The title of our chapter this week is How Americans View Poverty. This was an interesting chapter that looked at the historical and current viewpoints of Americans. Sociologists were some of the first scholars to address the issue of poverty in
America in the early 1900’s. The Chicago School of Sociology was founded by Protestant ministers who became concerned about the abject poverty experienced by the new immigrants. Places like Hull House in
Chicago were founded during this era. Our author notes that current views of poverty center on individualism (blaming the person who is poor for his or her circumstances), social structuralism (blaming our government or institutional structures for poverty), having a culture of poverty (values and beliefs), or fatalism (some kind of destiny or predestination). Check out what Matthew Benjamin says about how
America views poverty.Poverty News BlogHow are the views of Christians toward the poor different than what our author observes for society in general? One author that I read currently says there is no difference. Rebecca Barns calls it “spiritual schizophrenia.” When the Barna research group looked at 20 lifestyle elements, things American adults do to help other people, they found that Christians are “statistically indistinguishable from non-born again adults on most of the behaviors studied.” However, I do believe that there are Christians concerned about the poor and desiring to do something radically different than ever before. here is one example:A Covenant for a New AmericaI am encouraged when I read about The Call to Renewal from Sojourners. Here is their mission statement: “to articulate the biblical call to social justice, inspiring hope and building a movement to transform individuals, communities, the church, and the world. We work with a national network of churches, faith-based organizations, and individuals to overcome poverty in
America.” Sign me up!!!
How Christians View Poverty
February 13, 2007 at 7:31 pm (Uncategorized)
Joe Dugan said,
February 18, 2007 at 6:15 pm
Based on my observation/experience, evangelicals tend to deemphasize the poverty problem in personal and political activism, as well as in theory. We mitigate poverty’s significance by prematurely blaming it on laziness or lack of personal responsibility, and then we intentionally shift our focus to issues which we can more comfortably address–e.g., abortion and gay marriage. (These are easy ones, because they don’t actually require us to DO anything; we can sign a sheet of paper asking Congress to pass a marriage protection amendment without contributing so much as a dollar, but the fight against poverty all but demands personal sacrifice.)
I also think that we have such a harsh attitude toward poverty because we like to believe that our wealth is a sign of God’s intervention and care. We like to believe this because it creates a security; as long as we “live rightly” (e.g., oppose abortion and gay marriage), God will continue to bless us.
Obviously, this kind of thinking is fundamentally flawed; nowhere in the Biblical narrative do we see any evidence that God providentially intervenes to create poverty for those who displease him and wealth for those who are righteous. In fact, the opposite appears to be true–”blessed are the poor,” etc.
It is encouraging to see movements, like Sojourners, which stress the importance of an active discourse on poverty in the evangelical church. If we are committed to the example Christ set, our faith should drive us to a kind of passionate giving and self-sacrifice we haven’t demonstrated yet.
Ashley Morgan said,
February 19, 2007 at 2:15 am
I thought that both Joe’s comment and Chapter 4’s analysis of how Americans believe that people in poverty are not doing enough to get themselves out of poverty were accurate. According to Ch. 4 48% of those surveyed believed that people weren’t doing enough, compared with 45% believing that the poverty was due to circumstances. The discrepancy between the two numbers is valid, but I agree with the introduction in Ch 4 talking of the ignorance that people have toward poverty. I thought the section on Individualism as a means by which to understand poverty goes against our Christian nature. It shouldn’t be simply left to the individual to pull themselves up out of poverty. I believe that the hard work is necessary, but that the church should also be fundamental towards those striken and desiring to change their state. It was disheartening to read that those most likely to hold the Individualistic view point were white protestants and Catholics. I agree with Joe- the church tends to ignore the problem of poverty, with the exception of Christmas and Thanksgiving ‘gift projects’, and appeases their conscience at such times until the next year. The church has failed to have proper grasp of how they should be approaching poverty, and has not yet reached a time where they are effectively ministering. There are most certainly churches that are doing a large part toward the poverty dilemna, but on a whole, it has been my experience that churches do ignore the problem.
John Durkee said,
February 24, 2007 at 9:29 pm
From what I have gathered about American views of poverty both from Christians and non-Christians alike is that we have decidedly individualistic and economic values. We see one’s value based on their ability to do what they do and by how much they earn. We subconsciously see richer people as harder workers and better people, and we see the poor as lazy and deserving of poverty in many cases.
I learned from my social psychology class last year how most people when they make a mistake or find themselves in a tough time will blame the situation, while the same people will attribute failures and faults to other people’s charecter when the same thing happens to them.
In reality there is a mixture of situational and individual responsibility, and as Christians, we should strive to give others the benefit of the doubt before we assume that anyone else is guilty or poor based on their charecter.
Brendon Bayley said,
February 26, 2007 at 4:43 am
I think it is interesting, but unfortunate, that they seek to change the church from the inside out, as well as the entire rest of culture and, it seems, civilization’s mentality, in regards to social action. When I think about the recent resurgence in social awareness that is exemplified by organizations like Sojourners, I have a feeling of hope for the American Church. I am glad but at the same time regretful, that some groups are realizing that the real work begins at reshaping the image, and conception of poverty in the minds of American evangelicals. Unfortunately, it becomes a battle with many fronts, but it is a battle that must be fought and won, nonetheless. With hope and earnest anticipation I wait for the day when the Church doesn’t need more work, and more change; but instead socially minded evangelicals can go to work on society with the entirety of their labors. I regret that reshaping the Church takes so much of our time and energy, and I pray and wait for the day where the Church is no longer the sinking lifeboat of society. It is too bad that alot of resources are devoted to the Church’s work on itself. Hopefully organizations like Sojourners, that artfully integrate social action and Church recovery so well together, will become the forerunners in this awakening.
Holly said,
January 18, 2009 at 4:35 pm
This is what I’m confused about, you see it is a very interesting article, but surely when I type in on google: “Church View On Poverty” and i click on “Christian Views On Poverty” it should NOT come up with the article “Americans view on poverty”.