Free Speech is very important to everyone because it enable people to express whatever is on your mind. Free Speech is very important because it is our constitutional rights for all people. I know for me personally I am able to say anything I want. Everyone is entitled to freedom of religion, speech, assembly and the Press. I know for me I am able to obtain these freedoms as long as I am a United States Citizen. Also, I have a right to assemble with a group of people for a specified cause. I feel as if my Free Speech is very important to everyone worldwide. There was a time when I was not able to my Freedom of Expression. My grandparents told me that they were not allowed to vote and assemble as a group.
Next, I want to inform all of you that if it wasn’t for my family members during the 1960s were not able to congregate with their own church members. This is because our oppressors perceived it as a threat to democracy. Every time I do something online it’s censured by the government. Frankly I have a mental illness but I am entitled to my traditional freedoms as long as I am not threatening the life of another person. I also would like to say that I have liberty and the freedom to do as I please. Life itself is what you make of it. From a religious standpoint our bodies are the Temple of The Living God. This is according to 1st Corinthians 3:16. There are times when a person might be under surveillance.
Moreover I know that I have been computer hacked for 14 years now. This means that a certain group of people have access to all of my personal accounts. I know this because I remember on April 9, 2009, I was terminated from my job in Charlotte NC at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. I lost my job because I was behaving bad. Meaning that I was crashing computers because I was addicted to porn at the time. I still maintained good behavior until I got scammed out of $16,977 dollars in Western Union Funds. I also know that someone is using my social media accounts. It is a shame because I had cancelled my accounts because of that reason.
Finally I want to inform all of you that you are entitled to your traditional freedoms, according to the United States Constitution. I am an Author and Blogger and I feel better now. I have written three books within one year. Two of my books are still available online through Amazon and Authorhouse Publications. You can receive a sample of my books; My Grace is Sufficient for Me and Essays are available online and at the library in Downtown Dayton Ohio. My book called The Best of Anthony Hopkins is at the Library of Congress. This book was published on June 30, 2000. Thank You for reading my essay.
What Does the Bible Says About A Backbiter andSlanderer?
What does the Bible say about a backbiter and a slanderer? It is simple; stay away from them. I will admit that one time or another, I used to be a backbiter and a slanderer. God is responsible for changing my overall behavior. I know that I used to reveal secrets that others tell me at one point in my life. Frankly, I did not know who my father was at one point in my life. I know that Mom had a lot of secrets in her life. I guess knowing my father was a huge secret. She did not want to tell me until I was old enough to understand.
Next, I want to inform everyone that my grandparents had me reading the Bible because I needed to learn my lessons in life. However, I guess I did exactly what I wanted to do. I waited until I went to jail just to keep my mouth shut. Do you know that getting locked up will change you for the better?
Also, I waited really late just to keep my mouth shut. It will change some people, but there are those who refuse to change. I have been clean and sober since Wednesday May 2, 1990. The only person who knows my whole story is God Himself. Men and Women are entitled to their opinions. My changes were made from a Power that is greater than myself. Do you know that some people do not want you to become happy in life? There is a lot of envy and jealousy in their lives.
Moreover, I literally had been oppressed in my personal life by those whom I have trusted. I know that slanderers will not go to heaven, unless they are willing to change their lives for the better. I want to say that I am not a judgmental person. I prefer to keep my mouth shut if I have something bad to say to another person. I know that I cannot change anyone but myself. I know that my life had been filled with ups and downs in life. Therefore, I am not blaming anyone but myself. I guess people will be people rather than change for the better.
In Addition, I guess the bad outweighs the good in certain people’s lives. I know that for me, I do not have any privacy inside of my apartment building right now. This is the reason why I have to leave my apartment just to maintain the peace. It is not very easy dealing with your own friends and family members as well. I have chosen to stay away from people. I need to preserve my own life for Jesus Sake. I know that I will lose my memory because I suffer from Alzheimer’s right now. My own family members and friends do not know it. The only time that I will reveal some bad news about myself is as soon as the doctor tells it to me. I know that I still have to type everything down so it can look professional.
Finally, I want to inform everyone that I am a 58-year-old man who have a lot of common sense. If I give someone else advice, I am only sharing what I have went through my own life. I suffer from Schizoid Affective Disorder. This means that I hear things that other people do not hear. I am only giving myself advice as well as helping other people. I want to inform all of you that if I have something to say, I will tell you right to your face. I am not afraid of man, woman, or a child. It is that our young people need mentors in their lives.
I want to say that If I do not love you, I would not say anything to anyone. This keeps me out of trouble. I am staying out of trouble because I do not want to get locked up inside of an Institution for the rest of my life. I have been monitored by the State of Ohio and the Federal Government. I also have people who are using my accounts such as my Social Media Accounts. For Instance, I have deleted my Snap Chat and TikTok Accounts and people are still using them. When I die, I would like to delete all of my accounts forever. I do not want anyone else using my information for themselves.
It is better to be transparent rather than a coward. Telling the truth will set you free!! I love all people, but you have some people who do not love themselves enough. My Uncle has shared with me information about how to live a long life. He is 80 years old. He has been living in the same city for 63 years now. If I get bored, I will ask God what does He want me to do? Another Example, is that We receive our Daily Manna from God as well as our instructions that God want us to do for Him. Job 33:16 says that God opens the ears of men and gives them their daily instruction.
Lord Jesus, I have sinned against you. I am asking for your forgiveness. I have made every attempt to confess all of my sins to mankind, but no one is listening to me but you. I have done wrong, and the only one who is willing to forgive me is you. In your word it states that You will never leave me nor forsake me. When my parents forsake me, only You are able to take care of me. I understand that my family members are angry with me because scammers and hackers were in contact with my family members asking them for money. What I had to do was to unfriend them and block them from all of my social media accounts.
Next, I want to inform you Lord Jesus that I depend on only you. I know that I will have to get a job and pay all of my insurance policies. I have to pay my student loans as well as my rent. I personally understand how everyone is feeling about me. I am saved and Your Holy Spirit bears with my Spirit. Today is my sister’s birthday. I know that we do not speak to each other anymore. Therefore, this foolish act is not my fault. If she wants to act this way, I will pray for her only. As far as speaking with her face to face, I am allowing a Power that is greater than myself to resolve this issue.
Further, I am allowing You to resolve this matter in peace. I can’t place emphasis on my family members and friends. You have those who likes partiality. I am praying for everyone including those who resent me personally. My sister is a human being just like me. My sister needs a reality check. My friends and family members have not done absolutely nothing wrong to me. Matthew 10:36 says that a Man’s enemies will be those of his own household. It is the people in your own family that you have to be concerned about. I know that I have to do some house cleaning for myself. In Step 10 says that we continue to take personal inventory and when we are wrong promptly admit it.
Finally, I am allowing God to resolve all of my issues. I know that I am not perfect. However, God will resolve this on His own time. The only thing that I have to do is live for Him.
Men, Women, & Communication The differences between men & women when it comes to communication are that men are apt to resolve problems quickly and women are more prone to solutions through direct concessions. These concessions are done through compromise. It might take a while to come to a compromise with women. This is because some men cannot be trusted. Men tend to evade the truth by looking directly away from women when they are confronted. When women look at men directly inside of their eyes, this is an indication that a woman is looking for a man to tell her the truth. This is direct communication and it is face to face. I am the type of man who will look directly inside of anyone’s face while I am talking to them. A woman of any type does not have to worry about me hiding anything from her. I am the type of person who will reveal anything to anyone at anytime. Some people who refuse to acknowledge the truth will become quarrel minded, and become confrontational.
This is because they are afraid of being confronted about their own active issues. In a relationship, it is very important to reveal the truth to your spouse or significant other in a relationship of any type.
If your relationship is one that pertains to cohabitation or a traditional marriage, then communication is very important. Men and women are supposed to learn how to listen and listen with the fullest intent of understanding the other person. I am a person who will take time out of my busy day to listen to the concerns of others. No matter what I am doing in my life, when it comes to a relationship, I know that good communication is the key to a successful relationship. Men must learn how to listen to women. Women must learn how to listen to men as well. Therefore, it is important to understand the other person.
Men and women are totally different when it comes to communication. This is because women are more social than men in the first place. Women are more inclined to communicate for the sole purpose of establishing relationships and gaining a sense of a common ground. When this is established, then a woman will be content in her social awareness and she will gain a sense of trust with others as long as trust and understanding has been complete and established with that person that she is in contact with. Men on the other hand establish relationships differently. Men tend to establish relationships through communication with a specified purpose. This is not a competitive thing; it is about establishing contacts with the opposite sex to the point that it becomes a mission for him.
Perhaps in some cases men just wanted to have a relationship without boundaries. A relationship without boundaries and limitations when it pertains to women is so shallow minded. I mean that men just want to try to do something to the point that it is like a lion searching for food. I am not saying that all men are like this.
Their intentions and expectations change according to time. Women are intellectual beings!!!! Women who are intellectual beings will see right through a man’s plot to try to conquer her quickly that a man’s skin will curl up like a potato bug. This is because some men become target minded. What I mean by this is that men will only fulfill a quest to conquer women without establishing a commitment. Women want a sense of commitment with a man in the first place. I can understand this because this is what I want for myself with a real woman. I want to establish a commitment, but a legitimate friendship first. By establishing a friendship with a real woman, you are trying to understand her from the inside out. You are becoming honest in your efforts to have a relationship without violating her privacy. Women deserve respect to the utmost.
Remember men of the world, a woman is not a piece of meat or a spoonful of sugar. They deserve love, honesty, dignity, respect, and they also need to be treated like decent human beings. They are our auxiliaries’ men okay!!!
Remember it is a woman who brings life into the world but only through your assistance okay. You must learn how to treat them with respect. If you love and respect your own mother, then you will learn how to treat a real woman with respect. It is about love, truth, honesty, and respect when it comes to having a successful relationship. Always remember that good communication is the key to having a successful relationship. I am an advocate when it comes to the truth.
The older you get the wiser and intelligent you become. This comes with maturity and experience. Experience is the best teacher!!!!!!!!!!! Learning how to listen to another person and respect that person as a member of the human race is very important. If you are a living soul, then you are blessed each day as a child of God. As a child of God, you must learn how to love, honor, cherish, respect and tell the truth to others.
Life and Communication
Life and Communication is very simple. What are we talking about here? Let’s start off by asking ourselves a very important question. What is life and how it relates to communication? Life is what you really make of things while you are living in the present. Life is your existence that you possess. The air that you breathe as well as flesh that you have. Communication is the language that you speak consisting of dialects as well as methods of words that one use to speak. Your voice that comes from your mouth is used as a means of communication itself.
Life and Communication are intertwined. They are go hand in hand. A communication and human relationship is used when men, women, and children share experiences about their lives to each other that make sense. Men, women, and children speak to each other as a means of sending and delivering messages to one another. When it pertains to this subject, our lives are shaped by the way we conduct ourselves others. It is our personality, disposition, and characteristics that we have that makes others either like or dislike you as a person. Life and Communication is not always easy. It is how you live your life that makes you successful inside of your environment or more apt towards failures.
It is not always easy to think that you can obtain everything all in one day. You will not obtain all that you need in one day. These things take time. All of these things that people who are possessive tend to hold onto their possessions and past will slowly lose it quickly. When one is possessive, they tend to become selfish in their own way. Men have a tendency to become this way especially when they want control and they are afraid of losing something that was already obtained. Men and women share these characteristics when it comes to possessiveness. Women on the other hand, tend to become possessive when it pertains to resources and finances. When it comes to material things, at least some of them, women are apprehensive of losing them very suddenly.
There are some who are reluctant to change their names when they are married. Marriage is not the end of the world ladies. It is a lifetime commitment between your spouse and significant other. Cohabitation on the other hand is a trial period in a relationship between a man and a woman. It is a feeling out process and an evaluation of one another in a relationship. This is done by direct and indirect observation. This is also a decision making process to determine if a man or a woman will be willing to share the rest of their lives with the person that they are living with. Are you willing to spend the rest of your life with the person that you are cohabitating with? This is a very good question for men and women to ask each other while they are involved in their relationships. Traditional marriage is very serious. This is a lifelong decision that sometimes leads to hardship if a person makes a bad decision while they are cohabitating with their spouse or significant other. All couples will have some good and bad times. It is how you make the best of things through those good and bad times.
Life and Communication is splendid if you have the basis already established beforehand. You will have to examine all of your own resources first before you are able to get involved in any relationship with another person. It also starts off by being honest with each other from the onset. Telling the truth about yourself to another person is a good way of establishing better communication skills with that person that you are willing to share your life with. Always remember that deception inside of a relationship leads to failure. A relationship without trust and honesty from the very beginning leads to trouble.
Men and women must always share the truth to each other no matter what happens in their relationships with each other. Life and Communication also pertains to complete families. This is also shared with children so that they will have a basis to follow in their adult life. When children understand certain concepts about telling the truth and not hiding from others, this will help them to improve in their communication skills with others. Children who are productive and honest have successful lives. This comes from being involved in a healthy family who has healthy relationships. This comes from learning how to speak to each other in pleasant ways. This also comes from learning how to become honest and truthful. Conflict of Interest comes from those who tend to deny or refuse the existence of others. This comes from anyone who has children or relationships with others and denies it from the very start. A conflict of interest can also come from an interest that is taken out of context. This pertains to businesses and partnerships that are established by others who make agreements and do not keep them. A technicality is something that is meaningful and relevant only in principle.
Life and Communication is very simple. What are we talking about here? Let’s start off by asking ourselves a very important question. What is life and how it relates to communication? Life is what you really make of things while you are living in the present. Life is your existence that you possess. The air that you breathe as well as flesh that you have. Communication is the language that you speak consisting of dialects as well as methods of words that one use to speak. Your voice that comes from your mouth is used as a means of communication itself.
Life and Communication are intertwined. They are go hand in hand. A communication and human relationship is used when men, women, and children share experiences about their lives to each other that make sense. Men, women, and children speak to each other as a means of sending and delivering messages to one another. When it pertains to this subject, our lives are shaped by the way we conduct ourselves others. It is our personality, disposition, and characteristics that we have that makes others either like or dislike you as a person. Life and Communication is not always easy. It is how you live your life that makes you successful inside of your environment or more apt towards failures.
It is not always easy to think that you can obtain everything all in one day. You will not obtain all that you need in one day. These things take time. All of these things that people who are possessive tend to hold onto their possessions and past will slowly lose it quickly. When one is possessive, they tend to become selfish in their own way. Men have a tendency to become this way especially when they want control and they are afraid of losing something that was already obtained. Men and women share these characteristics when it comes to possessiveness. Women on the other hand, tend to become possessive when it pertains to resources and finances. When it comes to material things, at least some of them, women are apprehensive of losing them very suddenly.
There are some who are reluctant to change their names when they are married. Marriage is not the end of the world ladies. It is a lifetime commitment between your spouse and significant other. Cohabitation on the other hand is a trial period in a relationship between a man and a woman. It is a feeling out process and an evaluation of one another in a relationship. This is done by direct and indirect observation. This is also a decision making process to determine if a man or a woman will be willing to share the rest of their lives with the person that they are living with. Are you willing to spend the rest of your life with the person that you are cohabitating with? This is a very good question for men and women to ask each other while they are involved in their relationships. Traditional marriage is very serious. This is a lifelong decision that sometimes leads to hardship if a person makes a bad decision while they are cohabitating with their spouse or significant other. All couples will have some good and bad times. It is how you make the best of things through those good and bad times.
Life and Communication is splendid if you have the basis already established beforehand. You will have to examine all of your own resources first before you are able to get involved in any relationship with another person. It also starts off by being honest with each other from the onset. Telling the truth about yourself to another person is a good way of establishing better communication skills with that person that you are willing to share your life with. Always remember that deception inside of a relationship leads to failure. A relationship without trust and honesty from the very beginning leads to trouble.
Men and women must always share the truth to each other no matter what happens in their relationships with each other. Life and Communication also pertains to complete families. This is also shared with children so that they will have a basis to follow in their adult life. When children understand certain concepts about telling the truth and not hiding from others, this will help them to improve in their communication skills with others. Children who are productive and honest have successful lives. This comes from being involved in a healthy family who has healthy relationships. This comes from learning how to speak to each other in pleasant ways. This also comes from learning how to become honest and truthful. Conflict of Interest comes from those who tend to deny or refuse the existence of others. This comes from anyone who has children or relationships with others and denies it from the very start. A conflict of interest can also come from an interest that is taken out of context. This pertains to businesses and partnerships that are established by others who make agreements and do not keep them. A technicality is something that is meaningful and relevant only in principle.
In recent times, scholars have engaged themselves with these two words “poverty” and “corruption” most especially in relation to what Africans experience on their way to economic emancipation e.g. Nigeria and Kenya. There had been a struggle between poverty and corruption. The bible also is not left out in this struggle. Poverty and corruption as we know the two today are not only African problems. They are universal phenomena. It is generally true to say that whenever there are extreme poverty and corruption everywhere, all the miseries that come with poverty and corruption, majority of the cases show a black face, an indigenous person, a caste, an orphan, a widow, woman or young person who is jobless and so on. The two cuts across all races, religion and cultures. By implication they are described as endemic in any human existence. The greatest evidence of poor people in Africa is lack of opportunities, lack of political power and voice to be global player in the world where economics defines success. Hence, this paper examines how poverty is related to corruption and vice versa. It also examines the New Testament perspective and assesses poverty and corruption in the contemporary experiences in Africa. This paper also suggests some ways out of the woods to ameliorate these challenges that almost cripple the dignity of humans which confront Africa in the 21stCentury.
Share and Cite:
Igbari, O. (2016) Poverty and Corruption in the New Testament Perspective. Open Access Library Journal, 3, 1-8. doi: 10.4236/oalib.1102965.
In recent times these two words “poverty and corruption” have become more frequently used in relation to what Africans experience on their way to economic emancipation. In the 3rd world continent, there had been a struggle between poverty and corruption either within the individuals, or in any given society. The issue is: Is it that one leads to the other? Or the two are twin monsters that are consequences of the situations we find ourselves, in terms of politics, social environment, religious affiliation, cultural milieu or economic down turn? Or Are they endemic in the nature of Africans? This paper attempts to examine the vulnerability of Africans to these two issues and the damage they have done to the survival of African countries so far. The paper therefore examines these issues from the perspective of New Testament.
According to Ogujiuba Kanayo,
The issue of poverty is prevalent and has posed serious challenges especially to the Nigerian government over the years with the attendant effects of deprivation of the basic necessities of life [1] .
Examining Nigeria as the giant of Africa, the issue of poverty cannot be over-emphasized. It cuts across the spectrum of all humans whatever culture one belongs. The Nigerian experience is representative of what happens in Africa.
As mentioned earlier, poverty and inequality are global phenomenon; in fact the rates in Nigeria are higher than most countries in the world.
For example, the Nigeria’s national Bureau of Statistics put the figure of the poor in Nigeria at 112.47 million as at 2010 and 112.519 million at 2012 [2] .
It can be stated here that several governments in Nigeria have made frantic efforts to reduce the poverty level but all these have not made appreciable impact in the country.
This experience has made Adejuwon and Tijani to opine that poverty pervades the Nigeria population and makes its eradication a daunting task for the government [3] .
Judging from the Nigerian situation, one can imagine what the contemporary experiences in other countries of Africa would be. Hence, it is the concern of inquiring minds to probe into contemporary issues relating to poverty and corruption and how the New Testament has addressed them.
In any human institution, one tends to come across issues relating to poverty caused either by natural laws or by corruption. In most cases, corruption can cause poverty while poverty can cause corruption as the case may be.
If this is so, what role then has man played in making poverty and corruption to thrive in Africa and what efforts are being put in place either by individuals or human institutions to eradicate these two endemic monsters from African soil? What perspective has the New Testament taken to address the impact on human lives and the kind of solutions being offered to eradicate these two endemic diseases from the lives of humans so that the God given destiny can be attained? This paper hopes to discuss these issues and offer possible solutions that can alleviate poverty and eradicate corruption in our contemporary experiences.
The Hebrew words for the “poor” and “poverty” is an extensive vocabulary for the concept of poverty in the Old Testament. These words give us an insight into the state of the person who lives in any society without material resources. לאף in Hebrew, which appears about fifty times in the Old Testament is often translated “poor” describing the one “who is low”.
As a social term, it refers to the lower class within a society made up of those who lack the material wealth of the upper class. The word האלאף means “poorest” in another context it could mean spiritual poverty, but when the word is used in the Hebrew context, it refers to spiritual poverty especially in (II Sam. 3: 1; 13: 3; Zephaniah 3: 12).
According to Richard Lawrence the word לאף emphasizes the pain of the oppressed poor. It portrays a person who is socially powerless and thus unable to resist the socially powerful [4] . The root “verb” from which the word comes out האגף is translated “to afflict” or “to oppress”, i.e. being forced into submission that involves great pain. At times it is used in the sense of humility. “Spiritual distress” is also the meaning in some other passages like Ex. 22: 25, Lev. 19: 10, Deut. 24: 12, John 24: 9. The word has been the primary meaning of financial distress with accompanying social impotence [4] , [5] . The combined image that these words give of poverty refers to the “poor” the needy, those lacking basic necessities of life.
Poverty assumes a low social status and a terrible vulnerability to the abuses of those with power [4] [5] .
Poor lack of resources makes them to be defenseless against those who are in power therefore facing a challenge of unfair treatment in courts (Deut. 15: 1 – 4). They have little spiritual insight (Jer. 5: 4). When they are defrauded by the rich they have no recourse but to appeal to God because, they are powerless. The poor becomes the most easily robbed in any society, (Ps. 35: 10) Poverty strips the individual of his rights, respect as a human being, lowers his dignity and denies a place in the society.
Paradoxically, what contributes to the vulnerability of the poor in Africa is the level of suffering that the poor people go through in the midst of plenty. In the view of Olubiyi Adewale, the church in Nigeria is stupendously rich especially in the way some Pentecostals lavish church resources to the detriment of their members.
According to him, Onuma, quoting a renowned Pentecostal pastor, notes that the annual revenue of a Nigerian Church is over 3 billion naira, which is very close to the national budget of 4.69 trillion naira for the same year [6] . They have gigantic buildings, exotic cars and private jets. They are richer than some states or even some countries in Africa. Some even acquire private jets costing 2.3 billion naira (Lear Jet) to 6.4 billion naira (Gulfstream G550) with an estimated cost of 8.4 billion naira in maintenance including the salaries of expatriate pilots [6] .
The irony is that, in the midst of this “affluent life”, there are thousands of members of the church who are poor, unemployed and struggling to survive life. The pertinent issue is “Are those acquisitions from the stipend missionaries are entitled to as monthly allowance? Is it doubtful to think that most of this material wealth are acquired through diversion of Church resources for self comfort which is nothing less than corruption?” Most of these categories of pastors are the founders of their churches or General Overseers whose authorities cannot be questioned. The concern of this paper is to explore how such a situation continues to persist while within the same environment poor people are dying of malnutrition in quantum.
The social responsibility for the poor is exemplified in the relationship of God to Israel. God chose the Israelite and instructed them in a way that they can be formidable as a nation; this is revealed in the law given through Moses. In it, there are a number of interwoven social mechanisms provided to care for the poor and the needy which demonstrates God’s love and concern for his creation whatever category one belongs.
Hence, the issue of poverty is as old as man. This paper explores the endemic nature of poverty in the life of humans, the acknowledgment given to it in the bible and the relationship to what we experience today in the 3rd World Countries e.g. Nigeria.
In David Freedman’s view, he categorizes those who are poor into three groups ? the widows, orphans and strangers. He says:
In a society structured upon the male as the worker, the widow and orphan struggled to survive, they depended upon the good will of others (Deut. 24: 17) the strangers as ones who did not belong, had no bonds in their new society. These groups shared a common poverty, lack of status whereby the powerful and the unscrupulous took advantage [7] .
From this statement, one discovers that poverty relates to inability to take care of self financially and socially which calls for help for survival from those who are well to do.
This statement also confirms the fact that poverty refers to those who suffer from relative deprivation. A greater percentage of these groups are found in the grass root mostly in villages and local settlements of the 3rd World Countries.
In the New Testament the two Greek words are πενες, πтωχος and πενες. πενιχωρος indicating those who were poor in relation to the well to do. These poor people were unable to make a living from any property they owned, and so they had to work for a wage, or as apprentices. The New Testament uses words for this group in Lk. 21: 2 and II Cor. 9: 9. πтωχος occurs thirty four times in the New Testament [4] [5] .
Poverty in the New Testament is also associated with the vulnerability of the lower classes to the exploitation and oppression by those in social or political power as mentioned earlier. The New Testament shows deep sensitivity to the poor who are of special concern to God. This paper examines few passages in the New Testament that give the perspective of poverty and the Theological implications on the community concerned.
The word “corruption” can be seen as relative word which means different things to different people and at different times. The root concept in both the Hebrew word תאהאם and the Greek ϕθειρω is that of destruction [4] [5] , [8] . The two are often used for moral corruption (Gen. 6: 11 – 12, Deut. 31: 29, Ps. 14: 1 Eph. 4: 22). The effect is powerful, it connotes ruin, decay. It has a great grip on individuals or on the society. This paper describes “corruption” as a monster, as a pest that destroys whatever it feeds on. It is a dangerous element in human experience that renders individual or the society incapacitated if it is allowed to eat deep into the fabric of social, religious or political life of humans.
The New Testament portrays corruption as something that affects every aspects of the personality (Eph. 4: 22, II Peter 1: 4). Corruption is expressed in the mind and conscience (I Tim 6: 5, Titus 1: 15) and also in character (I Cor. 15: 33). The New Testament identifies that the true Righteousness and Holiness of God can give solution to corruption. It is a common word used in every day to day human experience. It refers to a degenerate state, debased state, prevention, invalid state, putrid state, spoiled, fainted, vitiates and unsound experience. In David Freedman’s view corruption carries a moral or a cultic sense of violation of covenant that expects divine judgments [7] , [9] . The violation of God’s divine injunction leads to corruption. Hence, corruption is a violation of divine order.
Therefore, the theoretical framework of this research paper is hanged on the fact that, even though Poverty and Corruption seem to be a global issue, why should they thrive within any given human institutions made up of religionists who have their code of conduct strongly entrenched in their scriptures e.g. Bible for Christians and Quran for Muslims? Wherever Poverty and Corruption thrive, growth and development will be hindered. The two are inimical to progress. This is why this study is significant in modern scholarship.
In the gospels, we have some keys texts that recognize the “poor” in their needs. The New Testament concept of the poor is well explicated in the gospels and how to treat them. In fact, the gospel according to Luke has been described in recent New Testament scholarship as “the gospel to the poor”. In this section I wish to have brief exegetical study of selected texts that express the New Testament understanding of what poverty is? Who are the poor? And how do we respond to their needs?
1) Concern for the Poor (Matt. 26: 11): At the anointing of Jesus with perfume at Bethany by a woman in the house of Simon the Leper, the concern for the poor became the focus of Jesus disciples. They had the impression of wastage of the cost of anointing Oil not the Theological implication of the act in the life and ministry of Jesus. The recognition of the poor here means that among the Jews, the poor takes significant space in their culture of taking care of the less privileged in the community. Jesus Christ’s response shows that the poor must be cared for in all its ramifications. Here Jesus brought back to mind what we have in Deut. 15: 11:
There will always be poor people in the land, before I command you to be open handed towards your bro- thers and towards the poor and the needy in your land.
His response to his disciples’ observation in Matt. 26: 11 does not ignore the needs of the poor but that the poor are always around to be taken care of by the people around them. Doing this, is fulfilling divine injunctions committed to God’s people.
2) Ministry to the Poor (Mk. 10: 21): The rich young ruler wanted salvation, hence came to Jesus to ask what to do to be saved. He was reminded about the Decalogue which he confessed that he kept to the letter. Jesus discovered that one thing was left. Jesus said to the man “Go sell everything you have and give to the poor…” (Mk. 10: 21) This man became sad on Jesus’ command. Here Jesus’ love is demonstrated in two ways:
To the rich man for the salvation of his soul and to the poor who should be adequately provided for especially from those who are rich and well to do.
The love Jesus extended to the poor gives the picture of the New Testament teaching on what should be the response to those going through this psychological pain.
3) Relationship between the Rich and the Poor (Lk. 16: 20): Lazarus is someone who has been denied the right to make choices and the opportunity to live a tolerated life. This man was a beggar who had no means of survival. He was privileged to be around a rich man who ignored him in his deplorable condition of life.
He was deprived of knowledge, communication, robbed of human dignity, confidence and self respect [10] This is usually the state of those who are poverty striken. In this context, poverty means more than a lack of what is necessary for material well being. It Also means denial of opportunities and choices which are most basic to human development, that is, the opportunity to lead a long, healthy and creative life and to enjoy a decent standard of living, freedom, dignity, self-esteem, and respect of others. The name “Lazarus” here is Latinized form of Eleazar which means “God is my help”. The issue of neglect of the poor “Lazarus” by that rich man confirms the New Testament view of the poor even though they are neglected on earth, by one way or the other, they have hope of after life.
4.2. The Acts of the Apostles
The Poor in the community of Possessions (Acts 4: 35): In the early church, part of the ministry to the poor was the inclusion of the poor in the distribution of possessions by those who had to those who did not have.
Here it does not suggest political communism but the spirit of unity which characterized the body of believers in the early church. Oneness of mind featured prominently among the people that time. The poor did not wallow in abject poverty but were provided what they needed to survive in the community. This text gives an example of the spirit of sharing.
Joseph, one of the apostles nicknamed Barnabas which means “Son of Encouragement” from the tribe of Levi came from the Island of Cyprus who sold a field which was his personal property and brought the proceeds to the Apostles for the poor and the needy.
This is the first mention of this person in the early church referred to as “Son of Consideration”. This is the translation of Hebrew word for “Barnabas” who came from Cyprus an Island in the Mediterranean. This attitude confirms the New Testament Theology of “poor” and “poverty”. By implication, no one should remain poor in the household of God. Those who are strong should strengthen the weak so that the body of Christ can grow together to maturity which Jesus purposed for his followers.
Issue of Corruption
Acts 24: 26 – 27―This text discusses Paul’s defense before Felix which portends an attempt to ask for bribe from Paul so that he could be released by Felix.
Felix was said to contend within himself on whether to take bribe from Paul or not. He had listened to the gospel message on righteousness, self-control and the judgment that would come on the disobedient including those who involve themselves in bribery and corruption. Felix sent for Paul quite often to converse with him expecting whether money would be given to him so that he could release Paul. But he wanted to do the Jews favour by keeping Paul in the Prison until Festus succeeded him.
The New Testament frowns at bribery and corruption; hence Felix as a result of messages of salvation which Paul preached became a challenge to him from taking money. Why? Because, of the consequence of what could happen to him and his family.
In II Tim. 3: 8, according to Pauline thought, people of corrupt minds are resisted by the Holy Spirit. The example of Jannes and Jambres is mentioned here who resisted Moses because they were people of corrupt minds.
To Paul, corruption is Godless behaviour which is one of the signs of “The Last Days”. The last days cover the entire period between the Pentecost event and the final return of Jesus. This period would witness self centeredness, self gain, resisting the truth and holding firm to falsehood. Paul’s point here is that, there have always been people with perverted minds like the two magicians, Jannes and Jambres who oppose the truth and held to corrupt ways of life. According to Paul, these people will become increasingly worse in their corrupt ways until the day when they face God’s judgment for their evil works which would publicly expose them.
The concern here in our contemporary world is that those who are involved in corrupt practices do not search their consciences to judge themselves that unless they repent, they can not escape God’s judgment. Hence, the New Testament’s view of corruption is emphatic and it exposes corrupt people to imminent judgment, here and hereafter.
4.3. The Epistles
The Poor in the Ministry of St. Paul (Gal. 2: 10)
In Pauline Theology on “riches and poverty” he laid much emphasis on remembering the poor in the agenda of God for humans. This is part of the key areas of his ministry.
The Galatians having launched their Christian experience by faith seemed to be contented to shift ground and that a new course based on works, which to Paul was disturbing. Hence his Epistle to them is a vigorous attack against the gospel of works but a strong defense of the gospel of faith. In his Theology he says the law declares men guilty and imprisoned them but faith sets men free to enjoy the liberty in Christ. Liberty is not a license but a special grace of God for those who are His. Freedom in Christ means freedom to produce the fruits of righteousness through a spirit-led life style that has concern and love for the poor and the needy.
The only requirement placed on Paul’s ministry was that he taught his converts the necessity of helping the poor who at that time were centred in the churches and around Jerusalem. This situation arose because the Jews who became Christians were socially and economically ostracized.
That time, they had hard time earning a living. Series of famine between A.D 30 and 50 made food prices rose. The poor people were adversely affected. The church at Jerusalem supported a large number of teachers. They also provided hospitality to all the Christian pilgrims who came to Jerusalem. Paul confirmed that he was eager to provide for those in need in his ministry so that they would be comfortable even as they discharge their Christian duties.
4.4. The Revelations
Poverty of Riches (Rev. 3: 17)
In the Apocalypse otherwise referred to as λποκαλιποтς̉׀ωαννων in Greek, the irony of riches is poverty in relation to how Laodiceans assessed themselves. The book Revelation is the only New Testament book that focuses primarily on prophetic events. The book is also described by Biblical Scholars as “an unveiling of the character and programme of God”. written by John in his exile on the Island of Patmos.
In this text Laodicea was a wealthy city and apparently the church was also a wealthy church. They might have been materially rich and assuming that riches were a sign of God’s blessing on them. They were materially secured and felt spiritually safe with no need of further growth. Regrettably, that attitude made them blind to their own state before God. John here emphasizes the fact that their riches was good but spiritually they were impoverished. While the city prided itself on extreme financial wealth, the church’s true spiritual condition left it poor, naked and blind.
Christ showed the Laodiceans that true value of riches is not in material possessions, but in a right relationship with God. The possessions and achievements were valueless compared with the everlasting future of Christ’s Kingdom. Poverty in this context is more of spirituality and not in material possession. Hence “poor” is symbolic here which refers to spiritual emptiness, life devoid of the Holy Spirit, is life that operates on “the flesh”. Poverty can be expressed in terms of lack of necessities of life as mentioned earlier and at the same time lack of spiritual growth where sustainability of life can manifest.
In summary the New Testament teaches clearly that what really matters is the attitude of the heart. It is quite possible to be poor yet grasping, or rich yet generous. It is not a curse to be poor in material wealth; it may be a blessing in disguise. God created the rich and the poor so that the haves would help the have-nots. But in the contemporary experience especially in politics, the rich continue to amass wealth and become richer while the poor continue to be poor.
This should be the concern of the church and the state to explore how this gap can be bridged so that the God given resources available to God’s people in the land will be evenly distributed.
The Contemporary Experience in Africa
In Dairo Olalekan’s words “Africa is a continent with a variety of cultures, such complexities make any meaningful study a bit difficult” [11] . This statement cannot be contented with the various challenges that confront African Continent.
Africa has always been described as a continent plagued with corruption, poverty and disease. The reason for poverty and corruption in Africa is more of economic than Religious. Most African countries did inherit economic challenges from the colonial period and because the prices for African products in the world market have been very low, the governments of the nations find it very difficult to fulfill the hopes and demands of their people [12] . At the time of independence, many African countries relied on a single crop or mineral to export for sale to other countries, a pattern that had been encouraged by the colonial powers. As a result, they were highly exposed to the fluctuations of international prices for African products. All these economic conditions have contributed immensely to poverty and corruption in Africa.
The inability of the African nations to meet up with the economic needs of their citizenry led to corruption. Today, corruption has eaten deep into the fabrics of Africans even among the so called leaders who use their privileged positions to amass wealth at the expense of the people that voted them into power beyond imagination.
In recent times in Nigeria all the media both electronic and print report one form of corruption or the other. Most of these revelations are of high profile that people do wonder how could an individual steal such staggering amount from the national treasury with impunity.
The resultant effect is poverty across all sectors of national life of Nigerians. The sharp increase in the world price of oil that began in the 1970s created much economic problems for oil-importing African countries seeking to expand their industrial base. Now that the government of Nigeria has started to explore ways of diversifying her economic resources, there is hope that the magnitude of poverty and corruption we experience today could face out with time.
Worthy of note is the history of economic exploitation which has played a role in the poverty African countries experienced from the colonial masters that had adversely affected the growth of Africa. Down the ages from the history of emancipation of Africa, the bondage of colonialism and the exploitation of the West became one of the major reasons that led many African countries to embark on independence for “self government”.
Another reason was racism i.e. racism and cultural superiority of the West. The colonial powers attempted to convince Africans that effective participation in the modern world required them to discard their own identities, cultures and become more like Europeans. Schools in colonial African taught African children about European History and European literature while neglecting the rich history and cultural heritage of Africa itself. This also played significant role in the magnitude of poverty in Africa. The way out of the woods is the redirection from oil to cash crops-cocoa, coffee and food crops e.g. cassava, beans etc. If our government can be faithful to what they say through the media, there is hope that Nigeria will take her place in the committee of nations.
Whatever one says of Africa without addressing poverty does not hold water [13] . Poverty as we know it today is not only an African problem, it is generally true to say that whenever there is extreme poverty, all the miseries that come with it, majority of cases will show a black face, an indigenous person, a caste, an orphan, a widow, woman or young person who is jobless [13] , [13] . By implication, every indigenous African is a poor person.
As mentioned earlier in this paper poverty is not just lack of material means but also lack of opportunities. The greatest mark of poor people in African is lack of opportunities, power and voice to be global player in the world where economics defines success.
Poor people are extremely vulnerable to sickness, violence and natural disasters. They live with crime, low quality education, and the lack of opportunities for the youth, a toxic environment and loss of political power and influence [13] . This truly is the African experience which the international community should have concern for. Even though the life of the poor is painted with moral laxity such as neglect of parental duties, loose marital ties and sexual abuse, dishonesty, warfare, fraud, corruption, bribe, vices, drug addiction, alcoholism, criminality, youth hooliganism, theft, smuggling, robbery, pick pocketing, in recent time kidnapping. We found out that this experience is not limited to Africa. Developed countries e.g. UK, USA, China do experience such criminal tendencies. In conclusion, to offer suggestions that could be put in place to eradicate or reduce the level of poverty which in my own point of view has contributed immensely to the magnitude of corruption we have in Africa.
The following recommendations are being offered:
1) Creation of economic opportunities for the youth by the government in power. This will invariably enhance growth and development.
2) Financial support from international community to finance revenue yielding projects especially at the grass root where we have the highest percentage of poor people. This will definitely reduce their rate of migration, which depopulates the rural area and over populates the big cities in search of greener pasture.
3) Institution of faith-based voluntary agencies whose policies are based on humanitarian concerns.
4) Establishment of social institutions by philanthropists to take care of the needy, the aged, the widows, the orphans, the unemployed and the like.
5) Utilization of natural resources like vast farm lands to produce food items at least for the immediate family. Africa is blessed with virgin lands unutilized due to lack of mechanized tools for small scale farming; local tools can be employed up to a reasonable level.
The attitude of the world generally about poverty and corruption make the realities of poverty and corruption less visible, in the sense that rich countries who often give financial assistance do what they do in solidarity but the questions are: What is the percentage of what they give to the resources available to them? What do the countries who receive such financial supports do with what is received? Is what given used for the purpose for which it was given? Are such receiving countries faithful to the giver countries by being accountable to them on what they have received?
These are the questions that agitate the minds of modern day inquirers within or outside the country concerned. In my own view, lack of adequate accountability is corruption in disguise. Africans need a re-orientation of their world-view on the purpose of creation and what it means to fulfill God purpose in life as to achieve God-given destiny within the limited resources available. When a huge shunk of the nation’s resources is diverted to personal account by an individual as we discover almost on daily basis, it becomes a dis-service to the nation one serves as a political leader in whatever sector or level of the leadership one finds himself. This paper is a wake-up call to all our leaders both in the church and in the state to shun greed. Greed is the root cause of corruption while corruption produces poverty.
According to Delanyo Adedavoh he recommends personal life Transformation for all who are leaders in Africa either within the church or in the state [14] . When the life of a leader is totally transformed, corruption would disappear in his agenda. In engaging biblical perspective on authority and accountability both cultures need to experience transformation. The Africans need to appreciate the responsibility to maximize God-given talents for multiplying impact in the light of the principles in Jesus Christ parable of the talents in Matt. 25 [14] .
The issue here is making use of one’s position in a more responsible manner. This will definitely affect the people around positively, poverty and corruption will reduce to the bearest minimum and this will enhance growth and development in the church and the state.
Adejuwon, K. and Tijani, A. (2012) Poverty Reduction and the Attainment of Millennium Development Goals in Nigeria; Problems and Prospects. IJRSS – International Journal of Research in Social Sciences, 2, 53-74.
Olubiyi, A. (2016) Developing a Social Action Agenda for the Poor: A Reading of Lukan Poverty Parables for the Nigerian Context. Spectrum Journal of Contemporary Christianity and Society, 1, 33.
Dairo, O. (2016) Hermeneutical Methods in Biblical Interpretation in Africa: Matters Arising. Spectrum Journal of Contemporary Christianity and Society, 1, 119.
Job 14:14-16 says If a man dies he shall live again? All the days of my hard service I will wait until my change comes. You shall call, and I will answer You: You shall desire the work of Your hands. For now, You number my steps, but do not watch over my sin. This is a parable by Job. He exclaims that if a man dies, he shall live again. This means when we die, we shall live again because our destination will either be heaven or hell. All the days of my hard service means as long as we are working hard on earth until the rapture comes. This is not very easy to bear.
This is simply because our fate is determined by our own actions. I want to say that I feel good because God has sealed my fate for me a very long time ago. God shall desire the work of my own hands. This means that God would like for me to work for my money. The labor itself is intensive. God will speak to me, and I shall answer Him. This means that God is speaking to me in a way that only I can hear it.
Next, I want to inform all of you that I still have a long way to go when it comes to my sense of work. I am a Writer. I am still a College Student. I am still in the prime of my life. I am only 56 years old. I am still a young man.
I want to say that my life has not been easy. I have literally bumped my head too many times. You number my steps, but not watch over my sin. This means that God is giving all of us a choice. Further, all of my sins that I have accumulated are from making bad decisions. I realize that God would like for all of us to share the Gospel with everyone.
I might be young, but I have a lot of physical problems to contend with. God is speaking to me on a daily basis. I pray for people every single day of the week. I know that my steps had almost slipped into the Pit. This means that in my mind, I have stepped into a sinful Pit. I know that my actions and behavior in the past has sealed my fate. Only God has decided the place for me in advance.
Finally, I cannot say whether or not I am going to heaven or hell. I can only say that based on my actions from my past, it has sealed my fate. I am a Born-Again Christian. It is that my past consisted of some things that only God can forgive me. I have tried to receive forgiveness from man, and I have been rejected. My steps are counted every single day by God. God also knows how many steps that I am going to walk each day of the week.
God knows exactly how long I am going to live in advance. He even knows the plans that He has for me in advance. I am ready to do God’s work. I am ready to serve Him. I am ready to become a worker for God. I write essays because it helps me cope better with a mental illness. God Bless You All!! May God be with all of you. I love you all very much.
Do Not be Drunk with wine but be filled with the Holy Spirit.
Do not be Drunk with wine, but be filled with the Holy Spirit. This means that I should be filled with the Holy Spirit. I remember for 18 years, I was an alcoholic and a dope addict. Frankly, I was a little boy when I was an alcoholic. This was during the time that I was living with my parents on West third Street in Dayton Ohio. During the time when peer pressure was very serious. My friends during that time I was in a street gang.
Next, I was hanging around with my mom and friends. My mom was an addicted to Alcohol and wine. My step dad was a raging alcoholic. My own 15biological father was an alcoholic himself. When my parents got drunk, they were mean to me. My friends were there for me
Further, I would go to the park and be there all by myself. God was there for me from the time that I was a child. God has never leave me nor forsake me. I was looking for solutions rather than problems. God loves me because I am His Child. I surrendered to God in 1990. After I stopped drinking, I became a sex addict.
Moreover, I stopped drinking and replaced it with sex. For a total of 25 years I became sexually active with prostitutes. My life change since I graduated from college back in 1993 and 1995. I moved to Charlotte NC on June 15 1997. I have learned how to control my sexual urges.
Finally, I have been working on myself. I know that I can be a good person in my life. God is watching over us all of the time. God loves me for me. I have been clean and sober for a total of 33 years now. I love all of you. God loves you in the same way I love you. Please keep me in your prayers and thoughts. I love all of you for the people that you are.
In Conclusion, I lived in Toledo Ohio for a total of six years. I attended the University of TOLEDO . God is the author of our life and our friend.
Corruption in U.S. at Worst Levels in Almost a Decade
Corruption in the United States is apparently at its worst in almost a decade, according to a new global report released Thursday by Transparency International. Advocates attribute the drop to declining trust in democratic institutions and poor oversight of pandemic-related financial aid.
In the annual Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), the United States fell to a low of 67 out of a maximum possible score of 100, down from a high of 76 in 2015. By its nature, corruption is difficult to document, so the index relies on a variety of different sources to measure the level of perceived public sector corruption. The lower the score, the worse the corruption. Two-thirds of the 180 countries and territories included in the 2020 index scored below 50, with an average of 43.
Scott Greytak, the advocacy director for the U.S. office of Transparency International, cited a broader “decay” in U.S. political institutions as a major contributor to the country’s declining rating. Gretyak noted that public confidence in U.S. elections has been undercut by disinformation and record-setting amounts of untraceable money in elections—especially in 2020, when twice as much was spent compared with 2016.
“Second, and increasingly important, are these series of really bombshell exposés by media outlets that are demonstrating how much dirty money is flowing into the United States’ financial system,” he said, referencing a joint investigation published by BuzzFeed News and the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists last year that revealed how major banks had knowingly allowed trillions of dollars of suspect financial transactions to go ahead, enabling drug kingpins, kleptocrats, and terrorists to move corrupt cash around the world.
The 2020 index also revealed how global corruption has hamstrung countries’ abilities to protect public health and their economies during the pandemic. In the United States, there have been repeated reports of loans issued under the Payment Protection Program, intended to support small businesses, flowing to not-so-small businesses: Among the beneficiaries are defense contractors, the international fast food chain Shake Shack, and the Los Angeles Lakers.
“COVID-19 is not just a health and economic crisis. It’s a corruption crisis. And one that we’re currently failing to manage,” said Delia Ferreira Rubio, the chair of Transparency International. “The past year has tested governments like no other in memory, and those with higher levels of corruption have been less able to meet the challenge. But even those at the top of the CPI must urgently address their role in perpetuating corruption at home and abroad.”
Health care systems and drug procurement have long been vulnerable to corruption. The report found that the more corrupt a country or territory was, the less money was spent on health care, regardless of levels of economic development. “While corruption differs in scale and scope across regions, it proved to be a universal obstacle to effectively combatting COVID-19,” the report notes.
Since 2012, the earliest point of comparison under the index’s current methodology, half of the countries and territories on the index have remained stagnant, registering little to no improvement in efforts to combat corruption.
Another side effect of the pandemic is that authoritarian governments have seized on it as an excuse to silence critics, curtail civil liberties, and increase surveillance. The report found that high levels of corruption closely correlated with a reliance on undemocratic methods to control the pandemic. The Philippines, which scored 34 out of 100, saw one of the longest and strictest lockdowns early on in the pandemic, as President Rodrigo Duterte warned the police would “shoot … dead” people who violated the restrictions.
Cailey Griffin is a former intern at Foreign Policy. Twitter: @keenstoryteller
Amy Mackinnon is a national security and intelligence reporter at Foreign Policy. Twitter: @ak_mack
PS: I want to inform all of you that corruption is at its worse since 1980. The Government need to do a better job of dealing with problem. I really think poor people are more than likely to become victims of corruption. Corruption in the State of Ohio is at an all time high. Innocent people are getting shot and killed over misunderstandings. The police are killing innocent people.
Why is it important to pray? The reason why it is important to pray is because God wants us to talk to Him. It is very important to ask God for anything that you need. God knows the things that we need long before we ask Him. Pray without ceasing. He knows what we are thinking. God even knows our thoughts for they are futile.
It is very important to have a good relationship with God. God can tell if you are honest with Him. I usually pray every single day of the week. The only thing that I ask for is wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. It is important for me to keep it real with God and with other people. It is very important for me to pray on a daily basis. God can tell if you are telling a lie. This is the reason why it is important to tell the truth. Everything that I ask God for I really need. We live on promises not explainations.
Moreover, I put all of my faith in God. I have admitted all of my sins to Him. I have been clean and sober for a total of 33 years now. I’m very happy for maintaining my relationship with God. I know that I am only a dinner. God is watching me all of the time. I have been saved for only 8 years now. I really feel better now. I have been suffering from diabetes for about four years now.
Further, I have been trying to lose weight. I have been overwhelmed and overmedicated. I still weigh 290 pounds. I am taking laxatives on a daily basis. Therefore, I will be okay. Praying helps me to relax and release any tension that is inside of my body.
Finally, I pray for everyone that I know and for those that I don’t know personally. I also pray for everyone who is in my family. I want to say that it’s very important to pray the Lord’s Prayer on a daily basis.
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