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sions. Most of these people would
prefer to work, to be productive
members of socie t y. They, like
many of the "old poor, " need
another chance. But who is offering
one these days?
What is the solution to the
dilemma posed by the new pover–
ty? For that matter, what about the
poor in general, including those
who were born poor and who have
lived al! their lives knowing nothing
but poverty? Clearly the welfare
programs of this world as a whole,
based on various forms of taxation,
have not solved t he probl em .
Bureaucratic inefficiency, stan–
dards that are not always applied
fairly, inability to weed out cheat–
ers, insufficient funds- these and
other shortcomings too often char–
acterize the programs intended to
help the poor and needy.
And, what is perhaps most tragic
of al!, most of these programs tend
to perpetuate the very poverty they
were designed to alleviate. The
poor to whom aid is given tend to
stay
poor. Al! too rarely does a
recipient of public relief manage to
break away on his own and become
independent of that relief. Few are
given a ny incentive to do so.
lns tead , they learn to expect ever–
increasing handouts, which in turn
must be paid for by ever-increasing
taxes, which in turn take away
wealth from those who are earning
it, thereby renderi ng those earners
lcss prosperous; that is to say,
closer to being unable to invest in
businesses that can provide jobs for
the poor.
lt's a vicious cycle.
ls there any way out?
Where the Plan ls Found
Though it has been too often over–
looked, there most assuredly is a
plan that would rcsolve the prob–
lem of taking care of the needy.
Not only would it alleviate the
great tax burdeos imposed on socie–
ty for the care of the poor, the
unemployed and the elderly, it also
would provide the means for most
of them to improve their lot in life
and eventually become self-suffi–
cient . Even beyond the leve! of the
individual in need, the adoption of
this plan would go so far as to nul–
lify the difference between have
and have-not nations!
26
Where is such a plan?
While proclaiming 1983 the
" Year of the Bible," U.S. President
Ronald Reagan declared, " Inside
its [the Bible's] pages lie all the
answers to all the problems man
has ever known." How right he is!
The Bible reveals the answers to al!
the problems of mankind . Tha t
includes the problem of caring for
the poor, the unemployed, the dis–
advantaged. The plan is there, giv–
cn in detail. But unfortunately, to
members of modero societies that
are based upon masses of people
crammed together in large indus–
trialized ci ties, the plan appears
archaic. Actually, though, it is
completely workable and it is goi ng
to be put into cffcct in the world
tomorrow. 1t is the presen t-day
oppressively urbanized, industrially
dominated societies that are soon
going to be recognized for what
they are: archaic and unworkable!
Almighty God once revealed his
economic and social plan toa whole
nation- ancient Israel. He prom–
ised the l s raelites that if they
would follow his plan, there would
come a time when there would be
"no poor among you; for the Lord
will greatly bless you in the land
which the Lord your God is giving
you to possess as an inheritance–
on/y if
[and here is the
"ir'
clause
in the contract] you carefully obey
the voice of the Lord your God, to
observe with care all these com–
mandments which 1 command you
today" (Deut. 15:4-5 , RAV
throughout).
Great national prosperity would
be inevitable, " for the Lord your
God will bless you just as He prom–
ised you; you shall lend to many
nations, but you shall not borrow"
(verse 6). No need to borrow?
They would be a "have" nat ion.
The God lo wh om all wealth
belongs would see to it. This is one
of the great differences between
God's plan for taking care of the
needy and a ll humanly devised
social welfare programs. His plan
alone involves his specific care to
insure it will work.
Still, God knew in advance that
ancient Israel would not keep all
his laws. Therefore his servant
Moses predicted, as related in verse
11 , " ... the poor will never cease
from the land."
Whose Responslbility?
According to the Bible, it is
not
primarily a responsibility of big
government to care for the needy,
the unemployed, the elderly.
It
is
rather individua l respon sibility.
Moses and J esus taught forcibly
that it is the individual's duty to
help the needy (Matt. 25:34-46).
Look around you. Have today's
humanly devised programs, many
of which are teetering on the edge
of bankru ptcy, really solved the
problems o f poverty? We ll in–
tended they may be. The best man
can do. But see, now, God's way of
handling the sit uation:
" And if one of your brethren [of
your nation living in your arca]
becomes
poor, and falls into poverty
among you.... " This is talking
specifically about what we today
cal! the " new" poor- people who
become
poor. The principies, how–
ever, would work for any poverty–
related situation. What does God
say to do in such cases? Direct the
poor person to the nearest govern–
ment agency where he or she might
qualify for a barely sufficient hand–
out--one that tends to perpetuate
dependencc because the assistance
is cut off the moment one beg ins to
improve one's financia! situation?
No. " ... then
you
shall help him"
(Lev. 25:35)- you asan individual.
It
is the primary responsibi li ty of
the local community- including
the nuclear or the extended family
of the poor and needy- to help
their own. In addition, there must
be a willingness to help those in
need who have migrated to one's
arca in searcb of better opportuni–
ties-the "stranger or sojourner"
(same verse).
God is a generous and giving God .
His laws express the way of giving as
opposed to the way of selfishness,
which is the way of this world .
Nobody loses "friends" or even con–
tact with relatives more quickly in
today's societ y, as tbe De Marcos
found out , than those who become
poor. "Wealth makes many friends,
but the poor is separated from bis
friend ," Proverbs 19:4 points out.
Verse 7 adds, "AII tbe brothers of
the poor hate him; how much more
do bis friends go far from him! He
may pursue them with words, yet
they abandon him."
The PLAIN TRUTH