There used to be a phrase: “the worthy poor.” It dates back to Victorian times, if not before—the idea that some were poor through unfortunate circumstances, while others had only themselves to blame. That distinction is gone, of course. To suggest that some poverty might be due to poor lifestyle choices is mean-spirited, heartless, or racist. As far as national discourse is concerned, there’s no such thing as unworthy poor.
That’s why Mitt Romney’s ill-considered word choice when he said he wasn’t too concerned about the very poor raised such a ruckus. President Obama managed to get in a not-so-subtle jab at the National Prayer Breakfast last Thursday when he insisted that we must raise taxes on the rich to help the poor so that the middle class won’t be stretched even further. “[F]or me, as a Christian, it also coincides with Jesus’ teaching that ‘For unto whom much is given, much shall be required.’”
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