Then why do most conservatives resist "sharing" it with the less fortunate? Isn't that what jesus did? All I see is that the Repubs in office hoarding more and more money for the rich, while they claim themselves as being religious at the same time. Oxymoron no?
Wow, where to begin...so many "unfacts" in such a short OP!
Sandy and Mr Emu both tried to correct this, and brought up very salient points, but apparently those who choose to cling to their belief that conservatives and Christians are selfish, greedy capitalist pigs really aren't interested in facts.
Especially facts that disprove their fondly-held and much-caressed opinions.
Here is the verse about the "love of money being the root of all evil" IN CONTEXT (which is, by the way, the best start in determining the true meaning of a passage in ANY book, including but not limited to the Bible):
(By the way, I've bolded the parts I find ironic or especially pertinent!)
Paul is writing this letter to the man he was mentoring at the time, Timothy, who was a leader in the early church at Ephesus. The book of 1 Timothy gives advice on the structure and leadership of that group of believers. It's teachings are to be applied to CHRISTIANS in their interactions with each other and within their community.
From 1 Timothy 6
3If anyone teaches false doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching,
4he is conceited and understands nothing.
He has an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions 5and constant friction between men of corrupt mind,
(I thought this was pretty funny, considering how much time we all spend debating religious dogmas! A good reminder to Christians not to spend too much time in fruitless arguing over Christian beliefs.)
who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.
(Yep, we all know of corrupt religious leaders. That doesn't mean of course that ALL religious leaders are corrupt.)
6But godliness with contentment is great gain.
7For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.
8But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.
9People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction.
(I think this means that if your emphasis is on attaining wealth then you have attached too much importance to that endeavor. This lack of balance can and usually does wreak havoc on your personal life - as well as those who are close to you, and even further in your circle if you have a wide circle of influence, as many wealthy people do.)
10For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
(Catch that? SOME PEOPLE. Not ALL PEOPLE. It's a balancing act that we play out in our lives. The things of this earth are temporal, but the good that we do for others has eternal effects - as does the bad that we do.)
Pauls Charge to Timothy
11But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.
(Flee from the LOVE of money. Flee from wandering from the faith. This does not say "flee from money" or "give all your money away," though some people may believe they are called to do so. All are not called to do so, however.)
I have snipped some verses which weren't pertinent to this particular conversation, about the glory of God. If you're interested, you can always google it.
17Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.
(Notice that they are not commanded to give up their wealth - but instead to use it wisely.)
19In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.
The Christian is taught not to focus on this life only, but to keep in mind that this life is temporary, and our true wealth lies in eternal life.
20Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, 21which some have professed and in so doing have wandered from the faith.
Grace be with you.
Christians - we would do well to remember this advice as we interact on this forum!
Ok, but moving on to more facts which may be inconvenient for some.
Then why do most conservatives resist "sharing" it with the less fortunate?
This is simply not true. As Sandy and Mister Emu tried to point out earlier (and were simply ignored) HERE are the facts:
It Turns Out Conservatives Really Are Compassionate
By
STEPHEN J. DUBNERArthur C. Brooks, a professor at Syracuse University whose work involves public policy and philanthropy, has written a new book called
Who Really Cares: Americas Charity Divide: Who Gives, Who Doesnt, and Why It Matters. His boldface conclusion? As summarized in
this interesting article, Brooks found that religious conservatives donate far more money than secular liberals to all sorts of charitable activities, irrespective of income.
It Turns Out Conservatives Really Are Compassionate - NYTimes.com
Of the top 25 states where people give an above average percent of their income, 24 were red states in the last presidential election.
Who Gives and Who Doesn't? - ABC News
Arthur Brooks, the author of "Who Really Cares," says that "when you look at the data, it turns out the conservatives give about 30 percent more." He adds, "And incidentally, conservative-headed families make slightly less money."
And he says the differences in giving goes beyond money, pointing out that conservatives are 18 percent more likely to donate blood. He says this difference is not about politics, but about the different way conservatives and liberals view government.
"You find that people who believe it's the government's job to make incomes more equal, are far less likely to give their money away," Brooks says. In fact, people who disagree with the statement, "The government has a basic responsibility to take care of the people who can't take care of themselves," are 27 percent
more likely to give to charity.
Who Gives and Who Doesn't? - ABC News
Also, the same study showed that in the US, the lower classes give the highest PERCENTAGE of their income to charity, while the highest income earners of course give the most DOLLARS (fifty percent of charitable giving is from those earning over one million per year). The lowest giving class? THE AMERICAN MIDDLE CLASS.
Though - to be fair, the American middle class is more generous than the middle class in most other countries.
From the same study:
Finally, the single biggest predictor of whether someone will be charitable is their religious participation.
Religious people are more likely to give to charity, and when they give, they give more money: four times as much.
So, to answer this question,
Then why do most conservatives resist "sharing" it with the less fortunate?
They don't. False accusation.
All I see is that the Repubs in office hoarding more and more money for the rich, while they claim themselves as being religious at the same time. Oxymoron no?
Just because some politician is a Republican, does NOT mean that he/she is a Christian, regardless of their claims. Our works, not our words, are the truest indicator of our hearts and character.
Most politicians are corrupt, power hungry, and focused on their own careers rather than the needs of their constituents. But I thought everyone knew that.
Conservatives believe that the needs of the poor are best met via private giving and charity rather than by a corrupt government and it's wasteful programs. Not to say that all social programs are unnecessary - most conservatives simply believe that they're not the most efficient way to help some people.
