Social Responsibility to Kenya?

But an expert, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” - Luke 10:29 (NET)

A good friend of the family, Laura Shewmaker, has been posting on her blog about the country of Kenya and the instability in that area due to warring political factions. In her most recent post, Responsibility, she raises an extremely valid question in my opinion. She asks, On the verge of genocide in Africa again, what will we do right now… do we have a responsibility to people half a world away?

That’s a great question. While I do not agree totally with his worldview, the utilitarian/atheist philosopher Peter Singer wrote a rather engaging essay in 1972 titled Famine, Affluence, and Morality (I would highly recommending taking the half-hour or so to read it - he makes some good points). He begins by offering two principles in regards to ones moral duty, one strong and the other moderate (or weak).

1. Strong Principle: If it is in our power to prevent something bad from happening, without thereby sacrificing anything of comparable moral importance, we ought, morally, to do it.
2. Moderate (or weak) Principle: If it is in our power to prevent something very bad from happening, without thereby sacrificing anything morally significant, we ought, morally, to do it.

Singer explains the first principle this way, “It requires us only to prevent what is bad, and not to promote what is good, and it requires this of us only when we can do it without sacrificing anything that is, from the moral point of view, comparably important.”

Singer also provides an application of the second principle, “If I am walking past a shallow pond and see a child drowning in it, I ought to wade in and pull the child out. This will mean getting my clothes muddy, but this is insignificant, while the death of a child would presumably be a very bad thing.”

From here, Singer makes the distinction between shall and ought based on a persons proximity to a particular situation that needs some sort of response. I particularly like the way he argues for proximity (he calls it geographic discrimination) not being a justifiable excuse for non-action and I think that really is the point of contact with the situation today in Kenya, much like the situation in 1972 with India (which is what Singer is writing about). The principle is still applicable even though the circumstances are not identical.

While I do believe that Singer makes some rather good, strong points for humanities moral obligation to help those in need and danger, I do not see clearly how he is able to build his utilitarian philosophy upon his atheistic underpinnings in a way that is logically justifiable and makes rational sense. I think it lacks explanatory power and scope to move him from isness to oughtness. I believe a better view to explain ones obligation for helping out is a Christian theistic worldview.

We see the apostle Paul taking up a collection in 1 Corinthians 16 for the church in Jerusalem. We see the early Christian community in Acts 2:44-45 helping one another as they had need. There is Christ’s own words during the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 7:7-12). But perhaps the most clearest instruction comes to us from the book of James.

James, the half-brother of Jesus, wrote,

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but does not have works? Can this kind of faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm and eat well,” but you do not give them what the body needs, what good is it? So also faith, if it does not have works, is dead being by itself. But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith without works and I will show you faith by my works. You believe that God is one; well and good. Even the demons believe that - and tremble with fear. But would you like evidence, you empty fellow, that faith without works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? You see that his faith was working together with his works and his faith was perfected by works. - James 2:14-22 (NET)

So in response to Laura’s question, we absolutely have a moral obligation/duty/responsibility to help those half a world away. Proximity is not an excuse to sit idly by and do nothing. As human beings, created in the image of God, we have an obligation to all of humanity to treat them as we would want to be treated.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength….Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these. - Mark 12:30-21 (NET)

Christianity: What Is It?

A church group went to Rochester College and asked a bunch of people around there the question:

“When you hear ‘Christian’ or ‘Christianity’ what kind of feelings does that evoke? What does it make you think?”

Below is the YouTube video that was a result of the impromptu interviews. But how about you? What do you feel and/or think?