Comments for Family & Society

Comment on How Christians View Poverty by Holly

Holly — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 16:35:46 +0000

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”.

Comment on Food Stamps for Hungry Families by Brendon Bayley

Brendon Bayley — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 04:27:15 +0000

It’s sad that food stamps will become more “exclusive” or harder to get. It seems that they already fall short of providing a month’s worth of food for the families that are able to obtain them. Reading from the Seccombe text seems to suggest that the amount of foodstamps that the majority of families recieve runs out with atleast a week left to provide food for. Unfortunately for those families, being that they recieve foodstamps, they probably lack the necessary income to subsidize their foodstamp allotment and thereby provide for that remaining week. Why we would like to tighten up the coffers even more, escapes me.

Comment on Food Stamps for Hungry Families by Amber Womack

Amber Womack — Sun, 04 Mar 2007 04:55:43 +0000

I, too, have heard the argument that food stamps are misused. However, I strongly disagree that we should stop giving them out. It makes my heart break to see a mother in line before me who is counting stamps just to buy milk and bread. It’s easy for us to get selfish because we have a nice middle class life that’s comfortable.
I do think that we need to keep food stamps. I can understand maybe close monitoring of how they are spent, but I think that for some people, it’s their livelyhood.

Comment on Food Stamps for Hungry Families by Anna Reiskytl

Anna Reiskytl — Fri, 02 Mar 2007 03:31:40 +0000

It seems to me that politicians are caught between courting the votes of the majority- who want lower taxes- and the needs of the poor. All too often, as our leaders seek ways to cut government spending in order to fund the “latest big thing” in politics, they pick out things that don’t effect the “majority” of Americans. The common belief that foodstamps are abused makes their decision to restrict access to this form of relief more acceptable. However, the fact remains that foodstamps is the biggest government progam targeting hunger in the US, and that many Americans are dependent on foodstamps to feed themselves each moth. As it is, foodstamps alone are rarely enough to provide enough food for a family each month, and children dependent on foodstamps sometimes go hungry at the end of the month. By adding more steps to the program such as requiring people to renew their eligibility for foodstamps, there is a high probability that some of the people currently relying on the program will not receive the help they need. However, as Ashley said, it is a matter of priorities… If Americans are serious about fighting hunger in our nation, they will put pressure on our leaders to fund programs that feed the hungry. If not, programs such as foodstamps may continue to have funding cut as people focus on the more “pressing” needs they see on the nightly news.

Comment on Food Stamps for Hungry Families by Ashley Morgan

Ashley Morgan — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 21:57:45 +0000

I find it disturbing that we are making it harder for people to access food stamps. It helps prevent those who are abusing to not be able to abuse the system, but as Brittany mentioned above, that will happen regardless.
I find it hard to believe that we are cutting down a system that, though restricted and with flaws, still has been able to provide those in poverty with assistance in getting food and necessary items. Why stop a system whose effectiveness is higher than its abuse? I really tend to think that to politicians, these statistics are just numbers on a page. They dont translate into faces of starving children. If politicians do have a good concept of the need, than I feel they don’t understand the necessity- the need is covered up by something that will get them more votes come election time. If helping relieve poverty was REALLY a national priority rather than rhetoric made during speeches, than something would be done to help the overwrought, highly taxed and stretched kind souls that are doing more than their part to help those in need. Seeing food stamps diminish is just another step that says ‘you really aren’t that important to us’.

Comment on Food Stamps for Hungry Families by brittany smart

brittany smart — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 18:12:36 +0000

I agree that despite some of the abuse food stamps should still be available to people. There are so many things out there that people will abuse or find ways to abuse things, no matter what you do. Obviously you don’t want to be a catalyst for someone abusing something, but anyone will find ways to abuse whatever it is. I believe if we can help people who are hugry we shouldn’t hold back from serving someone because they MIGHT do something bad with it. How often does it really happen that people abuse these food stamps to the point of where we should stop giving them out?

Comment on Food Stamps for Hungry Families by John Durkee

John Durkee — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 04:17:02 +0000

I think food stamps are a good program for those in poverty, but I have seen and heard of it being abused as well (the one that first comes to mind is seeing the now deceased, then millionaire, rapper ODB going to the grocery store and buying groceries for his family with food stamps).

However, I would tend to agree that very rarely does something so egregious occur. I greatly appreciate that Trader Joes will be more accessible to those using food stamps as their food is of much higher quality and nutrition than most groceries and the prices are better (sorry for the commercial…).

So anyway, I think that food stamps need the proper checks and balences to make sure that it is not abused, but it should still exist to help people.

Comment on How Christians View Poverty by Brendon Bayley

Brendon Bayley — Mon, 26 Feb 2007 04:43:42 +0000

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.

Comment on How Christians View Poverty by John Durkee

John Durkee — Sat, 24 Feb 2007 21:29:49 +0000

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.

Comment on How Christians View Poverty by Ashley Morgan

Ashley Morgan — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 02:15:05 +0000

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.