Question about poverty and religion?

Question

Imagine you are rich and powerful and can help people at no cost to yourself. One day you find that your neighbor is a poor starving African kid with sad eyes. You find out he hasn't eaten in days. Would it be immoral for you to go next door and tell the kid you love him while refusing to feed him? Would it be immoral of you if you continued to do this every day until the poor kid starved to death?


Why, then, is it okay for religious people to claim that God does this very thing EVERY DAY? They claim God loves that kid and they can see that God, who is supposedly all powerful (and often interested enough in the lives of humans to give preachers fancy cars), refuses to feed the kid. Every day, that kid starves to death thousands of times.

And yet, they call God things like "perfect" and "moral."

Why is it okay if God does it but not okay if I do it?

Answer 1

wow your so right there,you`ll hit a raw nerve with some. lol

Answer 2

Religion has nothing to do with starving children or starving families. God does provide. There is enough food on this planet to feed every single person well every single day because God has provided the means and the food and the water. It is up to US to distribute that food and water. It is OUR moral responsibility to be good to each other through actions and prayer. There are many more religious people who will donate their hard-earned money as well as non-perishable food items and toys even though they can't afford it than there are religious people who turn a blind eye. Before you point out the splinters in "every religious person's eyes" you'd better make sure there isn't a plank in your own eye first. Besides that, sweeping incorrect generalizations just make you appear ignorant.

Answer 3

These are man made issues and have nothing to do with God. Those kids in Africa are starving because the PEOPLE who call themselves Christians go to church everyday and praise the Lords name, but are "too poor" to donate a dollar to charity funds. God calls on every person to do the right thing (which is why we are given opportunities to do so, even in our everyday lives), but whether or not people answer that call is another story. If a person thinks its more important to spend thousands of dollars to go to Italy to see the Pope, rather than taking that money and putting it to use in a way that could benefit people in greater need is not something that God can control. Free will, remember?
On the other hand, the irony is that these same person will turn around and bang on my door on Sunday morning to preach to me "the Good News of the Lord."
Also, "good natured" charity companies (like the Red Cross) take a huge percent out of donated funds to pad the pockets of their CEOs and pass the chump change out to the people in need!

Answer 4

no longer extremely. listed right here are the poverty rankings for the greater international locations. interior of this team, poverty seems to in many situations boost with religiosity, mutually as greater secular international locations have the backside poverty tiers. (Rank is lowest poverty fee to optimum) Sweden Norway Netherlands Finland Denmark Germany Switzerland Canada Luxembourg Austria France Japan Australia Belgium Spain uk usa eire Italy interior of u.s. the comparable development seems. Poverty costs are optimum in states which tend to be categorized as: Bible Belt, pink, Conservative, and so on. Mississippi 21.3% Louisiana 19.8% New Mexico 18.5% West Virginia 18.0% Texas 17.6% Arkansas 17.2% Alabama 17.0% Kentucky sixteen.8% Oklahoma sixteen.5% South Carolina 15.6% Tennessee 15.5% North Carolina 15.a million% Georgia 14.4%

Answer 5

It's pretty tough for God to go over and feed that kid, though I suppose He could. That's why He has us. But we can't be everywhere. I see you watch TV because you've seen the pictures but you can't put this on God. There are always going to be hurting people. God loves us no matter the situation but that is what the body of Christ is all about. Are there going to be people who consider themselves Christians, that do stupid and hurtfull things? Sure. But that's where God's grace comes in. If you see injustice you have a responsibility to try and fix it. Don't point fingers at Christians who fall short of the mark. Let God deal with them. You just go about your life being as Christ-like as possible. Keep your eyes on Jesus.

Answer 6

For some intelligent people you guys aren't very intelligent when it come to your fellow man!!! The US is one of the richest countries in the world why are there parents who can't afford proper food or medical care for their children even though they work??? Why do so many people have to rely on food pantries and food banks to help them feed their children, because instead of helping people you're trying to push it off on to God. In a way that than takes the responsibility away from you and gives you and excuse not to help others. God will do it or should do it! Why??? Why shouldn't we care enough bout others that we do it just because it's the right thing to do??? Why is it so important to make excuses instead of just doing what's right because it it right???? It shouldn't matter whether there's a God or not one should do what 's right just becasue it is right.

Answer 7

Mainly because God views people (who don't trust in him) in what their country has done, rather than what their country is doing about it. He also goes by a certain thing that He has promised to the people of Israel. Genesis 12:3 says it plainly enough: I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you.

You would then ask what the countries of Africa have done to deserve such horrible plagues. They each have one thing in common: they broke of diplomatic relations with the country of Israel.

But the question comes back to morality. Are you basing your morality on God or on yourself? Almighty God is a kind of God that says, "If you do something that is not according to my law, you will get a stiff judgement. Do something that *is* according to my law and I will richly bless you." But don't assume that "rich" is the same as a bunch of money. 1Timothy (6:10) says that the root of all evil is money. Wisdom of how to do things is regarded as a blessing.

Believe me, God does not want to hurt or destroy the human race. However, he gave the human race the power of choice. With that power of choice came the ultimate (His) result of a human choice.

Think of it this way: if you have little boy who wants to go out and play in the rain, you can either let him go out and then he would most likely get sick or you can not let him go out and keep him healthy. Although he may not like you for keeping him in, he won't understand that you are trying to protect him.

One more thing. "Religion" is defined as a set of rules set by men. God wants to bless His followers, but I don't agree with the part of giving preachers fancy cars. Unless He knows that the preacher will give all glory to God, the "reign" of the preacher is doomed to falling. Anyone who gets a blessing from God and doesn't thank God for it is likely not to get another one.

I hope I answered at least part of your question. My source is a little more in-depth on the famines of Africa.

Answer 8

Kind of proves that God is not working in everyday situations. People starve because they lack food, not because God did or didn't give them food to eat. Its just another fact of life like weather, illness, good and bad luck, etc.

It gets really sad when people don't gather up their resources and fix the problem. How many kids could the cost of the Iraqi war have fed - answer: all of them!!!

Answer 9

very good question. it always hurts me when i see some one say they don't love God.
But the answer is we are all God. God does feed that child - Through you. think, when you pray to be kind, does God make you more kind, or the opportunity to become more kind? (this isn't from that movie with the guy from the office)
God acts through people everyday. its your job, as a human being, if not a god-loving person, to do the right thing. God isn't going to reach his hand from heaven with bread for the child. wouldn't that freak you out, to see a big hand from the sky?lol.
and that would prove to you that GOd is real if he did that, but then that would pretty much make you choose him. you have to choose him with nothing reinforcing that belief. thats why i hate it when ppl try to convert you.

think about it. God is always open.

Answer 10

So God is a really rich guy that planted his mansion right in the middle of a poverty-stricken African village?

There are lots of starving kids and adults right next door to you Monica! Why aren't you busy right now making them sandwiches???

Answer 11

God is infallable. God works in mysterious ways. The Lord will provide. Don't ask questions or you'll be smited. Silence saves the soul.