Friday, November 28, 2008

Dan West: Hunger

If we love our neighbors as ourselves, as Jesus commanded, Dan West asked in a Christian Century article (January 18, 1950), "Can We Feed This Hungry World?" After discussing issues of surpluses and distribution, Dan suggested it is fundamentally a religious problem as much as an economic issue.

1. If we love our neighbors as ourselves, we will set as one of our main goals feeding the hungry world as much, as well, and as soon as we can. That includes those we call communists, in spite of what they think and do and want.

2. If we love our neighbors as ourselves, we will determine to produce more food and to move our surplus as fast as it accumulates, whether we make money on the transaction or not....

3. If we love our neighbors as ourselves, we will spread these dollars around, through investment in foreign agriculture and industries, so that the little people can have seed and tools and know-how....

4. Further, if we love our neighbors as ourselves, we shall stretch our loyalties until we belong more to the world than to our own nation. A man without a country is in bad shape, but a man whose loyalty is frozen at national boundaries is out of date now....

5. If we love our neighbors as ourselves, we will put a ceiling on our wants, ration ourselves down to the point of physical efficiency - and then share with the hungry majority....

6. Finally, if we love our neighbors as ourselves, we will not stop with being critical at inappropriate policy or action on the surplus problem....

"We North Americans are for the time being living in the most favored place in the world. ... We can move the hungry world - toward peace!"

Source: Passing on the Gift, Glee Yoder