{"id":1622,"date":"2004-12-08T23:20:07","date_gmt":"2004-12-09T03:20:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.law.harvard.edu\/nateptest\/2004\/12\/08\/lets-not-be-too-narrow-here\/"},"modified":"2004-12-08T23:20:07","modified_gmt":"2004-12-09T03:20:07","slug":"lets-not-be-too-narrow-here","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/natep\/2004\/12\/08\/lets-not-be-too-narrow-here\/","title":{"rendered":"Let’s not be too narrow here"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a><\/p>\n

Ignoring the AIDS crisis worldwide.  This isn’t a problem just
\namong evangelicals, but Christians in general.  But perhaps
\nevangelicals are supposed to get it more?  That’s what the columnist seems to be saying<\/a>. 
\nI can’t agree; it’s not just to hold evangelicals to a different
\nstandard than other Christians.  Regardless, there’s plenty of
\nshame here for evangelical Christians to think about.<\/p>\n

The survey, conducted by the Barna Research Group for World
\nVision, a nondenominational Christian relief organization that does
\nheroic work in Africa and elsewhere in the developing world, revealed
\nthat since November 2002, the percentage of American evangelicals who
\nsaid they would be willing to make a donation to help alleviate the
\nAIDS emergency has risen from 5 percent to 14 percent.<\/p>\n

The survey of 1,004 adults also found that 17 percent of evangelicals
\n(a group Barna researchers define with a complicated set of nine
\nquestions about doctrine, belief and practice) now say they would help
\nchildren orphaned by AIDS, a figure that is up from a shocking 3
\npercent two years ago.<\/p>\n

World Vision calls this a “small but significant increase.”<\/p>\n

That’s far too generous. They’re being way too easy on their evangelical friends, and I say that as one of them.<\/p>\n

Let me be sure I’ve got this straight: Two years ago, almost none of
\nthe evangelicals polled (in the same Barna survey) said they intended
\nto make a donation to help the African AIDS emergency. And now, about
\n85 percent of them still feel the same way.<\/p>\n

Hardly reason to celebrate. The numbers should be the direct opposite of what they are….<\/p>\n

Jesus said: Suffer the little children to come to me. Feed the hungry. Care for the sick. The poor will always be with you.<\/p>\n

Most Christians know this, right?<\/p>\n

So, why didn’t the Barna surveyors discover nearly all evangelicals —
\nthe alleged caretakers of Jesus’ gospel message — ready, willing and
\nable to do whatever it takes to help millions of dying men, women and
\nchildren in sub-Saharan Africa live?<\/p>\n

The Barna surveyors also reported that about 12 percent of Americans in
\ngeneral are willing to donate money toward the African AIDS crisis, and
\nabout 13 percent are interested in supporting children orphaned by AIDS.<\/p>\n

That’s a negligible difference from the evangelical results.<\/p>\n

Where does Jesus fit into the equation?…<\/p>\n

Hey, church, what’s it gonna take?<\/p>\n

Does Jesus himself have to make a special guest appearance, point at
\nAfrica and shout, “Yo, a little help over here?!” before you realize
\nit’s unquestionably your responsibility to do something significant to
\nstem the tide of the AIDS pandemic there?<\/p>\n

Yes, it’s up to all of us as human beings, regardless of our religious
\npersuasion or lack thereof, to care for those most in need….<\/p>\n

Actions speak louder than words.<\/p>\n

Or as yer man puts it in what (since you asked) is the best track on U2’s new album full of emotional and spiritual spleen:<\/p>\n

You speak of signs and wonders<\/span>
\n But I need something other<\/span>
\n I would believe if I was able<\/span>
\n But I’m waiting on the crumbs from your table.<\/span>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ignoring the AIDS crisis worldwide.  This isn’t a problem just among evangelicals, but Christians in general.  But perhaps evangelicals are supposed to get it more?  That’s what the columnist seems to be saying.  I can’t agree; it’s not just to hold evangelicals to a different standard than other Christians.  Regardless, there’s plenty of shame here […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":709,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[47],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1622","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-rayleejun"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p5G3PH-qa","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/natep\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1622","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/natep\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/natep\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/natep\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/709"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/natep\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1622"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/natep\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1622\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/natep\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1622"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/natep\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1622"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/natep\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1622"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}