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why such hatred towards the poor?

Christ_empowered

Christ_empowered

Member
I'm in the US, btw..."The Bible Belt," no less (1,000 miles wide, 1 inch deep). I was poor. Without my parents, I'd be another statistics--destroyed by shrinks, then counted as a casualty of "mental illness" or "poor life choices."

Anyway, I get that poor people aren't exactly super popular anywhere. The Bible, particularly the OT, speaks to this. A rich man has many friends; a poor man loses all his. I think that's Proverbs.

What I don't get is the demonization of the poor, how it's such a stigma to be anything less than middle class in a country where lots of people now have to rely on some government assistance just to make ends meet. Isn't is strange? In a country where more and more and more people are poor--including people who were once in the semi-sacred "Middle class"--the poor are increasingly demonized. We/they (I don't know how to categorize myself--mentally ill ne'er do wells don't really fit in the social class system, I guess) are the object of incredible scorn and derision.

We'll "Keep up with Kardashians," watch Hollywood plastic surgeons, talk about the latest celebrity gossip, maybe every now and then have a meaningful convo about war, but we can't/won't/don't sit down and talk about that growing problem: poverty in America.

I can't even go to church locally because I'm stigmatized, at age 29, for having *been* poor. Around here, its like a stain that may never be washed away. In my own situation, people call me "uppity" because I can't be controlled (my people are now behind me), so they can't play those fun class warfare games.

Let's look at some of the fun things that happened to me while I was poor. My poverty wasn't even that terrible. My people were estranged, but supporting me financially. Fun things happened, such as: hooking up with a dude and finding out that he took pictures and distributed them all over the place without my knowledge or consent...my psychiatric records were spread all over the place...I was almost sent to a state mental hospital when I got "uppity" and wanted to be left alone...

...on and on it goes. I'm just one person and, like I said, I experienced a softer, gentler form of poverty. Lots of people in similar situations end up homeless, in prison, in jail, or dead.

In my situation, a lot of my issues were blamed on me and/or mental illness. I guess it never occurred to anybody that the oppression that accompanies poverty and low social status just might drive someone mad, at least for a season. Again: I'm just 1 person, and when God worked on my people (particularly my father), my season of deprivation came to an end. I even get to go to Liberty U online and hopefully make a way forward for myself.

What of those whose people can't/.won't/don't lift their relatives out of poverty? And then the poor are blamed for their plight. If you worked harder, if you were smarter, if you spent your money more wisely, if you hadn't done drugs, if you weren't crazy, if you'd made better life choices...why don't you better yourself? So on and so forth.

Ugh. I think I'm frustrated in large part because now that my people are behind me, I'm not "trailer trash," but people around here hate me because I a) was poor and b) am too "uppity," refusing to play these class warfare games. Also, this is an important issue that I think too many churches gloss over. Jesus was poor, Jesus helped the poor, and Jesus had strong words for the rich who were too concerned with storing up their own wealth to help others and/or pursue The Kingdom of God.

AM ramble, lol. Seriously, though: what gives with our approach to poverty?
 
I grew up poor only in the sense of our family did not have much money. My Father became disabled and very angry when I was young and he would take his anger out on us kids. (Back then you never heard of child abuse). Thank God he was not a drinking man as I shutter to think what would have happened to all of us when he got angry. My Mother was more gentile and had eight kids to raise so could not work outside the home until we got older. Even though my Father was disabled he was always self employed until the day he died, but even that did not bring in much money. My mother made most of our clothes and my Grandmother cleaned rich peoples houses and they would give her hand me downs for all of us kids. We didn't have much for toys, but were rich in our imaginations. We always had plenty to eat as the garden provided all of our food and my mother only needed to buy the essentials.

Being on welfare did bring about many childhood fights with the neighborhood kids who would call us welfare babies and I learned at a very young age how to defend myself and fight back. We are talking bloody noses and torn clothes on both sides. I grew up carrying a lot of anger in my heart especially towards my Father who I hated. The teachers and kids in school didn't have much to do with me growing up and school was like my battle field as I learned in anger how to defend myself verbally and physically because we were deemed poor. I ran with the misfit crowd and deemed a trouble maker in school. I hated school, but did barely graduate. It would be many years before God took a hold of my heart and made a complete change in me. I even learned how to love my Father, but only after he passed away. Now I am at the point that I never care what others think of me as I know I am a new creation in Christ and wealthy in His grace and mercy. I never look back, but now use the past as a witness and testimony of Gods mercy and grace in my own life. I know who I am in Christ and that's all that matters to me now. I've grown so much from the mistakes of the past and Gods blessings are beyond that of whatever I could imagine, praise His Holy name, amen.

Christ_empowered, I see the changes that are being made in you and I thank God for you and what you share with us as this gives others hope in the Lord that may be going through those things you have already conquered. You are a mighty witness of the Lord and may God always continue to use you as you bless others.
 
See what I mean though? Being poor is treated like being sinful and immoral...just because you don't have/any money. Its ridiculous! I was called a piece of (use your imagination) when I didn't have much money, and no money of my own. Being broke as a joke=piece of (), apparently. I still don't get it, honestly.

I'm sorry growing up was so rough. What bothers me about poor kids is that teachers and kids and other peoples' parents treat them like they're not worth anything, then they get into trouble, and all the naysayers say "Look; I told you...those people are worthless!" Its ridiculous!

And the older you get in school, the worse it gets. I was in gifted classes and honors. When I first started in the "special" classes, there were actually a good number of kids from working class and poor families. That changed around middle school when the teachers suddenly showed definite preference for the middle, upper-middle, and wealthy kids. Suddenly, the working class and poor kids' grades started dropping and they either went into accelerated classes (normal classes, just 1 year ahead) or they just went into normal classes. So much potential lost because they made the mistake of being born into a working class or poor family :-( .

The stigma follows you wherever you go. When I needed to be put into a mental hospital round #2, they figured I was "trailer trash" (yes, its the south) and proceeded to torment me and give me heavy, involuntary ECT, so much ECT that I was ***never*** supposed to recover. I did recover, by the grace of God. I also filed a medical board complaint and then all kindsa trouble broke loose (that's another story...).

I mean, how do you escape from poverty? My mother, she's an academician--PhD, all that--and she's had a hard time her whole career just because she has the "wrong" accent and she grew up poor. I guess most PhDs come from families that are middle, upper middle, or upper class, and they just don't appreciate some "hillbilly" outperforming them. Its nonsense, really.

Ugh. I'm venting. My situation now is such that people can hate me all they want to, say all they want to about me, but they can't really mess with me. Jesus healed me!

Its stupid. Like, because I was poor for a while there, I'm "nothing special." My hair grew back and its an unusual, pretty, possibly even beautiful color. I know, a dude with thick, glossy, beautiful hair...what's God doing there? I dunno, either. But the thing is, I'm regarded as "nothing special," so people always talk about how I waste $$$ going to an expensive salon, when really my hair is all natural and I have no idea why the color is so unusual.

Oh, and my facial structure changed. I was girly looking, but pretty, pre-repentance. Kinda dangerous, if you're prone to sodomy anyway. Now, after repentance, my features starting maturing. I'm still kinda pretty--big doe eyes with long lashes, high cheek bones, nice chin, good skin--but I'm more masculine looking. I ***obviously*** somehow had plastic surgery. Riiight. I'm broke as a joke, but I somehow got my face made over. Awesome.

See what I mean? Because I was poor and everyone hated me, nothing good should ever happen for me. I cannot possibly have a nice face, healthy skin, and nice hair naturally, because I'm "nothing special," "poor white trash," etc. etc. My personal favorite is "trailer park faggot." Southern homophobia+southern elitism= AWESOME!

Ugh. Sorry to vent and ramble. This anti-poor thing is downright satanic, you know? People are people. You treat people decently, give them the means and opportunity to grow, learn from their mistakes, mature, contribute to society, etc., good things happen. Break people down, drug people up, fry peoples' brains out with ECT, demean and degrade people...bad things happen, right?

And why is it that its not cool to be racist, sexist, or homophobic, but its perfectly acceptable to talk about "poor white trash," or how "ghetto" someone is? Is poverty and oppression the coolest thing ever?
 
I would rather be dirt poor and live in a box with Jesus in my heart then to be filthy rich living in a mansion without Jesus in my heart heading for Hell, as God will always supply our needs, but our wants are what we gain of our ourselves.
 
True, that. I think my experience of poverty has led me to be determined to never be so vulnerable again. I'm not looking to be rich or anything--"neither poverty nor riches"--and it doesn't take much to keep me going. Its just I hate...the contempt, the vulnerability, the powerlessness of being poor.
 
I love what you wrote christ empowered and I agree .I grew up in a middle class family and i remember my family being extremely conservative(the best way I know to describe it) I remember them talking about and even teaching me such hateful things towards poor people as well as other things.Thankfully I was saved at 17 and their ways didnt keep in my heart.When you go through your darkest time you really get to find out who is and is not there for you.4 years ago I left my cheating husband and my family completely abandoned me because now I was poor and could not afford to live on my own so I was homeless for a while.They are very well off and my stepmom said I was cramping their style and even told me I should have stayed with my ex and just found a way to live with it.For 4 years now there has literally been noone truly there for me but God but at the same time I am so grateful to be this close to him because I wouldnt have experienced this intimacy with him had this not happened.But I still have to deal with forgiveness towards them and sometimes it does still well up in my eyes.I really hope to be in a position to help others someday the same way strangers that came into my life helped me.
 
Does everyone here really believe there's that much hatred for the poor? That doesn't match my experience. I think there's a great deal of empathy for the poor and a great willingness to help.

I hate to break up a pity party, but I was raised under poor circumstances too, and never once felt anything other than confidence that things would improve
 
Mike S said:
Does everyone here really believe there's that much hatred for the poor? That doesn't match my experience. I think there's a great deal of empathy for the poor and a great willingness to help.

I hate to break up a pity party, but I was raised under poor circumstances too, and never once felt anything other than confidence that things would improve
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I think growing up white and poor is maybe different than what you maybe could recognize. See being white and poor when I grew up in CT, never mind in the south genteel land, was seen as an embarrassment to white society.
If a white person was poor that meant they were just lazy or uneducated or a looser.....after all they were white.
The only exception to that rule was the preacher, he was respected no matter what his economic position was.
At least that is what I saw.
 
Deborah13 said:
I think growing up white and poor is maybe different than what you maybe could recognize. See being white and poor when I grew up in CT, never mind in the south genteel land, was seen as an embarrassment to white society.
If a white person was poor that meant they were just lazy or uneducated or a looser.....after all they were white.
The only exception to that rule was the preacher, he was respected no matter what his economic position was.
At least that is what I saw.
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I grew up white in rural New York State. We were all poor, even by the standards of the time.
 
Mike S said:
I grew up white in rural New York State. We were all poor, even by the standards of the time.
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And here all this time I thought you were black.
I guess the stigma of being poor would not be there if everyone was poor. There were only two families in our town that were truly poor, I don't know why they were, but the kids were looked down on in school.
 
Deborah13 said:
And here all this time I thought you were black.
I guess the stigma of being poor would not be there if everyone was poor. There were only two families in our town that were truly poor, I don't know why they were, but the kids were looked down on in school.
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My avatar is from my church, which is majority black, in a majority black community, where I've lived and worshipped for 30 years. I didn't mean for it to be deceptive.
 
Mike S said:
My avatar is from my church, which is majority black, in a majority black community, where I've lived and worshipped for 30 years. I didn't mean for it to be deceptive.
Click to expand...

Oh no, I remember you saying that about your church but there was something you said one time that I made an assumption from. That's my fault in assuming!
 
Poor. What is poor? Did i grow up poor?
1949 -50 we lived in tent
1951 Daddy made about 1200 that year. one thousand two hundred dollars..
1952 mom dad 3 kids in one room Dad cooked in the kitchen a school kitchen so the kitchen was not part of the room
1954 we literally lived in the church building..
1956? we lived in 20 by 20 cabin
1958 in the back of a church again the fellowship hall ? must be what brought on the open concept of homes today?
I knew we were not rich no big deal...

By 1961 we lived here http://www.stonepineestate.com/ not in the 'big house' in the green ranch house... Dad work the ranch mom cooked for the hands.. beautiful place....

At that time it was owned by members of the Crocker family big name 50 years ago..... i learned some thing there... i learned how rich i was.... that tons of money does not make one happy it changes the problems... That family was sad ... lonely just plane ol messed up.

Today we are not rich but we are fine... comfortable... there are some tragedies i would give all we have in monetary things if it could change them....

I have posted this before..

Second grade i had the most wonderful sandwich in my school lunch... taking the sandwich out of the bag it looked weird... taking apart the waxed paper ? each half was wrapped in a blue paper napkin? in such a way so the contents would not fall out.. it was a penny sandwich... i was so tickled .. mom had sliced a hot dog or 2 thin into pennys, enough to share between us kids in our lunch... that is not poor
 
I grew up in a nice town, with nice neighbors, in a nice house, and an unhappy family. No material things are not what people need, especially children if their lives are filled with their parents love.
 
1I suppose I made the comment I did because, while we poor in terms of material goods, we were rich in other ways. Every one I knew growing up was in the same circumstance, and I know some of them had miserable home lives and were abused, like the stories we see here, but I really think that's true of richer folks too. And as far as hatred for poor, I didn't see that. Once in awhile I've run into nasty people but they are far out numbered by the good.

It saddens me to hear anyone feels hated. As Christians were called to change that where we can. I've been mentoring - actually and friend and I have been mentoring - two young black men from Hartford for about eight years. That family is as poor and dysfunctional as you can imagine. We met them when they were 13 years old, and we honestly felt we'd be lucky to just keep them alive and out of jail. They, and the family, didn't trust us at first but over the years we've developed close relationships and the boys grew up to be respectable young men.

That's what we're called to do, take care of each other, not hate each other. Wherever we see hatred, we should be there to offer love instead.
 
I would say that I grew up in a middle class family as well' yeah in the middle 50's and 60's a black middle class family go figure. I got mostly everything that I wanted' and if my dad did not give it to me my grand mom and grand dad would make sure that I got it. But' have I known poverty' yes' when I was grown and on my own. But I have always been around poverty all my life and when I got to be grown I experienced it first hand, and there are still many times where it is hard' like right now' bills' bills' bills' bills and more bills' is a killer.
 
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