Religion
Related: About this forumChristians are more than twice as likely to blame a persons poverty on lack of effort (WaPo)
By Julie Zauzmer August 3
Which is generally more often to blame if a person is poor: lack of effort on their own part, or difficult circumstances beyond their control?
The Washington Post and the Kaiser Family Foundation asked 1,686 American adults to answer that question and found that religion is a significant predictor of how Americans perceive poverty.
Christians, especially white evangelical Christians, are much more likely than non-Christians to view poverty as the result of individual failings.
Theres a strong Christian impulse to understand poverty as deeply rooted in morality often, as the Bible makes clear, in unwillingness to work, in bad financial decisions or in broken family structures, said Albert Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. The Christian worldview is saying that all poverty is due to sin, though that doesnt necessarily mean the sin of the person in poverty. In the Garden of Eden, there would have been no poverty. In a fallen world, there is poverty.
[To politicians, its all about the middle class. To Jesus, its about the poor.]
In the poll, which was conducted from April 13 to May 1 and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 4 percentage points, 46 percent of all Christians said that a lack of effort is generally to blame for a persons poverty, compared with 29 percent of all non-Christians. The gulf widens further among specific Christian groups: 53 percent of white evangelical Protestants blamed lack of effort while 41 percent blamed circumstances, and 50 percent of Catholics blamed lack of effort while 45 percent blamed circumstances. In contrast, by more than 2 to 1, Americans who are atheist, agnostic or have no particular affiliation said difficult circumstances are more to blame when a person is poor than lack of effort (65 percent to 31 percent).
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more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2017/08/03/christians-are-more-than-twice-as-likely-to-blame-a-persons-poverty-on-lack-of-effort/?utm_term=.93bfd4f964c9
Skittles
(153,212 posts)WHO WOULD HAVE KNOWN?
eppur_se_muova
(36,302 posts)King James Version (KJV)
7 Judge not, that ye be not judged.
2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
I guess that's optional reading for most "Christians".
DK504
(3,847 posts)... necessarily mean the sin of the person in poverty. In the Garden of Eden, there would have been no poverty. In a fallen world, there is poverty.
Another fine example of the rampant ignorance running amok in this country. I haven't seen attempts to push for better education and a push away from separation from church and state....well except from democrats.
LakeArenal
(28,858 posts)God is so imperfect, he created imperfect humans and has spent Christian eternity punishing everyone for his imperfection...
Mariana
(14,861 posts)Didn't he evict a bunch of them from Heaven for not being perfect? Now he lets them run around creating havoc everywhere.
Wellstone ruled
(34,661 posts)the harsh reality. That Religion has been the cause of more deaths than any other cause. But,as many know,Ignorance is Bliss. And some of those Blissful folks showed up in Charlottesville yesterday.
guillaumeb
(42,641 posts)that states that wealth is a sign of God's favor.
But Jesus said give up all that you have and follow me.
LakeArenal
(28,858 posts)instead of the New Testament and Jesus, doesn't that make those Christians Jews, just like Jesus?
guillaumeb
(42,641 posts)Suggesting a new covenant between Creator and humans.
trotsky
(49,533 posts)AtheistCrusader
(33,982 posts)'When's the last time you reached out and made a material effort to help them find the way?'
Not just some passing comment either; a durable material effort.