I know churches are already caring for the poor, but we obviously need to do more. We as individual Christians, in fact, need to do more to care for the poor. I'm not sure we could ever do enough, though, to keep the government from having to have a role. The problem is so huge. Many Americans and American agencies are also trying to care for the poor in other countries as well as here at home. Maybe if each one of us and each one of our churches just tried to do a little more...

I believe our government should do some things to help the poor but ultimately it is the people who will care for the poor. I've heard that when the economy was doing well (under the Reagan) era, people were more generous. I'm not sure if that is true. I think Americans are pretty generous people and government can't mandate that...

The answer is quite simple and applies to EVERY ONE OF US (persons, governments or churches): "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me." Matthew 25:40. It is ALL OF OUR role to help the poor. I think if we all did our part and were accountable for our own responsiblity (as stated in the Bible) to help the poor then there would be no problem.

I work with refugees in my community, helping them learn how to live in America. I go into their living spaces and see the needs. I take them to doctor's appointments and try to help them with transportation issues. They can't drive. Most can't even speak or understand English, let alone get a job. I wish I could do more, but there are limitations. I understand their needs, because I am there with them. I believe government should work with Churches, like my own, to help us better serve these people. Things like providing ESL classes and simpler methods to help them get the health care and education that many so desire and are capable of. Hopefully they will be able to experience the love of Christ as well as have an opportunity of living the American Dream.

I work with refugees in my community, helping them learn how to live in America. I go into their living spaces and see the needs. I take them to doctor's appointments and try to help them with transportation issues. They can't drive. Most can't even speak or understand English, let alone get a job. I wish I could do more, but there are limitations. I understand their needs, because I am there with them. I believe government should work with Churches, like my own, to help us better serve these people. Things like providing ESL classes and simpler methods to help them get the health care and education that many so desire and are capable of. Hopefully they will be able to experience the love of Christ as well as have an opportunity of living the American Dream.

I know this isn't the point of the article, but I want to speak to the ESL classes statement. I do Conversational English for those whom English is a second language, which is now part of my "business". I charge a fee as a tutor would. It would be mistaken to assume all ESL students are poor financially. The group I have worked with not only have had enough money to immigrate either temporarily or permanently, but have money to purchase a home here while also still owning a home in their country, often send their children to private school with high tuitions, and often one spouse retains a business in his country as well as bank accounts there.

So here the question is about "need" that isn't necessarily finanical. The need is still for them to learn English so they can function here, the need is their loneliness, and the need is for them to hear about and grow in Christ. In those ways the church can do a good job if they have ministries for these reasons.

It is most certainly the job of the church, rather than of the government, to care for the poor. We, as God's people, are to reach out to our neighbors and help them. We are so wasteful with our money, filling our homes with "things" and our closets with more clothes than anyone could ever really need...if we just share what each of us has in abundance, we would be more than able to take care of everyone around us!

We all have talents and abilities that can be used in some way, shape or form to care for others. We just need to open our eyes to what God has given us and then pass it along.

I've just begun reading "The Irresistible Revolution" by Shane Claiborne in which he writes about the very idea of caring for the poor. It is possible to care for others, we just have to step up to the plate and be willing to get dirty and, yes, even experience some discomfort. This is what we are called to do!

We can't properly answer the question of how to care for "the least of these" without first asking why they're the least. Is our outlook so twisted that we define human fulfillment primarily in economic terms? Perhaps. Even in those terms, though, we can't approach this problem as though we're the enlightened ones coming to the aid of those poor, suffering people. To what extent are they marginalized, poor, and often victims of unjustice, precisely because we continue to participate in our daily lives in economic, political, and even theological structures of injustice? That's the question we need to address first. This shouldn't stop us from meeting needs here and now - doing a sort of triage - but to solve the problem, we need to look at ourselves first.

The role of the government is very simple in this matter: the immediate need must be met, and to whatever extent the church is either negligent or incapable of meeting it, the government should. In the end, though, we need a bigger church.

definitely the churches job! and we all need to ask the Lord, and then do all He is calling us to do.

I believe it wonderful for churches to help the needy but what about those out there who cry "wolf?" I helped a lady years ago who attended my church. We were good friends. I cleaned her floors on my hand and knees and fed her children while she was sick. Our little church got her a washer and dryer and members contributed meals each night until she would get better. She was sick often. My mother who did not attend my church and had not met this individual was wise enough to counsel me that she was using us. I thought she was wrong until I saw for myself that she was right! One day this members ex husband came to her place and threatened to beat me up! I backed away and never confronted her. She lived in the projects as did myself. Later, when I was a single mother and on public assistance, once in a while I would ask for help from the church I was attending. It was very hard as I had seen first hand people using the church. I promised to pay back what they gave me! There are people out there who are truly needy and those who are users. I think it gives the church a bad taste in their mouths. What about that?

I've worked in the public sector all my career. Are there flaws in programs that help the poor? Of course, but sometimes issues faced by the poor are not those easily resolved by individual churches on a local level - can every church or even every local community support neonatal intensive care units for poor babies who are born sick or other issues that take systematic changes? I believe we as individual Christians (myself included) should be doing much more to help the disadvantaged, but I believe to think God doesn't expect us to use the government He has given us to do the same is not seeing the big picture.

I am a Christian woman, I have worked in ministry - as a teacher and church secretary. I am poor-- in fact as I sit here in the library writing this, I am HOMELESS. I am college educated, middle aged and I am not on drugs/alchohol and I am not crazy either. I became seperated from my own church during a matiral breakup and some turmoil it caused and when I turned to other churches for help , I was generally told "we are 1. too small to help, 2. too new, 3. so big we have a lot of expenses 4. we dont have a "program" for that 5. its too expense 6. its not cost effective...and on and on.

Does anyone read the Bible these days? How did the first century chruch live? The churches of the first century would never have let a believing woman wander the streets with no roof over her head. Did anyone ever hear of simply opening the doors of their home for a few days to help a sister in Christ in need? Yes I know you dont know me, but the Spirit gives testimony with ones Spirit that we are the children of God (and I have references too)

. Evidently this is a completely radical idea, since no one I have encountered has offered it to me. I see so many churches that advertise their "radical" or "extreme" faith in their literature, -- it seems to me that such faith might truly be expressed in opening ones heart to fellow poor believers, for a START. I have done it myself when I lived in an apartment with some other Christains-- that is offer my home to help a woman believer-- who I barely knew, but whom I could tell was a believer. I invited her to stay with me, even live with me if she wanted to, sharing my bedroom with her, and trusting God would watch out for and protect me and her. She did stay with me serveral times on different occasions until she decided to take another situtaion that came up.
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I also speak as a person who has worked in a Chrsitain mission some years ago, and I can tell you, no one seems to be taking up the call to such ministry these days--so in my area so many have no place to go, thousands--and some of them are your Christain brothers and sisters. Yes it happens to us too. I really do wish other believers would open their eyes and hearts, becasue this is an UNBEARABLE adn unsafe situaion to be in and so many times I have simply wanted to curse my own (that is Jesus') church and die becasue of the way Christains are so comfortable seeing people with no place to go stay that way, or sending them away from their church office with an out of date list of shelters--which by the way where I live are in short supply for single women. There are plenty of church food pantries out there, so one can stay feed but go wityout a roof over their head FOR YEARS. So something more than food assistance needs to be offered and Chrsitaind need to heed the call to missions and MERCY to the poor.

"Do not grow weary in doing good, especially to those who are of the family of believers"--so out Lord tells us.

why arent we seeng the floods in india on the news,its all about war again,poor innocent kids sent to their deaths thanks to george bush and now he expects the tax payer to bail him out

. As far as social programs go, I grew up with them. My parents lived off of them from time to time and the people we were around lived on them most of the time. From my experience and observation, most social programs have become another form of slavery. People stay enslaved to the system because they are lazy. The politicians use them to gain votes and therefore continue their reign over those who are enslaved to the system. Privileged people who think they are lending a hand to the poor, vote for them to ease their conscience. It is easier to let the government take care of the problem instead of working on it yourself. The vast majority of the people using social programs never end up bettering themselves. Another issue is the fact that many of the people in America who live on those social programs and are considered poor do so and are poor by choice. As far as social programs go, I am mainly speaking of food stamps and welfare. Ultimately the reason why the system is failing is because the government has stepped into a sphere of life that it was never intended occupy. Helping the poor is the churches’ responsibility. God’s intent for the government is to wield his sword to punish the wicked. (Romans 13:4) Because I grew up around people who were a part of the welfare system and have seen real poverty in other countries, I do not have sympathy for the so called poor in America. This country has so much opportunity for those who want to work for it. On the other hand, Paul talks about people who are not willing to work in 2 Thessalonians 3 and what their plight should be. During the time period scripture was written the poor were poor not because of laziness. I hope you do not see any of this as being unsympathetic towards the poor. I love and have compassion on those who are truly poor. I just have never seen any in America.

No one has even addressed the needs of the mentally ill and physically ill here. Many people who are either physically or mentally disabled or both cannot work. What about them? There is a huge group of mentally ill, especially Vietnam vets, who cannot function without someone caring for them. With their mental illness, they end up homeless. Many have an income but schizophrenia and/or bipolar and other mental health issues prevent them from being able to make logical decisions. What about people who are handicapped and lose their jobs? Then they have no health insurance. A car accident? MS? Parkinsons? It could happen to any of us. It's not just about the poor woman with all the kids on welfare. I grew up in a conservative church. I still believe in an inerrant Bible as most conservative churches say they do. But they pick and choose the verses they read to the congregations. Bottom line. Jesus said care for the poor in the Gospels. Over and over. The Old Testament says God holds Israel accountable for not caring for the poor. Bottom line: If Jesus said it, we should do it. Regardless of whether it seems logical or comfortable to us. Most churches that are against abortion are doing lots to stand outside abortion clinics and prevent them, but little to help kids stuck in our foster care system from abusive parents, and then abusive foster parents. These kids will grow up with major issues if something is not done. All of these are examples of the "least of these." Jesus said to care for them. What is your church doing? If your church believes in an inerrant Bible, then your church should do what Jesus said!!!!! Otherwise, you will have to acknowledge that you truly don't believe in the Bible is inerrant or that Jesus should be obeyed only when it is comfortable for you!

One of the things that the Church can do in helping the poor vs the government is loving receipents. When we the "church" minister of our substance to the poor we will ultimately also minister with mercy and love coupled with a level of hope for the future. This is something the government can NEVER accomplish. We the church will come away with fulfillment that we will never have just writting a check. So what happens......both parties come away with what each needs. This is something I believe the Lord intends to happen. When our offering is GIVEN to the poor instead of TAKEN FROM US (which is what the government is doing) our hearts are open to share the love of God to a hurting world and we receive the love of God right back through our sharing. This is true charity whereby both parties are enriched.
cindi campbell

I think this is a both/and situation not either/or.

North America is a much less Christian place than it was 100 years ago. Leaving caring for the poor up to the church alone would likely be far beyond the ability of the church.

As others have pointed out, church help is mostly in the area of food---which, while it's an important need, does not address the need for shelter and medical attention that many poor people need.

The average North American is consumed with themselves, and the only way to help the poor is to force them to help pay for it through taxes.

I don't think it is up to us to judge whether or not we help the poor. Jesus said to do it, so we are supposed to do it. If we see a need and we don't do what God tells us to do to fulfill it, we are wrong. We cannot depend on the government to meet every need, but the church cannot meet all needs either. I also do not think it is up to us to judge what is done with our money after the fact. If God impresses us to give money to someone and then we don't think they used it right, that's not our business, but God's. They will have to answer to God for what they have done, but we have fulilled our mandate to do for the least of these.

I agree with Sandra. God so plainly says in His Word that "whatsoever you do for the least of these, you also do for me." We all need to do our part in a hurting world. It would do us all good to be "the watchmen on the wall" as the 700 says.

Christians need to help, and the government needs to help. I work in public service and deal with heartbreaking stories of women, children, and their domestic situations every day. I wish there were more public funding so they could get some shelter and a bit of comfort.

Americans provide some aid and assistance to people who are poor, but living above the poverty line. Social spending then kicks into full gear for those who are at or below the poverty line. Further, what is defined as poverty in the United States is a standard of living that is more than 40 percent higher than the average standard of living of the rest of the world.
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