Hunger in United States and the Holy Scriptures



Abstract

This paper discusses the Biblical scriptures about helping the hungry and poor. It also gives a brief account of the situation of hunger and poverty in United States focusing on the guidelines provided by the scriptures. Such guidelines have created a Christian social responsibility towards the fellow being. Numerous times, the scriptures emphasize giving alms and support to the needy. These guidelines become important in ensuring that the equal rights are provided to the deprived.

Table of Contents

Introduction4

Causes of Poverty in United States of America5

Life under the poverty and Hunger in the United States of America6

Geographic Locale11

Race/Ethnicity12

Teachings of Scripture about Hunger12

Corporal Work of Mercy14

Poverty and Hunger by the Prophets16

Message in Gospels17

Teachings of the Early Church17

Christian Social Responsibility towards the Poor and Hungry18

Christian Socialism and Support20

Conclusion21

Bibliography23

Hunger in United States and the Holy Scriptures

Introduction

Poverty is the worst form violence. Poverty is defined as people who suffer due to lack of usual or socially acceptable material possession or amounts of money. Poverty is also defined as a condition in which one lacks the basic necessities of life. These include food shelter, water, lack of education and dignity. The uneven distribution of poverty at various scales, from the global to the household, via the national, regional, and local, suggests the importance of geographic factors in explaining its prevalence and understanding its nature. The United States of America and Canada are known as the most advanced developed countries in the world; still they have the highest child poverty rates in the industrialized world. Some children are poor because their parents are working, yet poor. Other poor children live with single mothers or recent immigrants . Children living in poverty history increased demands on their physical, emotional, psychological, and social well-being. That said, there are some industrialized nations that have reduced child poverty rates through a number of programs and policies. Approximately 13 to 17% Americans live below the poverty lines in United States of America (Conley, pp. 156-190). Of course, important variations exist within regions and nations. Similarly, in USA too poverty rates are usually higher in rural areas, a large and a growing number of poor people live in urbanized areas, with a significant degree of concentration and clustering in specific neighborhoods and informal settlements [1]. Throughout the world, racial, ethnic, and religious minorities; indigenous populations; and women and children suffer more from poverty. However, poverty is not a unique or new phenomenon in the developing world. Majority is suffering from poverty, that is, they do not get proper two time meals a days, and children do not get an education because their parents cannot afford it, people do not have shelter, and many more such things are increasing the poverty rate in United States of America. According to the 2008 Census Bureau, the poverty rate in United States of America has increased to 13.2 percent. This suggests that around 40 million population of America is under the poverty line.

In the U.S., dating from about 1880, before the ...