tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23528497.post115315046934431447..comments2023-07-14T11:39:32.270-04:00Comments on Poiesistheou: A Response to Backwoods PresbyterianChrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02002617931455281500noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23528497.post-1153165901792845862006-07-17T15:51:00.000-04:002006-07-17T15:51:00.000-04:00I won't jump in to the theological discussion here...I won't jump in to the theological discussion here -- you two are doing well at hashing this out. I would like to contribute a thought about an organization that is addressing poverty through microlending -- Kiva (thanks to Michael Kruse for pointing me to this group). <A HREF="http://russellsmusings.blogspot.com/2006/06/making-difference-microlending-through.html" REL="nofollow">See my earlier post</A> for more info on how this is a truly compassionate way of addressing poverty. And keep up the great conversation.<BR/><BR/>Soli Deo Gloria<BR/>RussellRussell Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12211649998381604221noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23528497.post-1153165698610066472006-07-17T15:48:00.000-04:002006-07-17T15:48:00.000-04:002nd Response: I agree that on our city on a hill...2nd Response:<BR/><BR/> I agree that on our city on a hill we often look over those who are oppressed and have little. As I said before how do we respond as Christians? Biblically, what is our example? <BR/><BR/> But first, I do have a question in what you meant by complicity. Does this mean that we-as Americans or WASPs-are fully responsible for the poverty in the third-world? I would counter with how responsible are the corrupt governments of those nations? We can only blame colonialism for so long until the focus must be placed on the corrupt governments themselves. It has been 50 years since the vast majority of colonial governments fell in Africa and well over 100 years since they left Central and South America. Of course we could blame “greedy” corporations for their problems (By the way I noticed you mentioned a “living wage” in your reply. I will tackle that in a later response) and their insatiable desire for profits at any cost. <BR/><BR/> Having served in the United States Marine Corps I had the privilege to spend time in south-east Asia and the more remote areas of the South Pacific (specifically Guadalcanal). What I saw were governments taking advantage of their people. Some were supported monetarily by the U.S. Government and from my limited political science background also politically. This reliance on U.S. currency to prop up government’s who suppress their people begins the problem. These governments have no need to build up their own economy if we provide the bulk of their GDP and their people have little recourse through national elections or the courts to change the empowered governments supported by the U.S. Now this being the political reality how does a Christian respond? <BR/><BR/>I propose this to be an answer. <BR/>1) There must be better oversight of U.S. and other countries monies that are given to countries that oppress their people. <BR/>2) That we no longer give money to state-supported aid-programs but only to organizations that will physically use the money we donate to actually help people who need it. <BR/>3) We recognize oppression in all its forms. I.e. - recognize not only the oppression of blacks in Africa but also the oppression of whites in Zimbabwe and other central African countries. We must also not forget the active-slave trade in Niger, Mauritania, and other Western African countries.Benjamin P. Glaserhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02728290792232181473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23528497.post-1153163722383594182006-07-17T15:15:00.000-04:002006-07-17T15:15:00.000-04:001st Response: I feel a little background inform...1st Response:<BR/><BR/> I feel a little background information on me is necessary to help further our discussion.<BR/><BR/> Education-as you state-is the key to “ending” poverty. We must fight ignorance at every level of human society. Dealing specifically with the case of an inner-city child scared to attend school because of gang violence is something that affects children steps away from our gated community in East Liberty. How can we fight to end this? Culturally we must find a way to change the perception of education that is pervasive in African-American culture. I point to African-American writers and thinkers such as Walter E. Williams , Thomas Sowell , and others who claim the problem lies in cultural discrimination, better known as the “acting white” pejorative. When your only cultural context is poverty, crime, abandonment, etc… you are already way behind the curb and the only way out is through education. Unfortunately two of my nieces and nephews are subject to this life. Their African-American “father” is verbally abusive and has virtually abandoned them. Their mother (my sister-in-law) works 3 jobs and my Mother-in-law has given up her own life to make them have as normal a life as possible. Even through their hard work my nephew-who is 6-is already exhibiting violent, verbally abusive behavior that he undoubtedly learned from his father. It goes without saying that my nephew’s father grew up in the same environment. <BR/><BR/> Now will more funding for education alone solve his problem? Of course not, if we have learned anything from our past throwing money at a problem never solves it. Changing mindsets, expectations, and standards do. <BR/><BR/> Here are two personal examples of the effect of poverty and poor education in my life. <BR/><BR/> My grandfather grew up in a company town in south-central West Virginia named Prince in a truly backwoods area of my home state. His father-a miner-drank himself to death when my grandfather was only 12. His mother was in-and-out of rehab throughout the 1940’s and 50’s and 60’s etc. He was a “trouble-maker” as a child always living by the seat of his pants. After graduation from high school he went from job-to-job until one night-drunk-he and a few buddies joined the Army and were sent to Korea. After his return he was introduced to Christ by his grandmother and my grandfather had a Pauline-type conversion, turning his life from poverty to middle-class success. He went on to lead a successful life. <BR/><BR/> Personally, I graduated High School in a very rural part of West Virginia. My home was a modest 3-bedroom trailer. The total population of my county was 7,500. The total land area for this county is 940 square miles thereby making it about 9 persons per square mile. A small percentage of my classmates had little-to-no running water in their homes. An even larger percentage did not have access to regular electricity. Some even had dirt floors in their home. My high school’s teachers have the lowest average salary of any high school in West Virginia. Our school was taken over by the Federal Department of Education because of its low test scores. This situation instead of depressing me into hopelessness drove me to rise above my situation. One reason was we never felt like we were in “poverty”. My father never moped around the house feeling sorry for himself and the situation his family found itself in. My mother ensured we did our work and went out of her way to supplement our awful education. Now if our school had received more funding do you think it would have changed much? <BR/><BR/> Of course there are many other reasons for my understanding but I hope this helps a little.Benjamin P. Glaserhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02728290792232181473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23528497.post-1153163487206786002006-07-17T15:11:00.000-04:002006-07-17T15:11:00.000-04:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Benjamin P. Glaserhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02728290792232181473noreply@blogger.com