THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, January 27, 1996 TAG: 9601260084
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E5 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: Issues of Faith
TYPE: Column
SOURCE: Betsy Wright
LENGTH: Medium: 88 lines
I SHOULD HAVE listened to my editor. Time after time, he's warned me about subtlety, but like a hard-headed youngin', I just wouldn't listen.
Recently I tried to show how America's compassion for the poor and needy has turned to anger, resentment and hate. In an attempt at subtlety, I selected scripture from the world's great faiths regarding caring for the poor, then interspersed them with current rhetoric that, among other things, labeled the poor as ``the enemy,'' ``maggots'' and ``pathological.''
Some thought the column was brilliant. Others dubbed it a dud.
What I discovered - and what my editor knew - is that subtlety can lead to distortion, especially when it comes to a religion column like this.
So, to all the folks who are still writing me looong letters detailing the merits of the Republican plan to overhaul the welfare program: please stop!
Please listen!
Point One: The column was about an attitude, not a particular public policy. Yes, welfare needs revamping. Yes, able-bodied citizens should work. Yes, the religious community should bear a greater burden of caring for the poor. How we implement these positive changes, however, is open for debate.
I believe that no positive changes will be implemented until we, who have much, change our attitudes about those who have little. We must have compassion for the poor, not disgust.
When we say, `Why don't they just get a job?,' we aren't showing ``tough love.'' We're showing derision, lack of compassion and hate. Most of us who ask that question have never stopped to listen to the dozens of legitimate answers to that question. We don't listen because we don't care. We don't care because we don't love.
Do I expect government to solve all the problems of the poor? Never. I do, however, expect government to do its share, but bear in mind that my concept of government's share may differ greatly from your concept of government's share.
So now it comes back to the individual. Now it comes back to the question, ``What can I do to help the poor?'' As a Christian, I have to ask myself, ``What would Jesus do?'' As a Christian, I cannot overlook the record that says Jesus never asked, ``Why don't you just get a job?''
He simply fed folks. And then he instructed his followers to do the same.
Point Two: Many also thought the column was about sin. It wasn't. My point in bringing up abortion and homosexuality was that if - as some people of faith feel - religion should affect public policy in those two areas, then why shouldn't religion affect public policy in the area of providing for the poor?
The answer is: Of course religion affects our ideas about public policy, but people of faith do not agree about which public policies should be affected by which tenants of which religion.
Which Brings Me to Point Three: Obviously, if I'm still getting mail on the topic, it is one people want to discuss. So let's do it.
And this time, let's flip-flop the regular format of this column. You tell me what you think about this issue of faith, then I will respond to your ideas and beliefs.
Let's take the next week, maybe even two, to debate this question: Which public policies (welfare reform, the flat tax, the Comprehensive Charity Reform Act, etc.) should people of faith support, and why, in order to help the poor?
Please understand that because of space limitations, brief answers are needed. Also, please don't turn this into a discussion about a pet program at your church or synagogue. The focus of this discussion is what you - people of faith - believe government should do to help the poor, not what my church is doing to help the poor.
Though you may feel strongly about dozens of policies, you might want to limit yourself to discussing the merits of only one or two. No one person is going to get all their ideas expressed (except me, but, hey, it's my column). I have faith, however, that the variety of policies discussed will be great, just because of the sheer number of readers who will respond.
So, are you game? Let's do it. Let's pick each other's brains.
Who knows? We might just come up with some inspiration for the Washington bunch. MEMO: Every other week, Betsy Mathews Wright publishes responses to her
opinion column. Send responses to Issues of Faith, The Virginian-Pilot,
150 W. Brambleton Ave., Norfolk, Va. 23510; call (804) 446-2273; FAX
(804) 436-2798; or send computer message via bmw(AT)infi.net. Deadline
is Tuesday before publication. Must include name, city and phone
number.
by CNB