Moderators Bravus Posted March 31, 2008 Moderators Share Posted March 31, 2008 Yesterday we attended Kenmore Baptist Church, a local church in our area. The sermon was by a woman who is a director of development for Opportunity International. It’s a Christian organisation that provides ‘micro-finance’ assistance for people in developing countries. That means things like loaning a women in India $100 to buy a market barrow where she can sell garlic and pineapples. She then pays back the loan over time and builds a business, and the same money (originally a donation) is loaned to someone else. Little or no interest is charged, and Opportunity International is essentially helping people to help themselves in quite simple but very powerful and productive ways. Seems to me that this gets us past the old arguments between left and right - it’s very obviously a capitalist, not a socialist, approach to solving the problems of poverty. It focuses on individual property ownership and enterprise. But at the same time it actively targets poverty and attempts to find ways to help people out of it, rather than simply leaving everything to the market and dog-eat-dog. I like it a lot - it gets away from a welfare mentality and the problems engendered by handouts, but also avoids forcing the poor of the world to lift themselves by their bootlaces when they can’t afford boots. Quote Truth is important Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Shane Posted March 31, 2008 Share Posted March 31, 2008 ADRA does things similar to this as well. Bill Clinton is also involved in a program like this, may be is even the same program. Quote Pastoral Family Counselor... Find me at www.PostumCafe.com Author of Peculiar Christianity Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amelia Posted March 31, 2008 Share Posted March 31, 2008 Yes ADRA does this too. Every year I get the catalogue and order goats or chickens etc for someone. Another group called Heifer International also does this. Quote <p><span style="color:#0000FF;"><span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-style:italic;">"Do not use harmful words, but only helpful words, the kind that build up and provide what is needed, so that what you say will do good to those who hear you."</span></span> Eph 4:29</span><br><br><img src="http://banners.wunderground.com/weathersticker/gizmotimetemp_both/US/OR/Fairview.gif" alt="Fairview.gif"> Fairview Or</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nuff sed Posted April 1, 2008 Share Posted April 1, 2008 As for me and my house we support ADRA. We are familiar with their track record. I quite prefer to stay within the church framework if they are fostering programs that I can identify with. I am not certain why some Adventists go hog wild over the programs of other denominations when they could be supporting ADRA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Bravus Posted April 1, 2008 Author Moderators Share Posted April 1, 2008 True, but it's not mutually exclusive... Quote Truth is important Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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