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Poverty and Its
Causes
From rundown ghettos, to refugee
camps, to squatter camps, Christians are struggling to respond to suffering
with practical love. The difference of productivity and
income per person in the Western world compared to the so called
"developing" or "third" world was 2 to 1 last century.
Now it is 70 to 1. This escalating disparity, along with the impact of
natural and man-made disasters, has greatly increased the flow of refugees
and "illegal aliens" into Western nations. It has also greatly
aggravated the spread of diseases, environmental degradation, the escalation
of crime and the possibilities of conflict. One of the main responses of the
industrial nations has been to supply generous amounts of foreign aid to the
poorer nations. However, foreign aid has been accused of denying the poorer
nations the chance to develop their economies to viability. Most aid does not
encourage self sufficiency and growth. The dumping of food-surplus aid has
damaged local agriculture in the long term. It is hard for farmers to sell
what is being given away. While we must most certainly love
our neighbor, especially the deserving poor, we need to be wise and
discerning in our aid so as to encourage responsibility and rehabilitation. The
Abuse of Relief Aid It is actually Hinduism's
re-incarnation beliefs, its' sacred cows, protected rats, idols made of gold
and jewels, wasted resources and superstition that are causing the poverty
and starvation in India. Ethiopia in the 1980's was a classic
example of a man-made famine. Socialism, confiscations and nationalizations,
the abolishment of incentive, the punishment of productivity and subsidizing
of irresponsibility caused the starvation in what used to be called "the
breadbasket of Africa." The "Red Terror" mass executions,
forced removals of millions of people and destruction of crops by the
government further aggravated the famine. The corruption and abuse of the
relief aid in Ethiopia was the ultimate scandal: 100% import tax was charged
on all free relief aid! Brand new Mercedes Benz trucks were required with
100% import tax imposed on all these trucks for transporting the food. All
these trucks had to be signed over to the Marxist government of Ethiopia!
(And all this while US$70 million was spent on the "Anniversary of the
Revolution" celebrations in 1984 - ½ for alcohol!). In fact, much of the
relief aid and food was used for the many Cuban, Soviet and East German
military who were involved in causing the famine. Some of the food was
actually exported in payment for weapons! In the 1980's Mozambique was another
example of a man-made famine in a country which used to export food. After
the Marxist revolution of 1975 a socialist economy was imposed upon the
people. Farms were confiscated. Factories were nationalized. Hundreds of
thousands of people were incarcerated in concentrated camps. Over 75000
people were accused of being "black marketeers",
"reactionaries" and "counter revolutionaries" and
publically executed. Food was exported to the Soviet bloc in exchange for weapons.
A scorched earth policy was later launched to starve out the resistance to
the Frelimo government by burning down crops and villages. Bureaucratic
wastage and corruption became a growth industry. Economic poverty and social
chaos resulted. However, in Mozambique it was not
only Marxism that caused the starvation but also animism. The widespread
practice of ancestoral worship led many poor families to sacrifice their last
goat or chicken to appease the "ancestoral spirits"! In Albania and Romania I have come
across Gypsies deliberately starving their babies and then laying these
malnourished infants out on sidewalks with a hat next to them to beg for
money. Any money received was used for cigarettes and alcohol. In India some
street people have actually maimed or mutilated their own children to make
them more pitiful, and therefore effective, in begging. In South Africa, having spent many
months on the streets of Hillbrow and Durban doing street evangelism, I have
seen professional beggars at work. I have seen "cripples" letting down
their strapped leg and stretching and walking unaided without their crutches;
and I've seen the "blind" lift up their dark glasses to count the
money in their hat. Some street children have told me that they can make an
average of R200 a day from begging! In all too many cases our casual and
spontaneous handing over of some coins to strangers begging on the streets
does more harm than good. Giving to beggars on the streets often goes to
subsidizing drunkenness, smoking, drugs, prostitution and gambling. Some of
the beggars are child prostitutes and thieves using begging as a cover while
looking for opportunities. Then there are the
"religious" con-men who know the terminology and can deceive and
manipulate the unsuspecting into handing over large quantities of cash for
spurious causes. I have also been one of those deceived by professional
"converts" who let themselves be counseled to Christ only to
"borrow" money from the well meaning evangelist. Multiple millions of rands are
squandered by guilt-manipulated Christians giving to beggars at traffic
lights, at their front door and on the streets. At the same time good
ministries like the Salvation Army, the Docks Mission, the Ark, Cape Town
City Mission, Love in Action and others are struggling for lack of support. There is a desperate need for good
stewardship of our limited resources. It would be more responsible to channel
our compassion to supporting Christian ministries which have proven their
effectiveness in reaching out in love to help the poor. Biblical charity does
not subsidize sin nor should it encourage irresponsibility. So before we get down to practical
strategies to care for the poor, and to eradicate poverty, let us define
poverty and consider what causes poverty. What
Causes Poverty? The poor could be described as:
"Persons who do not have, and are unable to obtain, the means for
sustaining life. If they are to survive they are thus dependant upon the
resources of other people." The Biblical definition of the poor
could be: "Those who cannot sustain themselves because they are too old,
too young or too handicapped to work." There are four broad categories
under which all causes of poverty could be grouped: Personal sacrifice, slothfulness,
calamity (earthquakes, floods, wars, etc.), or exploitation. Self-imposed
Poverty "He who is slothful in his work
is a brother to him who is a great destroyer" Proverbs 18:9. "How long will you slumber, O
sluggard? When will you rise from your sleep? A little sleep, a little
slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep - so shall your poverty come
on you like a robber . . ." Proverbs 6:9-11. "Because of laziness the
building decays, and through idleness of hands, the house leaks . . ." It is a disgrace to be lazy (Prov
10:5). Lazy people always find excuses not to work. Those who love sleep will grow poor
(Prov 19:15; 20:13). "If anyone will not work, neither shall he
eat." 2Thess 3:10 Moral poverty often dooms its people
to ongoing material poverty. Selfishness, greed, laziness, immorality,
short-sightedness, gambling, alcohol abuse, addiction to pornography,
indulging in prostitution, drug abuse and other sins are symptoms of
rebellion against the Law of God. Such evils inevitably lead to poverty. Victims of self imposed poverty need
the Gospel and discipleship to free them from their lifestyle of sin. Imposed
Poverty UnBiblical worldviews underlie the
poverty of the third world. The fatalism and re-incarnation beliefs of
Hinduism and Buddhism, where the material world is not perceived as real and
difficulties are understood as a result of the deeds of a previous life
("my Karma is bad") are paralyzing to progress. The Animist
worldview which sees man at the mercy of outside forces - the spirits - lead
people to be shackled by superstition and fear. The fatalism of Islam is also
not conducive to productive planning and innovation. The poor-by-exploitation need both
direct charity to meet immediate needs and justice in the form of restitution
from those who exploited them, and freedom from false religions. The poor-by-calamity (victims of
floods, earthquakes, wars, etc.) are the most appropriate recipients of
charity - though the aim is always to help them become self-supporting again.
Poverty
in History Poverty is a consequence of the Fall
(Gen 3:17-19). Famines were commonplace before the Industrial Revolution.
Prior to the Industrial Revolution, England suffered famines an average of 7
times per century. A third of the population died in the province of Bengal
in the great Indian famine of 1769-1770. Similar losses were experienced in
India in 1783 and 1790-1792. India suffered a further 8 famines from 1838 to
1901 with well over 9 million dying of starvation. In a single famine in
North China from 1877 to 1878 over 9,5 million died. Only the Christian work
ethic and the resultant industrial revolution brought the West out of the
recurring horror of famine. A wooden plough drawn by oxen can provide food
for one large family. By the 18th Century, the new iron plough drawn by a
horse could provide food for 3 families. By the 1940's a tractor pulling a
plough could feed 14 families. Now advanced tractors, tools and techniques
can enable one farmer to produce enough food for 60 families. It is an observable fact that the
most efficient economies in the world are based upon private ownership of
property, honest money, free enterprise and a Christian work ethic. Is
Colonialism Responsible? The notion that colonialism is the
major cause of world poverty was popularized by Vladimir Lenin, and his disciples
have faithfully repeated it ever since. However, contrary to the ahistorical
mumblings of the coloniphobics, some of the most poverty-stricken and
backward lands imaginable - Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Nepal, Tibet and Liberia -
never fell under Western colonial control. Some colonies - like Hong Kong -
became very prosperous. And some of the richest and most advanced Western
lands, such as Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland, never
controlled any colonies. Other advanced countries such as the USA, Australia,
New Zealand and Canada were themselves colonies. Actually, contact with the
West brought far more benefits than disadvantages. Tea and rubber trees, for
example, were foreign to Asia, as was mealie meal in Africa. Such blessings
were the results of colonialism. Some of the main "Scars of
Colonialism" include roads, railways, schools, hospitals, the wheel,
written languages, the Bible and churches. The ancestor-worshipping and
idolatrous religions have rendered whole civilisations powerless in the face
of "nature". "Unquestioning acceptance of nature and its
vagaries is widespread in Africa", declares Bishop Bududira of Burundi,
who maintains that local cultures obstruct material progress by wrong mental
attitudes, seeing themselves as suffering history rather than in making it.
He concludes that: "The message of Christ frees people from the shackles
of tribal thinking, and leads to a greater sense of personal
responsibility." - Reality and Rhetoric, Lord Bauer The tribalistic philosophies inhibit
productivity, penalize accomplishment and confiscate what little is produced.
Animism teaches its adherents to regard themselves as helpless in the face of
their surroundings - assuming "that the opportunities and the resources
for the economic advance of oneself or one's family have to be provided by
someone else - by the state, by one's superiors, by richer people, or from
abroad. This attitude is in turn an aspect of the belief of the efficacy of
external forces over one's destiny . . . It is an attitude plainly
unfavourable to material progress." - Dissent on Development, P. T.
Bauer "The idea that it is evil to
make personal economic progress takes hold of the people and fear of being
envied prohibits growth and encourages poverty." - Productive
Christians in an Age of Guilt Manipulators, David Chilton "One of the decisive factors in
understanding development or non-development is the `envy barrier' or
institutionalized envy among the population." - Envy: A Theory of
Social Behaviour, Helmut Schoeck Into this unhealthy situation comes
Foreign Aid, which only increases dependence, corruption and greed, rather
than developing responsibility. The problems in the Third World are
not primarily political or economic. The problem is false religion and the
resultant pagan philosophies/worldview. The solution is therefore also
primarily religious - the world needs to be converted to and discipled in the
Christian Faith. Church and mission based relief would not only be more
efficient but would inspire greater personal responsibility and economic
productivity. Barack Obama may say that the Bible tells him to be his brother's keeper (his half-brother, George Obama, lives in a shack in Kenya on $1 a day), but Obama’s half-brother, George has actually experienced the positive difference colonialism has made over time, and he contrasts it here. We strongly encourage Barack to go back and reread what God's Word actually says. Friedrich Engels was right. Socialism has nothing in common with Scripture. Is
Socialism Biblical? Socialism is legalized theft. It is
institutionalized envy. It is the use of envy and guilt to manipulate
productive Christians into committing economic suicide. The socialist
doctrine of economic equality requires the stealing of property and the
prohibition of economic freedoms. - Productive Christians in an Age of Guilt
Manipulators - David Chilton "Socialism is not the pioneer
of a better and finer world, but the spoiler of what thousands of years of
civilization have created. It does not build; it destroys. For destruction is
the essence of it. It produces nothing, it only consumes what the social order
based on private ownership of the means of production has created . . ."
- Socialism: An Economic and Sociological Analysis - Ludwig von Mises To almost every problem in the
world, Socialism advocates state intervention. In this way socialists insist
on unBiblical powers for the government to interfere with, or control,
prices, markets, wages, jobs, profits, population control, education,
movement, etc. The inevitable end of increasing government intervention is
the erosion of personal freedom. Socialism destroys incentive,
initiative and productivity. Socialists are parasites who consume what others
have earned by hard work and ingenuity. Socialists try to cut up "the
pie" to the advantage of their supporters, free enterprise just makes more
pies for everyone. Price controls create an imbalanced,
chaotic market, minimum wage laws result in unemployment, profit restrictions
increase consumer costs, enforced economic equality leads to stagnation,
destruction of initiative and more poverty. Concern for the poor has long been
used as a justification for all sorts of crime - Judas Iscariot, who was a
thief, is a prime example (John 12:4-6). Envy is the greatest disease of our
age. Envy is the feeling that because someone else has something he is to
blame for my not having it! The main motive behind envy is not so much to
take as to destroy. Envy and malice are inseparable. "Peace of mind
makes the body healthy, but jealousy is like a cancer." Proverbs 14:30 "Rather than wealth causing
poverty, it is far more true to say that what causes poverty is the
widespread belief that wealth does!" - Wealth and Poverty - George
Gilder If we have needs, the Bible commands
us to: Pray (Phil 4:6-7), to Work (1 Thess 4:11), to Trust God (Phil 4:19)
and to Be Content (Phil 4:12). The only thing Socialism has ever
been able to provide its adherents with is the "guaranteed income"
of Romans 6:23: "The wages of sin is death." Biblical
Principles for Economics 2. FREE ENTERPRISE. Thou shalt not
steal. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s goods. God blesses productivity,
incentive, initiative and hard work (Ex 20:15-17; 30:14-15; Lev 19:15; 1 Sam
8:10-18; 1 Kings 21:3; Ezra 7:23-24; Prov 10:2-4; 12:24; 13:4,11). Private
ownership of property and of the means of production is Biblical. It is also
foundational for freedom and prosperity. 3. LIMITED (CONSTITUTIONAL)
GOVERNMENT. Any taxation of 10% or higher is defined in the Bible as
oppression. And any taxation of property or inheritance is strictly
forbidden. Institutions and individuals involved in the fulltime service of
the Lord may not be taxed. All their income comes from free will offerings
made unto the Lord by people who have already paid tax on their incomes (Ezra
7:23-24). Less government means more freedom and more personal responsibility
(1 Pet 2:13-14; Rom 13:3-4; Eccl 8:11; Ps 19:7-9; Prov 14:34; Ps 9:17). 4. GOD HONOURING CHARITY. The
Biblical principle is that we are responsible to care for our family first
and then through the church, community and missionary organizations express
love for our neighbor in action. Person to person, church to church, mission
to community direct aid based upon evangelism and discipleship. All this is
aimed to encourage responsibility and productivity. It is short term aid
aimed at long term (eternal) benefits. The goal is to help the victims of
poverty back onto their own two feet - where they can, in turn, help others
(Isaiah 58:7; James 1:27). Matthew 25:35-36 and Ezekiel
34:2-4teach us to: Strengthen the weak, bind up the injured, care for the
sick, share your food with the hungry, clothe the naked, invite in the
stranger and look after widows and orphans. The Christian Foundations for
prosperity are laid with these basic principles: Christians must respect one
another's property, never steal or cheat, always abide by contracts, be
industrious in earning money, be disciplined in saving money, be wise in
investing money, be obedient to God in tithing to Christian ministries, be
discerning in sharing with those in need. Work all you can, earn all you can,
save all you can, give all you can. Biblical charity is to be primarily
directed to widows, orphans and the handicapped - the deserving poor (1Tim
5:3-16). Biblical methods of charity include: gleaning, lending, labor and
tithes through the local church. Are you supporting a Biblical ministry to
the poor? We are our brother's keeper (Genesis 4:9). Don't just give food or
money - also give of your time to share the love and Gospel of Christ
personally. Love is something you do, not just
something you feel. Regardless of what the government does, regardless of
what the church does, families and individuals have a responsibility to obey
God. Since charity is primarily a function of the Christian family, working
in concert with other Christian families, it is essential that each of those
Christian families begin to implement the love of God practically. Charity
begins at home: educating children, caring for the helpless, and
strengthening the weak. It begins as we encourage others, co-ordinate
resources, network with existing programs, and spearhead new efforts -
Bringing in the Sheaves, George Grant. Every South African cent has the
sparrows to remind us that God cares for the very least (Matthew 10:29). And
every Rand coin has inscribed: Soli Deo Gloria _ every Rand we spend should
be to the glory of God alone! God cares about every cent. Every rand we spend
must be to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31). Pray (Phil 4:6-7), Work (1 Thess
4:11), Trust God (Phil 4:19), Be content (Phil 4:12), Be generous (2 Cor
9:6-12). "God loves a cheerful giver,
and God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all
times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work." 2
Cor 9:7-8 Rev. Peter Hammond
(Director) For further reading
on this subject I recommend that you obtain: Bringing in the Sheaves -
Transforming Poverty into Productivity by George Grant and The Samaritan
Strategy by Colonel Doner - available from UCA, PO Box 23632, Claremont 7735,
Cape Town. BIBLE
VERSES TO MEDITATE ON "If there is a poor man among
your brothers at any of the towns in the land that the Lord your God has
given you, do not be hardhearted or tight-fisted toward your poor
brother." Deuteronomy15.7 "Blessed is he who has regard
for the weak; the Lord delivers him in times of trouble." Psalm 41:1 "Defend the cause of the weak
and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed." "He defended the cause of the
poor and needy, and so all went well. Is that not what it means to know me?
declares the Lord." Jeremiah 22:16 "He who is kind to the poor
lends to the Lord, and He will reward him for what he has done." "If a man shuts his ears to the
cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered." Psalm 21:13 "If the king judges the poor
with fairness, his throne will always be secure." Psalm 29:14 "Is it not to share your food
with the hungry, and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter - when you see
the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and
blood?" Isaiah 58:7 "I was a stranger and you did
not invite Me in. I needed clothes and you did not clothe Me. I was sick and
in prison and you did not look after Me." Matthew 25:43 "In everything I did, I showed
you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the
words the Lord Jesus Himself said: `It is more blessed to give than to
receive.'" Acts 20:34 "He went to him and bandaged
his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey,
took him to an inn and took care of him... Go and do likewise." Luke
10:34-37 "Carry each other's burdens,
and in this way you will fulfil the Law of Christ." Galatians 6:2 "Remember those in prison as if
you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you
yourselves were suffering." Hebrews 13:3 "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep yourself from being polluted by the world." James 1:27 For more information
and resources contact: Understand Govern-ment's Real Nature Understand Socialism's Real Nature See Are We Causing Global Warming? Understand the Same Sex Sexuality Movement’s Real Nature See Separation of Church and State Understand Islam Enjoy a simple explanation of the different systems of government throughout the world, the different political and economic principles underlying each type of government, what has worked, what hasn’t, and why. See Israel See the 21-fold Plan of God Senator
Barack Obama In His 2008 Campaign For President of the USA
Barack Obama has styled himself a centrist—one who takes a position in the political center; a moderate. Does his record support that claim? As you know, it’s extremely difficult to get intelligent, independent-thinking news reporting. Below, we examine some of Obama's economic politics. Senator Obama’s “Economic Justice” Before many audiences, Sen. Obama speaks passionately about something called "economic justice." "I've
been working my entire adult life to help build an America where economic
justice is being served," he has said. And as
president, "we'll ensure that economic justice is served," he
asserts. "That's what this election is about." Senator Obama’s "economic justice" means that the rich must be made to pay their "fair" share, he states. He believes that government must step in and redistribute wealth. Unfortunately, Senator Obama’s “economic justice” is not based on fact, which is why we're sharing this educational web page. The fact is that the top 1% of taxpayers already pay 38% of the total tax in the U.S., while the bottom 50% pay just 3% of the load. And 40% of this lower 50% pay no taxes. Those are the nonpartisan facts, according to recent IRS data. (See also additional recent data.) "The rich in America have little to complain about," Senator Obama claims. "The distribution of wealth is skewed, and levels of inequality are now higher than at any time since the Gilded Age." Senator Obama cites data showing a deep gap between the income of the average worker and the wealthiest 1%. He thinks it's government's job to step in and close it — "for purposes of fairness." Senator Obama reports, "Between 1971 and 2001, while the median wage and salary income of the average worker showed literally no gain, the income of the top hundredth of a percent went up almost 500%." Such a snapshot comparison would be meaningful only if America were a caste society, in which the people making up one income group remained static over time. But that's not the case. The composition of the rich and poor in this country is in constant flux, as the income distribution changes dramatically over relatively short periods. Few are "stuck" in poverty, or have a "lock" on wealth. Senator Obama would discover this if he would look closely at the IRS' own data.
Take the megarich — the top hundredth of a percent. According to a recent Treasury study, three-fourths of them in 1996 fell out of the group by 2005. Meanwhile, more than half of those in the bottom income group in 1996 moved to a higher income group by 2005, with more than 5% leapfrogging to the richest quintile. (It's no fluke: The same high degree of income mobility is seen in prior comparable periods, as well.) Some poor moved up through personal effort, while many rode an expanding economy. Real median incomes of all taxpayers rose 24%, but the poor registered the biggest gains of all. President Kennedy understood that a growing economy is like a rising tide that "lifts all boats." Senator Obama, on the other hand, thinks some are lifted and others lowered, as if the economy were a system of locks operated by a group of foul capitalists. He also ignores the facts regarding how taxes change behavior. He reports that raising taxes on the most productive members of society won't "curb incentives to work or invest." For example, Senator Obama proposes a doubling in the capital gains tax for purposes of fairness. During a primary debate, the ABC host, Charlie Gibson, explained the actual historical fact that raising the capital gains tax rate actually ends up costing the government revenues. Senator Obama argued, "Well, Charlie, what I've said is that I would look at raising the capital gains tax for purposes of fairness." What about the fairness of growth and revenues … with lower taxes? The rich must be made to pay their "fair" share, Sen. Obama asserts. Once again, the top 1% of taxpayers already pay 38% of the total tax burden, according to recent IRS data, while the bottom 50% bear just 3% of the load. Sen. Obama's economic plan also calls for mandating a "living wage." He plans to require that retailers pay $10 minimum wage indexed to inflation, along with a mandate to provide seven days of paid sick leave to workers. Apparently Sen. Obama assumes business owners will simply eat the added costs. But restaurants, the nation's second-largest private-sector employer, already operate on razor-thin profit margins. Faced with such mandatory paid benefits, they'll have no choice but to cut staff. In fact, the last major minimum-wage increase cost the restaurant industry more than 146,000 jobs, the National Restaurant Association says, while restaurant owners put off plans to hire an additional 106,000 employees. So Sen. Obama would get his wage-and-benefits mandate, but lose jobs in an industry that employs the very minorities Obama claims he's trying to help. "If restaurateurs had their way, every lawmaker would run a small business before starting to legislate," the industry opined in a recent press release. Senator Obama’s "economic justice" asserts the economy is a fixed pie, whereby the successful only get rich at the expense of the poor. And he believes government must step in and redistribute wealth from the rich to the poor. That would require massive transfers of wealth through government taxing and spending, a return to the entitlement days of old. The new Census Bureau data and the Congressional Budget Office's data also reveal that Senator Obama’s economic policies ignore the nonpartisan facts. See what Senator Obama’s "tax fairness" actually produces here. Based on the facts, it is clear that Sen.
Obama’s economics are far from the theme of the U.S. Constitution and a
euphemism for socialism. Of course, he is too smart to try to these ideas
through the front door. He's disguising the wealth transfers as
"investments" — "to make America more competitive," he
says, or "that give us a fighting chance." Additional source: ibd The Data
is In – Senator Obama’s Economics Are Not Based on Fact The new Census Bureau data and the Congressional Budget Office's data reveal that Senator Obama’s economic policies are based on false claims. See what Senator Obama’s "tax fairness" produces. Catching Wild Pigs There was a
Chemistry professor in a large university that had some exchange students in
the class. One day while the class was in the lab the Professor noticed one
young man (exchange student) who kept rubbing his back, and stretching as if
his back hurt. The professor asked the young man what was the matter. The
student told him he had a bullet lodged in his back He had been shot while
fighting communists in his native country who were trying to overthrow his
country's government and install a communist government.
”A government
big enough to give you everything you want, is big enough to take away
everything you have.” -Thomas Jefferson “There is nothing wrong with CHANGE if it is in the right direction.” –Winston Churchill
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