Girl dies of stupid parents

[Mister Agenda]

Christians are to carry out God's work in the world.

That seems mostly honored in the breach, but I agree that's the theory.

Jesus has told us to help the poor and needy.

That's nice, especially for adults that still need an authority figure to tell them that.

We are to be the instruments of his work on the earth. That's what christians are doing in Africa and other places where people are destitute.

And many of them are actually doing it in ways that actually help people. Good for them.

We all can't be there directly providing help, but we can give of our resources and we can also help our neighbors here.

So can we.

When I asked what he was doing to help, I was alluding to the fact that our job is not to sit back and call on God to fix everything, but to be involved in fixing it.

I was starting to wonder if you were going to get to anything resembling a reply to my query about why you challenged Xeno. Thanks for not losing track of the subject.

That's what we're called to do. What bothers me is people that blast christians for not helping with people's physical needs, which we clearly do help with, but not doing anything about it themselves.

And you have no reason to think that's the case for Xeno. Pre-emptive strike? I think the charitable thing is to presume others are doing what they can given their circumstances. Rarely can we possess the knowledge that someone else is being less charitable than we are unless they say so. And maybe not even then, if they're modest.

If they are doing something, then good for them. I know there's atheists and other non-christians involved in this work too.

Which puts you at least a peg above some of your co-religionists who can't seem to accept that we could possibly have an interest in helping people. That shouldn't make you exceptional, but on these forums it does, and I appreciate your ability to see us as human beings who can want to help people.

While we're helping to feed and clothe people and help them become self-sufficient, we can also teach them that, even if they die dirt poor, they still have worth in this life and the next.

At least we can agree they have worth. And that's not nothing. I appreciate your efforts on their behalf, and hope I'm doing as much myself.