poverty

April 12, 2023

The (G.W.) Bush Whisperer

’Tis a sigh that is wafted across the troubled wave, ’Tis a wail that is heard upon the shore ’Tis a dirge that is murmured around the lowly grave Oh! Hard times come again no more. Continue Reading...

March 15, 2023

Conservative Compassion Fatigue

Part 3 of my series on poverty and the welfare state ended with a brief look at two community associations in South Dallas. As the Washington welfare-reform impasse in 1995 and 1996 dragged on, I traveled the country learning and speechifying. Continue Reading...

February 15, 2023

Washington Fiddles, Texas Burns

While Washingtonians in 1995 fought welfare battles on Capitol Hill, a struggle initially below press radar began in San Antonio. The July 5 afternoon temperature was 90 degrees as James Heurich, with sleeves rolled up and tie loosened, sat at his scarred desk in the office of a Christian anti-addiction program, Teen Challenge of South Texas. Continue Reading...

December 06, 2022

My $50,000-per-Person Poverty Dinner

“You don’t know about me without you have read a book by the name of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer; but that ain’t no matter. That book was made by Mr. Continue Reading...

October 13, 2021

We need a ‘Forbes 400 Poorest Americans’ list

In the 1936 film My Man Godfrey, an oddly well-spoken “forgotten man” whose temporary lodgings are a city dump, finds himself the object of a game played by a pair of rich sisters, one of whom takes a fancy to him. Continue Reading...

September 19, 2021

The impact of church attendance on child development and family life

Only 47% of Americans belong to a church of any faith. This matters, especially for families and children, as well as our communities, as church attendance and religious adherence not only benefit family life, but also the development of children, as both church and a strong family life positively form children and help them become productive members of society. Continue Reading...

July 14, 2021

Julian Simon was right: More humans equals more abundance

In 1968, biologist Paul Ehrlich published “The Population Bomb,” a best-selling panic manifesto that predicted mass starvation and global catastrophe due to overpopulation. “The battle to feed all of humanity is over,” Ehrlich proclaimed. Continue Reading...

June 15, 2021

Charity misdirected: New study explores Christian attitudes about orphanages

Orphan care has long been a central focus of Christian missions, prompting many churches to offer significant support for orphanages around the world, whether through financial donations, short-term missions trips, or actual adoption. Continue Reading...

October 19, 2020

This church is rebuilding Detroit’s economic life

When reflecting on the church’s economic responsibility, some of us may envision an assortment of needs-based “outreach programs,” from food pantries and homeless shelters to short-term mission trips and fundraising drives. Continue Reading...

May 07, 2020

In a pandemic, the poor need global markets more than ever

The coronavirus global pandemic has scrambled everything from economic policy to geopolitics. This disruption has created space for many to reconsider the world’s pre-coronavirus arrangements. Trade and globalization will undoubtedly be on the menu for renegotiation. Continue Reading...

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