The catholic bible says people who have extra money and do not help the starving are murderers, thoughts?

[jennifer_bloom]

I always suspected this might be true to a lesser extent, if I buy a toy for my nieces and nephews, I might put a few smiles on their face but if I give food to a hungry child, I might save them from an agonizing and painful death. I'm not a saint - I spent $29 on hamburgers today for the family but I am willing to give a fractional amount to those who are worse off then me.

Updates

3 mo

Ben Sira 34:25 The bread of the needy is the life of the poor; whoever deprives them of it is a murderer.

[BLP11520]

America is rich and no person should go hungry here. Gov't programs, Churches and charities help but some manage to fall through the cracks and of course children have to suffer. I give and have directly bought groceries and gas for people.

[USLegionary]

That's what the collection plate is for.

[NamerOfStars]

That rejecting a church founded by the incarnation of a god shouldn't mean rejecting its ideas. The Catholic bible contains seven books that the Protestant bible doesn't (the Copts have 81, and neither the Greeks nor the Russians have a set canon): Baruch (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/baruch/0 ), Judith (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/judith/0 ), Tobit (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/tobit/0 ), first (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1maccabees/0 ) and second (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/2maccabees/1 ) Macabees, Wisdom (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/wisdom/0 ) and Sirach (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/sirach/0 ).

WHERE, pray tell, does it call those who don't help the hungry murderers? Those links will take you to texts of the books themselves.

[jennifer_bloom]

Ben Sira 34:25 The bread of the needy is the life of the poor; whoever deprives them of it is a murderer.

[NamerOfStars]

Okay, I can see how you could interpret that verse that way. But that's not quite what it means: look at the bigger context of the chapter. It's not strictly about denying food to the hungry, it's about the meaninglessness of rites and rituals for their own sake: if they serve no higher purpose, they're pointless.

What writings survive from the period (early second century BC) suggest that it was NOT a popular sentiment among the rabbis of the time; it was seen as being heavily influenced by Greek thought and culture (and to be fair, it probably was). The book was finished by 175 BC; the Maccabite wars broke out only a few years later.

The scribe who told Jesus "And ‘to love him with all your heart, with all your understanding, with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself’ is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” was probably part of the same school of thought- it would've become more acceptable after the Selucids were driven out.

[XHopelessRomanticX]

I think more context is needed.

23 The Most High is not pleased with the offerings of the ungodly, nor for a multitude of sacrifices does he forgive sins.
24 Like one who kills a son before his father's eyes is the person who offers a sacrifice from the property of the poor.
25 The bread of the needy is the life of the poor; whoever deprives them of it is a murderer.
26 To take away a neighbor's living is to commit murder;
27 to deprive an employee of wages is to shed blood.

I don't think this is solely about rich people, I think it's about ANYONE who deprives another person of their most basic means of survival. Are rich people, who earned their money, evil because they have an excess? No. But a person who became wealthy through ill-gotten gain is.

[AngryCarl]

If they're starving on your doorstep yes. I don't think that when the Bible was written you were expected to send money halfway across the world, even had that been possible. I think neglecting your own children to do that would just make you a bad parent.

[Avicenna]

Well, I take that to mean that as part of our good works and tithing, we are supposed to help the less fortunate.

[Jennz6]

Bless you Jennifer