Page 167 - Push Back

illness, depression, and suicide. They are inducing others to violate their conscience, which is a
selfish and evil act.

The citizens of Sodom progressed from manifesting a selfish attitude regarding their affluence
and leisure, to committing abominations. Similarly, America has been growing in its attitude of
selfishness for generations. There was a time when a majority of Americans practiced charity
toward others. Neighbors cared for one another. The poor and needy in communities were cared
for by churches and the local citizens rather than government agencies. Statistics have
consistently shown that the poor give far more as a percentage of their income than the wealthier
members of society.

The figures above do not show the true extent of the gap between the poorest, and the most
wealthy members of society. The associated article reported that undocumented foreign laborers,
who are predominantly poor, send billions of dollars annually back home to support their
families, but these figures were not included in the calculations. The poor are also far more likely
to manifest faith in God than those who are wealthy. This is a truth attested to in the Scriptures.

James 2:5-6
Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and
heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? But you have dishonored the
poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you...

The city of San Francisco, California, has the greatest number of homosexuals of any major city
in America. Many things can be discerned by taking a look at this modern day incarnation of
Sodom. Like Sodom, San Francisco is affluent. In May of this year it was reported that the
median home price in the city had passed one million dollars, making it one of the most
expensive cities in which to live in America. San Francisco is a center for the tech industry. It is a
high income region. Nevertheless, it ranks in the bottom quarter of U.S. metropolitan areas in the
percentage of income given to charity.