or lazy or even thieves by some people...they are spat upon in a literal sense....

Well, I won't ever do that or join in on that kind of lynch mob mentality band wagon.

Whoa whoa whoa back up a bit there I didn't say some of those things.

I said the bible tells you that you are personally responsible to help those less fortunate than you. The bible does not talk about collective salvation, aka govt salvatation...it talks about individual salvation and redemption.

I'm ont sure why you are trying to imply I said anything other than what I typed? did my post come across to you the wrong way or something?

On a side note, when was the last time you volunteered to help the poor? I did food pantry duty in boston 2 weeks ago.

we are having a huge food drive right now for the StatI guess May is Food Pantry refill month for your state as well.....

I am sorry if i directed my comments to you personally....I did not mean to imply you are unjust, or cruel to the poor....

But, i still stand by "Nowhere in the Bible does it tell us to NOT help the poor in all that we do, INCLUDING with our government"

Tithing was a form of a mandated tax during the time of Christ...the church/synagogue elders, WERE the governing power...and they collectively took care of the needy, ALONG WITH everyone individually taking care of the poor.

so i think it was that "line" of yours regarding the Bible telling us that this should NOT be through our gvt, that set me off....because I don't believe it to be true, but misleading, for other Christians as well.

No one, especially not me, is talking salvation through the government. My salvation comes through Christ....this is not about salvation, this is about seeing Christ in all human beings, and treating them all, as if they were Christ....whether at the Church, stranger walking on the street, in court, or in prison, or even on this board....

and btw...good morning !

care

Ah well at least I understand where you were coming from now.

In my mind, leaving helping the poor up to the govt, is us being lazy and actually failing the poor. I dont have faith in the govt to help the poor and the track record, over time, has further strengthened my lack of faith. Thats where my comment stemmed from, its also why I take personal time one or two days a month to volunteer helping the community or those less fortunate.

Hey USMB, see how I asked before flipping out? See how I got a reasonable answer? Take some freaking notes!

 

[Care4all]

Whoa whoa whoa back up a bit there I didn't say some of those things.

I said the bible tells you that you are personally responsible to help those less fortunate than you. The bible does not talk about collective salvation, aka govt salvatation...it talks about individual salvation and redemption.

I'm ont sure why you are trying to imply I said anything other than what I typed? did my post come across to you the wrong way or something?

On a side note, when was the last time you volunteered to help the poor? I did food pantry duty in boston 2 weeks ago.

we are having a huge food drive right now for the StatI guess May is Food Pantry refill month for your state as well.....

I am sorry if i directed my comments to you personally....I did not mean to imply you are unjust, or cruel to the poor....

But, i still stand by "Nowhere in the Bible does it tell us to NOT help the poor in all that we do, INCLUDING with our government"

Tithing was a form of a mandated tax during the time of Christ...the church/synagogue elders, WERE the governing power...and they collectively took care of the needy, ALONG WITH everyone individually taking care of the poor.

so i think it was that "line" of yours regarding the Bible telling us that this should NOT be through our gvt, that set me off....because I don't believe it to be true, but misleading, for other Christians as well.

No one, especially not me, is talking salvation through the government. My salvation comes through Christ....this is not about salvation, this is about seeing Christ in all human beings, and treating them all, as if they were Christ....whether at the Church, stranger walking on the street, in court, or in prison, or even on this board....

and btw...good morning !

care

Ah well at least I understand where you were coming from now.

In my mind, leaving helping the poor up to the govt, is us being lazy and actually failing the poor. I dont have faith in the govt to help the poor and the track record, over time, has further strengthened my lack of faith. Thats where my comment stemmed from, its also why I take personal time one or two days a month to volunteer helping the community or those less fortunate.

Hey USMB, see how I asked before flipping out? See how I got a reasonable answer? Take some freaking notes!

you know I love you PP!