by usually excellent Berit Kjos. When it comes to
religious issues such as in her book "Under the Spell
of Mother Earth," she is pretty good. However, her
article shows a simplistic and unbiblical analysis, a
failure caused by the right left paradigm. Yes, the
teacher in this story is WRONG, but not for the
reason Kjos says.
"We all know the story of the Little Red Hen
who wanted some bread to eat. She asked
some of her barnyard friends to help make
it. But the cat, the dog, and the goat all
said "no." Finally she did all the work
herself. Yet, when the bread was done and
its fragrance spread throughout the farm,
her unwilling neighbors were more than
willing to help her eat it.
"Won't you share with us?" they begged.
"No," she answered. "Since you didn't help,
you don't get anything."
In the context of traditional values, the
moral of the story is: you get what you
work for. But those who have learned to
think and see from the new global
perspective are led to another conclusion.
Listen to the kinds of questions the
first grade teacher asked her class:
"Why was the Little Red Hen so stingy? Isn't it only right that everyone gets to eat? Why wouldn't she share what she had with some who had none?" [5]
The concerned mother who heard and
reported this story asked, "What kinds
of values were the children taught?"
The new interpretation emphasizes
love and sharing, but what is missing?
How might it confuse a child's values?
The answers are obvious. The children
were taught socialist values. The new
interpretation vilified values that had
motivated Americans to be diligent,
responsible and fair. The teacher's
questions were actually strategic
suggestions prompting the group to
ridicule traditional values, to see reality
and society from the new politically
correct perspective, and to intimidate and
shame anyone who dared to disagree. "
Now, the real problem is this. The other animals
were not starving, they were not in the situation of
nothing to eat, obviously. If they were, they probably
would have helped being desperate.
Not sharing with the needy is not the issue. Demanding
that people contribute and share IS the issue, and the
contributing and SHARING needs to be done by the
others, not just the producers who yes, need to share.
Jesus taught to "give to him who asks of you" without
seeking it back. To be like The Father in Heaven Who
gives generously to all, even those who are not His
friends.
However, we are finite, limited beings. Jesus never said
to strip yourself of all resources and be starving and
freezing and homeless as a result (though some might be
as individuals called to such a radical renunciation of
the world as a counterbalance to be too relying on these
and tending to ignore God, here comes monasticism,
but that is another matter).
St. John the Baptist didn't say, give away your only cloak
which you need to wrap yourself in at night to keep warm,
but if you have two cloaks, give one to someone who has
none.
Theoretically, you could argue that
a. the little red hen was right to do this, even in terms of
thinking charity and the needs of others, because it taught
them to be more proactive,
b. she could also have given them a little and said you want
more you are going to have to help me, you see it tastes as
good as it smells, but I am only giving you a little bit because
you didn't help me, do better nexr time.
c. the often quoted by "conservatives" from St. Paul that
who will not work shall not eat, is obviously about freeloaders
not those whose only options are place of work that are full
of temptations and persecutions and who are willing to help
around the churches or help individuals, or for that matter,
who are unable to work full time or more than intermittently
or at all. These conditions can vary, and it is not good to
adopt someone and take care of everything on the one hand,
or to ignore them altogether, people do need help to get on
their feet and sometimes to stay on their feet.
NEVER should you be doing charity as an act of grandeur,
feeling above others, the test of this is, would you accept
charity yourself or are you too proud? Pride is a SIN.
Caution about what demands might come with or after
help is given is another matter.
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