tothesource

Responses to The Real Heroes

The Gates donate money to Planned Parenthood...sorry not my list of great people. The Planned Parenthood mentality doesn't solve the problems of the world, like poverty, but uses abortion and so called population control. They think the problem is that there are too many people and not enough resources. There are enough resources, but selfish governments, bad policies, & ruthless people in control of the resources are the real problem. - B. B.

Once again To The Source has hit the nail on the head. Dr. Paul's article cuts through the philanthropic hoopla of exceedingly rich people who get honors for being on the right side of wealth. The real heroes are those who deal with poverty every day, and the majority of them are women and children. The article had other insightful suggestions like the problem of poverty needing a bottom up solution rather than a top down. Yes, money seems like the answer to poverty, but often proves to work against it. Dignity is the real answer to poverty, something few people are willing to give the poor. Poverty is not sin, how we treat the poor is. - R. C.

I appreciate your recognition of the women who do these things, but I find it hard to understand why you have to undermine what The Gates and Bono do in the process. God has allowed them what they have AND I have to say they are making better use of it than most. I have read many interviews and nearly all of the book that is a conversation with him and believe me Bono and his campaigns against AIDS, poverty & debt relief are not attempts to calm his conscience it comes from his belief in God. He knows who gave him what he has and he's trying to use it as well as his influence for something positive. In the process, organized faith is stepping up to his challenge (which is the same as what Christ told us to do), one that for too long we've shied away from for fear that our money won't be spend wisely. Yes, there is much to learn about how - and Bono has acknowledged this, but for too long we've tried to figure it all out (assuming every homeless person is a drunk and therefore refusing to give them change) instead of praying daily and asking God to give us wisdom as to what to give and when to do it even when WE can't see what will happen in the end. Know what else is happening - Bono's tarnished view of organized faith is changing in the process. Tell me that's not worth it too! He's changing the climate from badmouthing everyone you don't agree with or who won't help you to a positive one of not saying a bad word and instead doing one's best to help their perspective change. Honestly, I'm a missionary in Boston, MA. I raise the support to live on and do ministry here. I don't have a lot, but God is showing me more and more that not only is it His, but because of WHO HE is the well won't run dry no matter how many people (dictators and dissidents) work to thwart the best laid plans...or a simple act of faith. I'm a new subscriber who will still be wearing their ONE bands a year from now. I think we should be praying that people will stand strong on their commitments to this. I'm happy that any money my government gives to this campaign is being used by organizations like World Vision (even your group could get aid from this) - not just randomly sent. To me that is tough to argue with. - S. G.

Your article on "The Real Heroes" sheds a light that is properly focused. I was at the Promise Keepers Convention in Phoenix, AZ three years ago and heard Mr. Wilkinson give his testimony on how he was called to serve the African people. During the last three years I've not heard of any progress but I assume from your article that Mr. Wilkinson has thrown his hands up in despair. I agree with you and your beliefs. Women, (not only in Africa), are the real strength to making "something happen". Why? Because they have something that many don't... Love. Pure Love. Love for others and their well-being. They are closer to knowing and understanding the importance of another life because they are blessed to birth the children that come into this world. Amen, for sharing your words. Money, although great at times, isn't the answer. Love, time, patience, caring, and understanding are just as important. Thanks for the article and your time. - A. F.

Some readers questioned Dr. Paul's assertion that women shoulder the burden of poverty disproportionately.

You stated that of poor adults worldwide, 60% to 70% are women. I find that difficult to believe. What's your source on that? Since your article repeats several feminist myths such as the pay gap, I bet that you got this and other facts in your article from some U.N. report. The U.N. has become a feminist agency; I urge you to carefully evaluate anything you read or hear from them. Later in the article you state, "Money given to men is often squandered." This is pure anti-male sexism. Obviously, if you compare good women to bad men, women will look like heroes who are exclusively worthy of aid. These are simple (but unfortunately effective) tricks used by feminists at the U.N. to justify their programs that give money and other aid to women while hanging men out to dry. Please don't be a spreader of their anti-male hatred. - J. L.

I really appreciated the Spiegel side-bar in your article titled "The Real Heroes". Few have the courage to point out the politically-incorrect but nevertheless immutable fact that direct aid to these countries is actually doing more harm than good. I applaud you for it. However, I think the way one gender (women) was singled out as being the "hero" (and in some ways the other gender was even implied to be semi-villainous) was very divisive and unproductive. There is no benefit in turning the issue in to some sort of gender war or contest of which sex is the real hero. It is just as unproductive as if you had compared one race's contribution to the problem with those of other races. In short, there is no need to collectivize recognition of the "heroes" on this issue. If there are any heroes in all of this, it is individual human beings - no need to specify a race or gender. And to specify a race or gender is to deny due recognition to those of other races and genders. Finally, the source of poverty in developing countries is lack of freedom. Indeed, without productive work, poverty is mankind's natural state. So in a sense, the source of poverty is nature itself and the solution is productivity. But the defining characteristic of all productive developed nations is that they are, to one degree or another, free countries. No amount of handing out candy bars, clothing, or even medical care, will bring these countries out of poverty so long as the people there lack freedom. Developing nations have not overcome the poverty inherent in nature because their people are not free to produce. More specifically, they lack the ability or willingness to save money, start businesses, etc. because there are legal barriers to these and/or they lack the confidence that what they earn will not eventually be taken from them (as it often is). Therefore handouts and giveaways are not the solution - Freedom is. - B. W.

Dr. Robert S. Paul responds:

Anyone acquainted with the problems associated with measuring poverty would readily concede that statistics are, at best, approximations. Data is notoriously difficult to obtain in the poorest regions of the world. This uncertainty is acknowledged implicitly by indicating a range—60%-70%. These numbers are indeed cited in United Nations reports, as the reader suspects. But does that make the information a "feminist myth"? The burden of proof for that accusation (and the others made) is on the one who made it, besides which it rather misses the point. Recognizing the impact of poverty on women, and the dignity and role of women in relation to poverty alleviation does not arise from being duped by United Nations feminists, or a lack of careful evaluation, or some Freudian hatred of men (oh, really now!). The substance of the article does not stand or fall on statistics. The stronger case rests on the cumulative experience of international humanitarian organizations of all stripes, the firsthand witness of missionaries and development workers, and the personal testimony of men as well as women around the world. "He who has eyes to see..."

For links:
1. Try Google on "Women and Poverty" for approximately 47 million hits.
2. World Vision International (www.wvi.org) has an extensive library of publications
3. CARE (www.careusa.org) also has extensive information
4. ELDIS is a British-based agency with tens of thousands of on-line documents (www.eldis.org)
5. The Institute for Development Research (IDR) at the Oxford Centre for Mission Studies (www.ocms.ac.uk) is another source

The Real Hero's don't have PR men... nor poke at problems in their spare time... nor do they have an agenda nor are they seasonal nor do they need money. Real Hero's don't aspire they perspire; they have not went they were sent; they do not wane they gain; they do not fear they endear; they don't tire they expire; they seek no fame of their own they seek one name to be known... Jesus the only true hero! The Blind leading �The Blind� � The call of God to those who serve to often is lost for the sake of expediency or slipping back into selfish ideals. The command is to love� above all else! A labor of love is continuous, without end� �The poor will be with you always� We throw money at every problem because we believe it can have a greater effect then the love of God� some even believe spending money is the love of God? You cannot serve two masters� We go to the poor with money and say its God� the greatest need is to be secure in the love of God� Yet we collect money and give money and in essence set an example that this is the answer to everyone�s need; when in fact their need is to be loved. Our very egos emulate Judas in that we have a better plan then the simple obedience to obey His command. Our tools are to be the empty hands filled by faith with miracles� Jesus fed the 5000 with someone else�s fish and bread� We don�t go in faith we go with an idea and money� Where do you see Jesus going to those in need and dispensing money or that which money bought? He saw our need to have relationship with Him and loves and builds faith, that they and we may receive that which is priceless� security in God brought about by faithful acts of love� gaining eternity� it is still all about the resurrection! Let us open our eyes and our hearts... to our first love. For the greatest of these... is truly in our midst! - R.

Dr. Robert S. Paul: There are those who would like to make the USA/capitalism the "bad guy" regarding world poverty. But in point of fact, the areas that are poor and impoverished today have been that way for the last several thousand years. The problem, as the article indirectly points out, is culture. The culture of a region, steeped in history, tradition, and religious dogma, pretty much determines the fate of the populations thereof. Want an example? OK. Take two widely separated areas, part of the Far East and the Americas south of the US border. Different racial groups, different resource mix, but in terms of current cultural values, nearly indistinguishable from each other. I refer, of course, to the Philippines, and Latin America. The common factor? Four hundred years of Spanish colonial rule. They share common cultural roots, and as a result, have very similar problems; poverty, corruption, and a lack of hope. You can take a look at much of the rest of the world and see parallel results. The Middle East, Africa, South Asia, etc.; the roots of their problems lie in their various cultural heritages. All different, but with a commonality of results. Yet, political correctness wants to force us to ignore the cultural roots of the problems, and just feel an amorphous guilt. We're prosperous, so their poverty is our fault. What garbage. I live in California, once part of the Spanish Empire, and later Mexico. It has the fifth largest economy in the world. But if California were still part of Mexico, it would be a third-world area, steeped in poverty, and it's people would be desperately trying to get across whatever border existed into another version of the United States. Only by addressing these basic cultural handicaps can these areas pull themselves out of the morass in which history has trapped them. As the article points out, this cannot be accomplished from the top down. It has to come from the people up. But rejecting an ancient culture is probably the most difficult task any people can undertake. It can be done, but it takes time. However, the worldwide communications revolution; i.e., the Internet, communications satellites, etc., and the availability of high-speed world transportation networks (read "jet airliners"), are working to break down these cultural heritages. So much so, that some of the populations affected are revolting against this "progress". Read the rants of say, Osama bin Laden, for illustrations of this. Hopefully, he, and others like him, will lose this fight to "save" the past. Otherwise, our world has no hope. - H. M.

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