An old guy told me that b4 there was SSI for old, disabled that US religious population notmuchhelp is it true

Question

He said the old were not cared for and suffered and the disabled suffered with little medical help. Where was all that personal giving then,, if it is true?

Answer 1

The church didn't help much. Most people lived at a substitence level having just enough to stay alive and had little to give. People had larger families because the only people that they knew would take care of them when they were too old to work were their children. Because of this people had large families, with 5 surviving children being common. 'Surviving' because the infant and child mortality rates were several times higher than they are today, so families would often have seven or eight births to have those five children grow to adulthood. Add taking care of your parents to the expense of raising that many children and you can see the ridiculous cost. Not to mention how much fun life is when you're an adult living with your parents.

Don't worry about wondering what things were like before social security. There are enough morons that get their history from Norman Rockwell and Leave it to Beaver-and a lot of them in important political offices in our Legislative, Judicial and Executive branches-that today we're moving back to those happy days of widespread poverty and starvation.

If you really want a to know what things were like before social security read Upton Sinclair's "The Jungle" which used to be a standard part of the high school English curriculum (because it's both accurate and short) but didn't convey enough of a happy happy joy joy message to survive No Child Left Behind.

Answer 2

You are mixing government responsibilities with the church. When the old and the disabled suffered w/out medical help, religion per se couldn't provide medical services. . All tithes and donations given to the churches are mostly for their own operations..The function of helping the aged, the poor and the disabled falls on all numerous charitable organizations esp among the third world countries where it's most needed. A lot of religions do missionary work by providing education and medical services.in these poorly developed countries. The gov't provide the Peace Corp.


The US gov't revamped the social security administration to provide financial and medical assistance to the poor,disabled,and the aged thru programs like medicare, medical and the welfare system. The young generation and the working class contribute funds to this program in the hope that when it's their turn, it will be there.

Answer 3

This is partially true, As late as the 1950s many parts of the country had Poor Folks Homes or sometimes called Poor Farms. This was for the homeless, disabeled and many times the mentally ill. The County would normally provide the funds for the homes along with paying the family to run the farms or homes. Normally there was probably less than 1% of the population that would have to go to these homes. When possible the inhabitants of these homes would have to work for the board and food (as much as possible as some could do nothing). Most families at that time took care of their own who were not able to work but as always there were some who had no one to keep them. Social Security was a God sent when people began to fall ill or become disabled after they had worked enough to get credits for the disability. This would allow them to go to Nursing Homes etc. But on the other hand, it is now unlikely that anyone will take their parents or kin in if they are unable to take care of themselves. And as for the churches, I know that many small rural churches would do good to have $20.00 in donations for a month in the 1950s. And maybe less than $1.00 a month during the depression. Unlike today with the multimillion dollar church buildings that some people seem to worship more than God..

Answer 4

I think that this is a very important question to think about.

The creation of welfare was due to the fact that so many were suffering in poverty during the early part of the last century:

"The 1920s in America seemed like an age of endless prosperity. Construction boomed, business flourished, and the stock market soared. Then on October 29, 1929, the stock market crashed. The crash sent shockwaves throughout the economy. Banks failed. Businesses closed. Millions found themselves out of work. The Great Depression, which would last through the 1930s, had begun.

When the Great Depression began, about 18 million elderly, disabled, and single mothers with children already lived at a bare subsistence level in the United States. State and local governments together with private charities helped these people. By 1933, another 13 million Americans had been thrown out of work. Suddenly, state and local governments and charities could no longer provide even minimum assistance for all those in need. Food riots broke out. Desertions by husbands and fathers increased. Homeless families in cities lived in public parks and shanty towns. Desperate times began to put into question the old American notion that if a man worked hard enough, he could always take care of himself and his family."

So welfare came into being because churches could not possibly supply the support needs of so many.

Now in earlier times, disabled and elderly folks had several options. Sometimes convents and monasteries would take people in and care for them.

Also, before society became industrialized, it was possible for more people to make a living through cottage industries even if they were disabled and/or elderly. Now our system of production does not allow for slower members of society to keep pace.

And, as others have mentioned, families were the main support systems, with some back-up from the community, mostly in the form of small contributions of food or used clothing. Breakdowns of systems such as these now leaves many dependent on the state.

Answer 5

I can't comment on how much assistance churches gave because I honestly don't know. But before SSI was long enough ago that many people lived in multi-generational households. Grandparents, parents and children all shared a house. This worked fairly well because a young couple just starting off couldn't typically afford a house so they'd live with one set of parents or the other. Later, when they had children, the grandparents could provide childcare. And, later on, the grandparents would be tended to by family members. It was a mutually beneficial situation. Now we pay outrageous costs for both childcare and eldercare. It hardly seems like progress.

Answer 6

Well, back then, families actually cared for one another, and you would often see three generations living in one house. As the people aged, their children would make sure that they were taken care of. Just like it was meant to be.

Of course, back then, Christianity had a great influence on people, even if they weren't Christian. The ideals were for the most part, lived out. Naturally, there were circumstances where people didn't do their part, and the government decided to help. It was not because of a dearth of help available from the churches, but because of the depression, and FDR was an advocate of the government being a help, instead of hindrance.

Since then, however, many are enslaved to the system, having barely enough to make ends meet, and because the government began taking over, families no longer felt the need to do their part like they used to.

Answer 7

If that isn't just like the atheists, blame christianity for the fact that once upon a time there wasn't social security. Man, you guys are really getting lame, really stretching for things to make up to diss christianity.

It was like it was in every country in the world at that time, the children took care of the parents. Atheists had absolutely nothing to do with starting any kind of SSI, they'd be more prone to put anyone to sleep that wasn't pulling their own weight.

Answer 8

that is what the Republicans want now. It was left up to the children to support their parents. As it is in all the other countries
trouble is everyone didn't have children or even generous children. So they suffered and died. some of starvation.
No religion was no help. If your children didn't do it, that was just to bad. These religious organizations didn't get rich by being generous.

Answer 9

Before SSI, there was the great depression!
No one had anything to give, except maybe a lift!

No jobs no money no food!

Study history!

Answer 10

they yes, everyone was the same, no extra help for any condition...
In the frozen North....when you knew you where a burden to your family, disabled, old could not contribute to the family.....
they would find an ice burg, take all there positions and offerings,
and leave.....sooner or later, they would starve or the ice burg would melt.....they decided that they wanted to die....