Letter: We must all hear the cries of the poor

The Bible says: “The Lord hears the cry of the poor.”

But do we?

Seems we go through periods where we have the ability to be deaf to those cries. I know at times I’m deaf.

But the cries of the poor are louder than my silence.

Recently our new pope threw on his old black shoes instead of the fancy red ones popes usually wear, and with that simple act, he sent the world a message. He chose the name of Pope Francis because he admired a young person (St. Francis of Assisi) who gave up wealth and prestige to be with the poor. Now the new pope has come right out and said it. He told journalists he was ... “for the poor.”

All these actions are helping some of us get our hearing back.

Leaders right here at home risked their careers. They dared to speak out. They are telling us to hear.

Dr. Fred Cerise and David Hood took out paid advertisements to plead with all of us to hear the cries of the poor.

Nobody is suggesting free passes for the able-bodied and those strong in mind.

But they are suggesting that the fragile, the working poor, the elderly, the handicapped, the mentally ill — deserve the dignity and respect the Medicaid expansion program will bring.

Additionally, the poor in Louisiana deserve to not be burdened with taxes that favor the strong, the rich — that would be most of us.

Tax reform, health-care reform ... Really? We come from a loving and caring culture. Our culture tells us that the Lord hears the cry of the poor. Do we? What are our policies about to reflect.

Marie Constantin

photographer

Baton Rouge

Comments

1) Comment by InPVille - 23/03/2013

@Bouncer: In a bar room(to use an analogy from your handle) your verbal abuse might intimidate some poor soul. However it really isn't very effective on an internet site. On a prior point. . . thank you for providing excellent text book examples of ranting, ad hominem arguements and internet trolling.

2) Comment by Bouncer - 23/03/2013

Again, don't flatter yourself. You're just another creepy internet blowhard who thinks that he's the subject of every thread. As I mentioned, I didn't refer to you by name. I could make the argument that I hit too close to home with you, which is why you opened your trap to begin with. Really, you can eat sh*t and die, for all I care. You're just typical Louisiana scum.

3) Comment by Old Man Kensey - 22/03/2013

Whatnow, you would first have to define what is Anti-Christian. Personally, I think the Republican leadership is pretty Anti-christian. How else could they use God for political gain without a second thought. I've met a lot of atheist that are not anti-christian. They simply do not believe in religion or the afterlife..

4) Comment by Old Man Kensey - 22/03/2013

Attila, That was a pretty stupid statement. Can you please explain how the government thinks it is God?

5) Comment by Whatnow - 22/03/2013

I would love a study done to see how much Christians do for the poor as opposed to those who are anti-Christian. Not non-Christians, but anti-Christians.

6) Comment by InPVille - 22/03/2013

@Bouncer: Too close to home was I?

7) Comment by Bouncer - 22/03/2013

@InPville...don't flatter yourelf, chump. Did I single you out? We have a saying on the farm: first hen cackle, first hen lay. No need to launch into such a long-winded diatribe when nobody called "your" name. And for the record, what I may or may not do for the poor is absolutely NONE of your business. You got dat?

8) Comment by Attila - 22/03/2013

@DMJ: The difference is when the churches help the people they are doing it in the spirit of God, when the government "helps" the people it is because they think they ARE God.

9) Comment by InPVille - 22/03/2013

@Bouncer: Are you really interested in helping the poor, or is it really for you feeling better about yourself for favoring doling out your own or the people's money? I didn't opine that "ANY" of the poor are there because of moral failings or character flaws? Now did I? What I did opine that "SOME" of them could do better if they "LEARNED" how to better manage what little they do have. I worked in a local Food Stamp Office for years. Try working in a Food Stamp Office for about six months(There is a huge turnover of employees there. You might not make six months). You might learn something about the differing ways people find themselves poor. Sometimes it is unavoidable. Sometimes it isn't and many times improvements in the individual's/families lot can be made through their own efforts alone and sometimes in combination with private and public assistance in various forms. It is just as incorrect to give the poor a pass as it is to give them all a Black mark. I did neither.

10) Comment by Bouncer - 22/03/2013

Yet again, the ugly, anti-Christian attitudes toward the poor emerge. It's funny how the typical "Christian" (in Louisiana, at least) seemingly views being poor as some sort of moral failing or character flaw, when a more charitable stance would be seeing the poor as unfortunates who are that way because of all manner of life circumstances that we can never know unless we are in their shoes.

11) Comment by InPVille - 21/03/2013

According to HHS the 2013 Poverty Guideline for a family of four is $23,550. http://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty/13poverty.cfm For at least some of the poor a main problem lies in the matter of money management. Here is some information that might help the poor; The blog run by a mother of two who lives in Henderson County in Las Vegas, Nevada and manages to get by on about $14,000 a year. http://www.blissfulanddomestic.com/ It even includes information on Green Cleaning for the environmentally concerned.

12) Comment by Old Man Kensey - 21/03/2013

agagent, I have been wondering for some time when you are behind your keyboard pumping out these diatribes, do you hear trumpets blaring and drums beating while you type? Ba Da Boom- Blame the liberal, blame the liberal. Ba Da Boom Boom, blame the liberal, blame the liberal.... Is that how it goes or do I have the wrong beat?

13) Comment by nimby? - 21/03/2013

what about "the lord helps those who hep themselves" ?

14) Comment by DMJ - 21/03/2013

Question: Why is it that when governments help the poor, they're promoting laziness and dependance, but when charities and churches help the poor, they're acting like Jesus would? And don't tell me the difference is efficiency, fraud and waste, because churches are just as bad, if not worse, than government when it comes to being inefficient charities.

15) Comment by nimby? - 21/03/2013

"Recently our new pope threw on his old black shoes instead of the fancy red ones popes usually wear, and with that simple act, he sent the world a message" , I doubt they were air jordans ...

16) Comment by nimby? - 21/03/2013

programs designed with the best intentions are the most corrupted , easily taken advantage of , and are unable to enforce their policies . also could someone please define what is poor ... .

17) Comment by agagent - 21/03/2013

Christians believe that their church and its members have a responsibility to help the poor, as well as help the poor in spirit. That means sustaining life of the poor, as well as helping the poor to lead a more Christian life. Government has spent trillions of dollars on anti-poverty programs and the results are conclusive: the number living in poverty has increased and these programs foster a general decline in morals (a decline in marriages, an increase in children born out of wedlock, laziness and a sense of entitlement, and politicians misusing their power and misusing taxpayer resources). When Pope Francis calls us to help the poor, he is not endorsing government assistance programs which work against Christian beliefs.

18) Comment by Whatnow - 21/03/2013

The writer writes, "Nobody is suggesting free passes for the able-bodied and those strong in mind." When the government gets rid of these, then maybe the money meant for the fragile, the working poor, the elderly, the handicapped, and the mentally ill wouldn't be in question. It would be helping those for whom the money is intended. Fix what is broken before you ask for more.

19) Comment by DMJ - 21/03/2013

You'd think Christians would be against conservative economic policies...but you'd be wrong. For some, it's more important to simply be a member of the club than to actually act like Jesus of Nazareth said to. This is why, especially in the South, we have racist Christians, selfish Christians, downright unempathetic Christians. I mean... how could anybody in their right mind think that the Jesus character of the Bible would advocate for lower taxes on the rich so government could cut funding for education, health care and social services? The cognitive dissonance required to hold such views is actually quite impressive.

20) Comment by postscript56 - 21/03/2013

agagent and ScotB - I didn't quote scripture, Mildred did. I was addressing her post. If Mildred's post was sarcasm, it was totally inappropriate to the letter and equally deserving of my response. Also, I'm not liberal. What I am is anti ignorant right, but I wouldn't expect either of y'all to know the difference. Your comments on this subject align both of you more with the Pharisees of Jesus's day than with his followers. And neither of y'all have any idea whether I give to charity or not.

21) Comment by firefly225 - 21/03/2013

"What are our policies about to reflect?" Answer: SOCIALISM!

22) Comment by swinham - 21/03/2013

Our comments show how very differently we each interpret Marie"s simple admonistion for us to help the poor to the extent we can by whatever means. It's all well and good to dismiss government attempts to address the needs of the poor as inefficient and ineffective, but what are the poor to do while we wait for this to be magically fixed?

23) Comment by ScotB - 21/03/2013

I think postscript doesn't recognize sarcasm when he sees it. I believe Mildred makes us aware to beware of liberals quoting scripture. Our responsibility to help the poor is a personal one thru voluntary giving. Nor forced conscription by the government, as pointed out by agagent. We see the charity of liberal leaders like Obama and Biden, who typically gave 1% or less to charity. One year Biden gave $250. Before he new he was going to run for president, Obama gave 2005: $77,315 to charity out of income of $1.66 million (4.6 percent), 2004: $2,500 out of $207,647 (1.2 percent), 2003: $3,400 out of $238,327 (1.4 percent), 2002: $1,050 out of $259,394 (0.4 percent).

24) Comment by agagent - 21/03/2013

Liberals are like cheerleaders when it come to charity and personal responsibilities. Liberals are less charitable. We need a broader base of taxpayers, a better economy, and more jobs. That will help the poor more than ineffective government assistance programs which trap citizens in a life of poverty. Everyone should expect to pay some taxes, especially when it come to paying for all those costly and ineffective government programs designed by liberals.

25) Comment by agagent - 21/03/2013

Always be skeptical of liberals quoting scripture. Yes, we should help the poor, but no Christians should not farm out their responsibility of helping the poor through a wasteful and ineffective government. Jesus never supported government programs for the poor, but He did said render to Caesar what is Caesar’s (pay your taxes). He separated individual responsibilities from the functions of government.

26) Comment by Hello Baton Rouge - 21/03/2013

Was I the only one that read about the exemptions for the poor? Am I the only one that sees this working in several other states, 1 of which I resided in and didn't see an overabundance of people living on the streets due to the current state tax situation. I believe if you look at your next paycheck and then look at the section 8 housing, foodstamp, welfare, etc figures, you'll see that you and the rest of the tax paying citizens in Louisiana are doing PLENTY to help the poor.

27) Comment by postscript56 - 21/03/2013

Mildred - Are you serious? Do you believe yourself to be Christian? No follower of Jesus can read that scripture and believe it absolves them of obligation or responsibility. Who do you think the heavenly Father works through to feed to poor? Or did you think He cooks and serves at every soup kitchen? Scripture must be read in its full context. In the passsage you quoted Jesus is telling his listeners not to obsess over the material needs of their day to day lives, but to focus on their relationship with their heavenly Father. He is definitely not telling them "no worries." If you are serious about your faith please refrain from posting your opinions. It does more damage than good.

28) Comment by Mildred Citizen - 21/03/2013

Jesus said, "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them." So don't worry about the poor. The Bible says, "The Lord hears the cry of the poor". And Jesus says our heavenly Father feeds them, so no worries.

29) Comment by Bighug - 21/03/2013

You may have something, crazycajun. I've been thinking Jindal looks out for the rich because that is where he gets monetary backing, but he could believe the poor deserve their fate, just as Hindus teach.

30) Comment by crazycajun - 20/03/2013

Mary, I totally agree. If you want to fully understand jindal's attitude, you have to understand the caste system in India. Just like you were influenced by attitudes of your parents growing up, so was he. He wasn't raised in India but his parents were. Just as they were influenced by their parents so was he.