M
MysticMissMisty
Guest
Salvete, omnes!
While we see many examples of Sacred Scripture apparently advocating for the tiving of alms to the poor to help them survive, we see very few if any instances of it advocating helping the poor out of poverty or of even encouraging the poor to help themselves out of poverty in any way.
Also, certainly in the New Testament, we apparently see Jesus and the Apostles advocating the giving of alms to help both the poor and/or disabled, yet we see no instance of either of these encouraging people to help the poor out of poverty or to help the disabled overcome their disability. Nor do we see them encouraging either class to help themselves or eve to advocate for themselves.
So, then, does God really care about social justice in the way we think of it today, i.e., giving to the poor and disadantaged BUT ALSO helping them get out of this state and lending support to those who would advocate for themselves?
Indeed, all Jesus’ focus on people with disabilities seemed to be was to heal them. If He truly cared about social justice in the way we do today, why would He not try to do more for them, e.g., to help them to overcome their disability as much as it was possible in that day?
Indeed, does God even support this kind of social justice or are we merely to give hand-outs rather than hands up?
Some might argue that the issue was more a cultural than a moral one and that no-one, either God or Jesus or any of His earthly servants, wisht to upset the cultural/social apple cart, as it were. If this is the case, it would seem that very few if any poor/disabled/disadvantaged people would actually be able to move up from these states (at least as best they could) that far at all! If it is cultural, when (if ever) were Christians supposed to “upset the apple cart” when it came to social justice? Or, were they ever? Or, rather, were they supposed to sit around and wait for the societies to “be ready” for that change before they started advocating it, so that change came from the “outside” (the non-Christian/Catholic world) rather than first from inside the Church? Or, is our modern social justice approach even something God’ advocates?
In other words, does God, as it were, only support a “give a man a fish” strategy to helping the poor/disabled/disadvantaged or does He also support a “teach a man to fish” angle on this? If He supports the latter, why is there no indication of it in Sacred Scripture?
Would appreciate any help you could provide with my understtanding ofthis matter.
Multas gratias.
While we see many examples of Sacred Scripture apparently advocating for the tiving of alms to the poor to help them survive, we see very few if any instances of it advocating helping the poor out of poverty or of even encouraging the poor to help themselves out of poverty in any way.
Also, certainly in the New Testament, we apparently see Jesus and the Apostles advocating the giving of alms to help both the poor and/or disabled, yet we see no instance of either of these encouraging people to help the poor out of poverty or to help the disabled overcome their disability. Nor do we see them encouraging either class to help themselves or eve to advocate for themselves.
So, then, does God really care about social justice in the way we think of it today, i.e., giving to the poor and disadantaged BUT ALSO helping them get out of this state and lending support to those who would advocate for themselves?
Indeed, all Jesus’ focus on people with disabilities seemed to be was to heal them. If He truly cared about social justice in the way we do today, why would He not try to do more for them, e.g., to help them to overcome their disability as much as it was possible in that day?
Indeed, does God even support this kind of social justice or are we merely to give hand-outs rather than hands up?
Some might argue that the issue was more a cultural than a moral one and that no-one, either God or Jesus or any of His earthly servants, wisht to upset the cultural/social apple cart, as it were. If this is the case, it would seem that very few if any poor/disabled/disadvantaged people would actually be able to move up from these states (at least as best they could) that far at all! If it is cultural, when (if ever) were Christians supposed to “upset the apple cart” when it came to social justice? Or, were they ever? Or, rather, were they supposed to sit around and wait for the societies to “be ready” for that change before they started advocating it, so that change came from the “outside” (the non-Christian/Catholic world) rather than first from inside the Church? Or, is our modern social justice approach even something God’ advocates?
In other words, does God, as it were, only support a “give a man a fish” strategy to helping the poor/disabled/disadvantaged or does He also support a “teach a man to fish” angle on this? If He supports the latter, why is there no indication of it in Sacred Scripture?
Would appreciate any help you could provide with my understtanding ofthis matter.
Multas gratias.
