Wednesday Night Potpourri

[daveamongus]

saoba posts a moving story about having been poor. I encourage you all to read it. Thank God I've never been quite that far down the ladder, but I've been able to see it from where I stood. Serves as an outstanding reminder, for us Christians perhaps especially, of what it really means to be Christian.

And speaking of Christians, DailyKos has an

Comments

[hperna]

That is a cute Tony story! I love stories like that! We should get the boys together to play sometime.

[daveamongus]

Sounds like the awesome to me... Now, for a time when we're all free... ;)

[hperna]

We are around pretty much next weekend and flowing except for Sunday. Let me when/if you guys are free!

See also: De Toqueville "On Pauperism'

[carbonelle]

"I think its time I wrote another round of letters to my elected officials, to remind them that being poor isn’t a character flaw."

No. But severe character flaws can get you there and what's worse, keep you there and mire your kids there too. Which is not to say that saoba's lot wasn't entirely other-inflicted (I know of one woman with five kids whose life nearly hit bottom when her husband took a spike to the head... for all I know saoba's story is similar to hers)

My own brushes with severe poverty have always been mercifully short, and easily mended with a second or third job: but I grew up with my mother's stories of her childhood, where the kindness of strangers was never an option if the food ran out, because nobody within weeks ride (mule/horse) had anything more.

Which, of course, doesn't change your point about Christian charity: when it comes to the personal level (as opposed the the policy one) we should all be like the saint who stepped up for saoba.

Re: See also: De Toqueville "On Pauperism'

[daveamongus]

You are certainly right. People wind up poor for all manner of reasons, at all levels of personal responsibility for said circumstances.

But, as a Christian, I feel that Christian charity is blind to the sin that brought on the need. Whether or not a character flaw is to blame, the commandment is to love as you would be loved, for all that loving is a verb, not just a transcendental state of being. Adjudicating charity on the basis of level of self-infliction seems, to me, impious. Not suggesting that's what you're saying, of course, just pointing out that I, for one, do not feel comfortable judging worthiness.

Re: See also: De Toqueville "On Pauperism'

[carbonelle]

I feel that Christian charity is blind to the sin that brought on the need

I completely agree: I was only commenting on the followup regarding public policy; e.g. "writing one's congresscritters."