…Ok, I admit, I’d never thought of it this way. I mean yeah, it doesn’t really explain things like Bernini’s commission from the Vatican for "Apollo and Daphne"but I’d never thought of it this way on the modern local level before.
I think you have misunderstood what Jesus said. He did not tell everyone to give up everything they have and follow him.
If Jesus truly said that every single person must sell all he has, then what was wrong with the disciples in the Book of Acts, who held much property in common and gave to each according to his need? Why didn’t they give it all away to the poor?
Possible, but lets see…This is the first passage that springs to mind.
And considering it’s only the perfect souls that can enter heaven…Well, you could get in without doing it but it looks like it’s going to be harder.
The Church does more than any other institution on earth. Is it enough? Can a person love “enough?” Of course not.
Not everyone can tackle every problem. I have prayed outside abortions clinics and talked to women considering abortion in a pleading effort not to more times than I can count. I have only talked to a homeless person a few times.
The homelessness problem is connected to dysfunctional families, fatherlessness, prison records, narcissism, and depression due to lack of affirmation. Have you every read Father and Child Reunion by Dr. Warren Farrell? So many people are born into unhealthy single mother families or foster care and they are never properly raised. Many are abused as children. With political correctness and low salaries, government therapists (funded by Medi-Cal) are largely useless so it is difficult for a person who is not well off to become psychologically healthy after being born into a dysfunctional family. The homeless often have prison records, sometimes they commit crimes just because prison seems a better alternative than their current life. As a result, they find it difficult to get jobs, and remain poor.
If anyone knows how to solve this problem or make it better, they should step up to the plate. Already doing that? Do more! There are shelters to help people in need but some do not want to follow house rules. Sometimes it seems like a merry-go-round. There are people who get involved with programs and societies that provide meals and clothing and even shelter and sometimes there are thankless people that take advantage of every program available then turn around and complain about everything. Cities need to know if “Tent cities” and park benches are really helping the homeless or if they are encouraging more homeless by making things a little easier for them. You would think that if the living conditions were so terrible that they may try harder to survive. But many of them have mental issues and some do not have families to go home to. However, I watched a documentary several years ago that discoved that many of the homeless living in squalor did have families to go home to and wanted to help them but they did not want to be helped. It is easier to blame the church, blame the city, blame God…than to blame ourselves for not doing enough. Why do we need to blame anyone? JUST DO IT!The Economy in the World has crumbled and somehow it always seems to point or effect the poor. In London they are placing spikes where the homeless rest or lay. In the U.S. it hasn’t gone that far but I have seen an upswing of park benches and city benches placing roll bars midway to discourage resting. Bathrooms are locked up requiring keys, coins, or permission of some sort to use them or deny them. I suspect there will be more of this. This indirect attack to the poor for the blame of the Econo bing.com/images/search?q=‘Homeless+spikes’&qpvt=%27Homeless+spikes%27&FORM=IGREmy players.
I can attest to this and frequently in our local soup kitchen although many want (and need the meal we are serving) they cannot even bear the thought of coming inside the dining room to sit while they eat. I’ve seen them take their plate over to the table, wrap the food in a napkin and go outside with it.
The Catholic Church is the largest private charity in the world. no one else is even close. The question we should be asking is “Am** I** doing enough to help the poor”
I don’t think anyone suggested that ALL of the of the homeless should be "considered drug dealers, alchoholics, or loners of some sort. What some of us are disagreeing with is your comment in your first post,* "… I have found that the Church is doing very little to not only care for them but to promote independence. " *, which is contradictory to what you wrote here.