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Originally Posted by MikeWaters
I'm not sure I agree with this. Compassion comes from the individual serving. If you bring politics into your heart while you serve, then yes there are politics.
Liver cancer secondary to alcohol abuse? Lung cancer secondary to smoking? Politics there?
I don't think the Savior would start parsing his compassion to individuals based on perceived worthiness. Wasn't the female adulterer the pariah of the day?
If you can't imagine Jesus among those with HIV/AIDS, then I think you've got the wrong Jesus.
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Wow, way to put words into my mouth Mike.
My adversion to political causes is my belief somebody isn't rendering services out of compassion but to make a political statement. Many who are active in the AIDS arena are also very political, so I question their motives. Moreover, if one becomes intimately involved with most charities,even within worthy charities, one can find persons with unworthy motives.
To me, charitable service should be mostly out of sight, and nonpolitical. Once politics are involved, it cheapens the actions, makes them unworthy. Christ would never had run for political office; he wouldn't want to sully his hands with such things. Yes I know we are commanded to be involved, but Christ wasn't a politician.
Children charities are easily the most meaningful, as they are our future, don't vote, and usually aren't political. There are loads of things involving children. Abused children, children with cancer, children with AIDS, education of uneducated and so forth. And a person can be involved without being noticed or political. One can do so without receiving credit.
The one brush with AIDS charities involved a bunch of political gay acitivists who were actually violating the private inurement rules of 501(c)(3) charities. It left me with a sour taste in my mouth.