What does the bible say about the poor?

[Classical_Liberal]

Old Testament passages

"Do not take advantage of a widow or an orphan." Exodus 22:22

"Do not deny justice to your poor people in their lawsuits." Exodus 23:6

"During the seventh year, let the land lie unplowed and unused. Then the poor among your people may get food from it, and the wild animals may eat what they leave. Do the same with your vineyard and your olive grove." Exodus 23:11

"Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the LORD your God." Leviticus 19:10

"Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly." Leviticus 19:15

"When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the LORD your God." Leviticus 23:22

"If one of your countrymen becomes poor and sells some of his property, his nearest relative is to come and redeem what his countryman has sold. . . . If one of your countrymen becomes poor and is unable to support himself among you, help him as you would an alien or a temporary resident, so he can continue to live among you. . . . If one of your countrymen becomes poor among you and sells himself to you, do not make him work as a slave." Leviticus 25:25, 35, 39

"If an alien or a temporary resident among you becomes rich and one of your countrymen becomes poor and sells himself to the alien living among you or to a member of the alien's clan, he retains the right of redemption." Leviticus 25:47-48

"He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing." Deuteronomy 10:18

"At the end of every three years, bring all the tithes of that year's produce and store it in your towns, so that the Levites (who have no allotment or inheritance of their own) and the aliens, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns may come and eat and be satisfied." Deuteronomy 14:28-29

"However, there should be no poor among you, for in the land the LORD your God is giving you to possess as your inheritance, he will richly bless you." Deuteronomy 15:4

"If there is a poor man among your brothers in any of the towns of the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward your poor brother." Deuteronomy 15:7

"Be careful not to harbor this wicked thought: The seventh year, the year for canceling debts, is near, so that you do not show ill will toward your needy brother and give him nothing. He may then appeal to the LORD against you, and you will be found guilty of sin." Deuteronomy 15:9

"There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land." Deuteronomy 15:11

"Do not take advantage of a hired man who is poor and needy, whether he is a brother Israelite or an alien living in one of your towns." Deuteronomy 24:14

"Do not deprive the alien or the fatherless of justice, or take the cloak of the widow as a pledge." Deuteronomy 24:17

"When you are harvesting in your field and you overlook a sheaf, do not go back to get it. Leave it for the alien, the fatherless and the widow, so that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. When you beat the olives from your trees, do not go over the branches a second time. Leave what remains for the alien, the fatherless and the widow. When you harvest the grapes in your vineyard, do not go over the vines again. Leave what remains for the alien, the fatherless and the widow." Deuteronomy 24:19-21

"'Cursed is the man who withholds justice from the alien, the fatherless or the widow.' Then all the people shall say, Amen!'" Deuteronomy 27:19

"He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes and has them inherit a throne of honor." 1 Samuel 2:8

"as the time when the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month when their sorrow was turned into joy and their mourning into a day of celebration. He wrote them to observe the days as days of feasting and joy and giving presents of food to one another and gifts to the poor." Esther 9:22

"When daylight is gone, the murderer rises up and kills the poor and needy; in the night he steals forth like a thief." Job 24:14

"because I rescued the poor who cried for help, and the fatherless who had none to assist him." Job 29:12

"Have I not wept for those in trouble? Has not my soul grieved for the poor?" Job 30:25

"If I have denied the desires of the poor or let the eyes of the widow grow weary." Job 31:16

"The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble." Psalm 9:9

"But the needy will not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the afflicted ever perish." Psalm 9:18

" Because of the oppression of the weak and the groaning of the needy, I will now arise, says the LORD, I will protect them from those who malign them. " Psalm 12:5

"You evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor, but the LORD is their refuge." Psalm 14:6

"This poor man called, and the LORD heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles." Psalm 34:6

"My whole being will exclaim, Who is like you, 0 LORD? You rescue the poor from those too strong for them, the poor and needy from those who rob them.'" Psalm 35:10

"The wicked draw the sword and bend the bow to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose ways are upright." Psalm 37:14

"Yet I am poor and needy; may the Lord think of me. You are my help and my deliverer; O my God, do not delay." Psalm 40:17

"A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling." Psalm 68:5

"Your people settled in it, and from your bounty, 0 God, you provided for the poor." Psalm 68:10

"The poor will see and be glad-- you who seek God, may your hearts live! The LORD hears the needy and does not despise his captive people." Psalm 69:32-33

"Yet I am poor and needy; come quickly to me, O God. You are my help and my deliverer; O LORD , do not delay." Psalm 70:5

"He will defend the afflicted among the people and save the children of the needy; he will crush the oppressor." Psalm 72:4

"For he will deliver the needy who cry out, the afflicted who have no one to help. He will take pity on the weak and the needy and save the needy from death." Psalm 72:12-13

"Do not let the oppressed retreat in disgrace; may the poor and needy praise your name." Psalm 74:21

"Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked." Psalm 82:3-4

"But he lifted the needy out of their affliction and increased their families like flocks." Psalm 107:41

"For he stands at the right hand of the needy one, to save his life from those who condemn him." Psalm 109:31

"He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor, his righteousness endures forever; his horn will be lifted high in honor." Psalm 112:9

"He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap;" Psalm 113:7

"I will bless her with abundant provisions; her poor will I satisfy with food." Psalm 132:15

"I know that the LORD secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy." Psalm 140:12

"He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets prisoners free" Psalm 146:7

"The LORD watches over the alien and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked." Psalm 146:9

"I know that the LORD secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy." Proverbs 13:23

"He who despises his neighbor sins, but blessed is he who is kind to the needy." Proverbs 14:21

"He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God." Proverbs 14:31

"The LORD tears down the proud man's house but he keeps the widow's boundaries intact." Proverbs 15:25

"Better to be lowly in spirit and among the oppressed than to share plunder with the proud." Proverbs 16:19

"He who mocks the poor shows contempt for their Maker; whoever gloats over disaster will not go unpunished." Proverbs 17:5

"He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward him for what he has done." Proverbs 19:17

"If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered." Proverbs 21:13

"A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor." Proverbs 22:9

"He who oppresses the poor to increase his wealth and he who gives gifts to the rich -- both come to poverty." Proverbs 22:16

"Do not exploit the poor because they are poor and do not crush the
needy in court." Proverbs 22:22

"A ruler who oppresses the poor is like a driving rain that leaves no crops." Proverbs 28:3

"He who gives to the poor will lack nothing, but he who closes his eyes to them receives many curses." Proverbs 28:27

"The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern." Proverbs 29:7

"those whose teeth are swords and whose jaws are set with knives to devour the poor from the earth, the needy from among mankind." Proverbs 30:14

"Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy." Proverbs 31:9

"She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy." Proverbs 31:20

"If you see the poor oppressed in a district, and justice and rights denied, do not be surprised at such things; for one official is eyed by a higher one, and over them both are others higher still." Ecclesiastes 5:8

"Learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow." Isaiah 1:17

"The LORD enters into judgment against the elders and leaders of his people: It is you who have ruined my vineyard; the plunder from the poor is in your houses. What do you mean by crushing my people and grinding the faces of the poor?' declares the Lord, the LORD Almighty.

" Isaiah 3:14-15

"to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless." Isaiah 10:2

"With righteousness he will judge the needy; with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.
" Isaiah 11:4

"The poorest of the poor will find pasture, and the needy will lie down in safety. But your root I will destroy by famine; it will slay your survivors." Isaiah 14:30

"You have been a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat. For the breath of the ruthless is like a storm driving against a wall." Isaiah 25:4

"Once more the humble will rejoice in the LORD ; the needy will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel." Isaiah 29:19
"The scoundrel's methods are wicked, he makes up evil schemes to destroy the poor with lies, even when the plea of the needy is just." Isaiah 32:7

"The poor and needy search for water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. But I the LORD will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them." Isaiah 41:17

"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? 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 58:6-7

"If you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday." Isaiah 58:10

"The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners." Isaiah 61:1

"On your clothes men find the lifeblood of the innocent poor, though you did not catch them breaking in. Yet in spite of all this you say I am innocent.'" Jeremiah 2:34

"I thought, These are only the poor; they are foolish, for they do not know the way of the LORD, the requirements of their God.'" Jeremiah 5:4

(They) have grown fat and sleek. Their evil deeds have no limit; they do not plead the case of the fatherless to win it, they do not defend the rights of the poor." Jeremiah 5:28

"if you do not oppress the alien, the fatherless or the widow and do not shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not follow other gods to your own harm," Jeremiah 7:6

"This is what the LORD says: Do what is just and right. Rescue from the hand of his oppressor the one who has been robbed. Do no wrong or violence to the alien, the fatherless or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place." Jeremiah 22:3
"'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

"Sing to the LORD! Give praise to the LORD! He rescues the life of the needy from the hands of the wicked." Jeremiah 20:13
"
Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy." Ezekiel 16:49

"He does not oppress anyone, but returns what he took in pledge for a loan. He does not commit robbery but gives his food to the hungry and provides clothing for the naked." Ezekiel 18:7

"The people of the land practice extortion and commit robbery; they oppress the poor and needy and mistreat the alien, denying them justice." Ezekiel 22:29

"This is what the LORD says: For three sins of Israel, even for four, I will not turn back . They sell the righteous for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals. They trample on the heads of the poor as upon the dust of the ground and deny justice to the oppressed. Father and son use the same girl and so profane my holy name.'" Amos 2:6-7

"Hear this word, you cows of Bashan on Mount Samaria, you women who oppress the poor and crush the needy and say to your husbands, Bring us some drinks!'" Amos 4:1

"Hear this, you who trample the needy and do away with the poor of the land." Amos 8:4

"Buying the poor with silver and the needy for a pair of sandals, selling even the sweepings with the wheat." Amos 8:6

"Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In your hearts do not think evil of each other." Zechariah 7:10

" So I will come near to you for judgment. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive aliens of justice, but do not fear me,' says the LORD Almighty." Malachi 3:5


New Testament passages


"Jesus answered, If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.'" Matthew 19:21

"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in." Matthew 25:35

"They devour widows' houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Such men will be punished most severely." Mark 12:40

"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because He has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed." Luke 4:18

"So he replied to the messengers, Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.'" Luke 7:22 < E-book: The Kingdom strikes back >

"Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys." Luke 12:33

"But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind." Luke 14:13

"When Jesus heard this, he said to him, You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.'" Luke 18:22

"Beware of the teachers of the law . . . They devour your widows' houses . . . Such men will be punished severely." Luke 20:46-47

"'Why wasn't this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year's wages.' He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it." John 12:5

"In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which, when translated, is Dorcas), who was always doing good and helping the poor." Acts 9:36

"Cornelius stared at him in fear. What is it, Lord?' he asked. The angel answered, Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God.'" Acts 10:4

"After an absence of several years, I came to Jerusalem to bring my people gifts for the poor and to present offerings." Acts 24:17

"On the contrary: If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.'" Romans 12:20

"For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem." Romans 15:26

"All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do." Galatians 2:10

"Give proper recognition to those widows who are really in need." 1 Timothy 5:3

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." James 1:27

"Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, 'Here's a good seat for you,' but say to the poor man, You stand there' or Sit on the floor by my feet,' have you not discriminated among yourselves and becomes judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? But you have insulted the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court?" James 2:2-6

"If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth." 1 John 3:17-18

[DenverDem]

1. Impressively comprehensive.

I challenge one of the fundigelical trolls to refute this point by point.

[lanparty]

8. Correction

Fauxndementalist trolls.

They aren't REAL Fundamentalists. That means literal interpretation. And they clearly have an incomplete reading of Jesus.

[lanparty]

10. Don't forget about the efauxngelicals as well (nm)

[amber dog democrat]

2. Thank you for posting this.

Its well worth reading.

I can only imagine just whom the Compassionate Conservitaves really are.
Now if there was a Supply Side Jesus....

[checks-n-balances]

11. This is a GREAT list, no doubt foreig to Religious RWers.

Their ignorance starts with their skimpy and selective reading of the Bible. However, their preachers have probably never exposed them to it either, since they would be unlikely to preach on it. I doubt that the preachers themselves have even seen them.

Anyway, better to preach on sins that are easy to accuse the rest of society for committing...

BTW, did you already know that Al Franken included a piece on Supply Side Jesus in hia "Lies..." book?

[redqueen]

3. Beautiful n/t

[arissa]

4. You forgot my favorite:

'And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.'

Matthew 19:24

[Carson]

30. Not impossible

I'm not sure to what use you are quoting this passage. Does the writer of the verse intend to say it is *impossible* for a rich person to enter heaven? It looks that way, doesn't it, for it IS impossible, barring a miraculous occurance, for a camel to fit through the eye of a needle.

However, the "eye of the needle" spoken of is not the eye of a sewing needle. The Needle was the gate into a city. The "eye" was where one entered. It was difficult for a loaded camel to enter...it took some manuevering.

Jesus never demonized the weathly, only made them aware of their resposibility to the less fortunate.

[GreenPartyVoter]

5. It says a lot about how to treat immigrants, too.

Would Jesus love a liberal? You bet!
http://www.geocities.com/greenpartyvoter/liberalchristians.htm

[Az]

6. Here is the verse the right is likely to be drawn to

2 Thessalonians 3:10 For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.

[Classical_Liberal]

15. Do you think this was to be applied to little chidren

Do you think this advocates paying the poor shitty wages? I doubt it.

[checks-n-balances]

24. That passage is another example of taking something out of context

I think it comes from the book of Acts, and the situation is when the very early church was just formed and a small group was living collectively, sharing their goods "commune" style. This is an admonition saying that everyone has to pitch in for the good of the entire group (the "common good").

Funny, the context of that verse suggests something closer to communism than capitalism (pretty shocking, eh?)! So taking it out of context and using it to support laissez-faire capitalism, while aiming a blanket condemnation to poor people, is dishonest and akin to cheating.

It happens way too often with the Bible, when it is taken literally (lazily) and not taken seriously. And the outcomes are the justification for injustice, and a hatred toward the scriptures that actually contain stories of God's love & justice toward those who have been forgotten by everyone else.

Thanks again, Classical_Liberal for making this a must-bookmark post.

[TexasSissy]

7. But JESUS said....

When someone asked Jesus if they shouldn't give whatever they have to the poor instead of keeping it or whatever (something like that), Jesus responds something like, "The poor will always be with us." "Inotherwords" (as Bush likes to say), no reason to try wiping out poverty. It is a permanent condition in the world.

I remember hearing this when I was very young, and I was shocked, since I viewed the poor not as a block percentage of the world, but as individuals. But I've looked it up, and the New Testament does indeed say that.

[Classical_Liberal]

12. but why is that one passage emphasized over all the others

that say one should act? Self interest maybe? That passage is baby pee, and an offhand comment in comparison to the waterfall of all those that specifically address the poor. What about the admonition James gives that one should not show favoritism toward the rich, and that one should here the cries of the field hand cheated out of his pay? That was a specific statement made in an important speech.

Furthermore while he says the poor will always be with us, he also says we must help them. One might just as easily interpret that as a pragmatic recongnition that Utopia isn't practical, or attainable. Laws againt murder don't wipe out murder and never will, but a substantial number of murders are probably prevented by fear of Jail. Bottom line, it simply doesn't follow that the fact that poor will always be with us, means we shouldn't attempt to help the poor, or attempt to eliminate poverty to whatever extent is possible. You are buying into a right wing cynics interpretation of that passage.

[Selwynn]

19. The NT does indeed NOT say that.

At least, not unless you ignore the rest of what is said, or the context in which it was said.

The context was, a woman came and poured expensive perfume over jesus feet and washed them with her hair, a symbol of many things. Judas, grumble that it was a "waste" and that the money spend on the perfume could have been used in some other way, like given to the poor. Jesus does not say "no, we should never give to the poor." But in the specific context of this particular gift that this particular woman chose to give to Jesus, Jesus says that what the woman had done was beautiful, because the poor you will always have with you.... BUT, he will not be with them much longer. Basically he speaks of his own death, and says that this gesture is touching and significant for that reason.

Trying to take that one text and turn that into a justification for not taking care of the poor a) misrepresents the context of of the text and b) ignores a wide and massive array of other texts placing a clear and obvious emphasis on the needs of the poor.

On a personal note, the text you mention reminds me that having an attitude of compassion and concern for the poor does not mean I should feel guilty any and everything I choose to do something for myself or for another person. Charity and compassion towards the poor and those in need is not a "scorecard game" wherein I must never do anything for myself or those around me. Rather it is about an attitude and a mindset that sees needs and thinks critically and tenderly about ways to meet that need. It's about a spirit of compassion and gentleness towards the needs and suffering of others, and a openness to respond when we do feel the leading to give when we do feel able.

[Selwynn]

23. Further, QUOTE:

"'Why wasn't this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year's wages.' He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it." John 12:5

[TexasSissy]

25. Very interesting. I'll have to look this up.

[TexasSissy]

26. Very good arguments. I didn't give the quote because I think

that way. I do not. I just mention it because it's different from the poster's quotes, and it exists....and was apparently considered important enough for it to be pointed out to me @ church when I was a child.

I think some Republicans hang their hat on that one. I do not. No more than I think I have a right to kill animals because the Bible says that I am "over" them. The Bible also explicity says to have mercy regarding animals. The Bible also says to sacrific animals, which our society no longer (thankfully) does.

[checks-n-balances]

21. Yes, but you have to weigh that against what Jesus said and did

in a consistent manner towards the most vulnerable of society.

(Added note: I'll go ahead and post this, although I see that Selwynn and others already answered #7 better than I could. But I did spend some time on it, so I'll post it anyway!)

And you have to consider the context of the story out of which this statement came:

We were in Bethany one evening at Simon's house - he had been a leper but Jesus had cured him, made him whole again. A woman I'd never seen before entered carrying an alabaster jar. In the jar was expensive perfume. The woman poured the perfume on Jesus' head. The smell was intoxicating. I thought I could live the rest of my life in that wonderful smell. Some of the men were furious: "Why are you wasting this perfume?" they said. "We could have sold it for over three hundred silver pieces and given the money to the poor."

But Jesus scolded them: "Let her alone," he said. "Why judge her? The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. She is preparing me for my burial. Wherever the good news is proclaimed throughout the world, what she has done will be told to remember her."

(paraphrased from Mark 14:3-9 - also found with some variation in Matthew, Luke & John)

Jesus could see that an outcast of society (a woman, possibly a prostitute) recognized him as worthy of being "anointed" (given authority). The Greek word "Christos" means "anointed one" or "Messiah". He was also trying to say to them, "This woman can recognize God better than even you can." He was making less of a statement about the poor than about the spirituality of the outsider.

And here's some current reflection about this saying:

What does all this have to say to the rest of us, who live comfortably by comparison? What did Jesus mean when he said, “The poor you will always have with you?” Aren’t they with us to remind us to do something about it? With all our society’s advances, can’t we do more to help this forgotten corner of the mountains?

...On our own, we can’t end poverty or solve these problems. Perhaps the poor are always with us as a constant reminder of our own powerlessness. After all, didn’t Jesus teach that we should all become poor; that only the poor, those who know their need of God, would be happy?

From
http://www.bruderhof.com/articles/With-The-Poor.htm

Jesus described the "Upside-down" kingdom of God as when vulnerable & outcast people often have more wisdom, character, and insight than those who have everything they want.

We won't hold our breath waiting for RWers to get this point, since it undercuts their own agenda when interpreted beyond the surface.

[FighttheFuture]

29. Being Poor is not necessarily only a material condition.

Perhaps it was also being pointed out just how poor, spiritually, that those who would criticize that woman were. The true coinage is that which you take with your, the everlasting spirit, not some cheap matter that will not stand the test of time.

Also, I know you had said just this in your whole post. I was responding to #7.

[iconoclastic cat]

9. Ten bucks says that Bush had the CIA black out those lines in his copy.

Let's see, since I'm here in the Lincoln bedroom, I'll just open up the nightstand and take a look.

Ah, here it is! George W. Bush's complimentary Bible. Strange, I don't remember hearing of a "Mammon Edition" being publshed. And next to it, a book on tape of Bob Dole reading the Necronomicon? That can't be good.

[neuvocat]

13. Out of all the posts I have ever seen here

none have ever been important or significant than this one.

Amen.

[leftyandproud]

14. Jesus also ranked tax collectors on a lower level than prostitutes.

the bible isn't exactly consistent.

[Classical_Liberal]

16. Rome had a warfare state, not a welfare state.

. It was also paying taxes to a foreign occupier, and supporting the occupation of Judea by the Romans. I am not a fundy, so I am not going to argue for Bible consistency, but it looks like most of the bible is pretty sympathetic to poor people.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

27. Tax collectors in ancient Rome

were more like Mafia loan sharks than modern IRS bureaucrats. The Roman government paid them a commission on the taxes they collected, and the rules were loose enough so that the tax rate was whatever they could squeeze out of you. Given the commission system, they were highly motivated to figure out new ways to tax people.

When the Bible refers to "tax collectors and sinners," it is only reflecting the reality of the time. The modern equivalent would probably be "mob enforcers and petty criminals."

By the way, I remember puzzling over the term "publicans," which is one of the despised groups that Jesus is criticized for associating with.

(Yes, the Bible portrays people as criticizing Jesus for eating with society's outcasts.)

Once I got into reading British mysteries, I realized that a "publican" is someone who owns a pub, i.e. a tavern owner.

[ArkDem]

28. In Rome a publican was a tax collector.

pub·li·can ( P ) Pronunciation Key (pbl-kn)
n.
1. Chiefly British. The keeper of a public house or tavern.
2. A collector of public taxes or tolls in the ancient Roman Empire.
3. A collector of taxes or tribute from the public.

[leftyandproud]

33. It had both really. *NT*

[Jabbery]

17. BS! The GOP Says they're LAZY and SHIFTLESS

If you're a GOP'er, who cares about all that "word of God" crap? All that matters is what Rush Limbaugh says.

[ArkDem]

34. I see the intelligensia are out today

[wicket]

18. Thanks for posting this

This is one for the ol' bookmark file! :)

[denverbill]

20. Very impressive list. Perhaps we need to get religion back into business

Forget instilling religion into the state, like the Republicans want to do.

Perhaps if the CEO's and executives at the Fortune 500 read more Bible and less business theory they wouldn't be shipping jobs to China and paying themselves bonuses.

[Az]

22. Rather see humanity in business

Humans can bring their beliefs with them. It may help to remind some who claim to follow the teachings of Jesus what he stood for though.

[westsidexview]

31. the poor, you shall always have among you

the words of jesus. that is why we must feed the poor.

[struggle4progress]

32. It doesn't say they all deserve starvation wages?

:wow:
Knock me over with a feather!

Somebody really should go tell the Republicans!

[disinfo_guy]

35. excellent thread, classical_liberal

thanks! :)

[Avalon Sparks]

36. Exacty what I was taught...

during 7 years of Catholic school.

Thank you for posting, I've saved it!