Quotes from the Bible (NIV)
- A copy of the Gutenberg Bible at the U.S. Library of Congress
Deuteronomy
10:18 He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing.
Exodus
22:22-23 Do not take advantage of a widow or an orphan. If you do and they cry out to me I will certainly hear their cry.
James
1:27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
John
14:18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.
Matthew
19:21 Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
Psalms
68 A father to fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holly dwelling.
82 Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed.
Proverbs
19:17 He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward him for what he has done.
22:9 A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor.
23:10-11 Do not move an ancient boundary stone or encroach on the field of fatherless, for their Defender is strong; he will take up their case against you.
28:27 He who gives to the poor will lack nothing, but he who closes his eyes to them receives many curses.
31:20 She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy.
Quotes from the Torah
- Sefer Torah
The Torah/Deuteronomy
24:17 A Judge does not pervert justice due strangers or orphans.
15:4- 11 If there is among you a poor man, one of your brethren, in any of your towns within your land which the LORD your God gives you, you shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother, but you shall open your hand to him, and lend him sufficient for his need, whatever it may be.
You shall give to him freely, and your heart shall not be grudging when you give to him; because for this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you undertake.
For the poor will never cease out of the land; therefore I command you: you shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in the land.
The Torah/Exodus
22:21-23 You shall not oppress any widow or orphan. If you oppress him, [beware,] for if he cries out to Me, I will surely hear his cry. My wrath will be kindled, and I will slay you with the sword, and your wives will be widows and your children orphans.
Quotes from Jewish Theological Seminary and Becoming Jewish
Quotes from the Qur’an (Koran) and Muslim Studies
- Qur'an cover
Sahih Al-Bukhari
Muhammad was that orphan—the rarest of orphans—one with “claims of relationship” to something valuable. Muhammad is saying as clearly as words allow: “My family has squandered the wealth I covet. The path to my heaven lies in satisfying my cravings—giving me, the orphan with claims, everything I desire.”
"I and the person, who looks after an orphan and provides for him, will be in Paradise like this,"- putting his index and middle fingers together.
Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 8 Book 73 Number 34
The Qur'an
90:14 Give food in a day of hunger to the orphan with claims of relationship, an orphan near of kin, the indigent down in the dust.
4:2 Give orphans their property, and do not substitute bad things for good. Do not assimilate their property into your own. Doing that is a serious crime.
4:10 People who consume the property of orphans wrongfully consume nothing in their bellies except fire. They will roast in a Searing Blaze.
90:12-16 What will convey to you what the steep ascent is? It is freeing a slave or feeding on a day of hunger an orphaned relative or a poor man in the dust.
93:9 Treat not the orphan with harshness.
Quotes from Islam: Religion of the Orphan
Buddhism on Orphans
One of the most attractive features of Buddhism is its attitude towards the sick and the needy. There’s a story of a man named Anathapindada who lived during Buddha’s time and became quite wealthy. Upon hearing Buddha’s teachings of “no form, no self, and no possessions,” he became quite concerned about this and asked Buddha “What should I do with my wealth?” In Chinese, the name Anathapindada means “donor to widows and orphans,” so Buddha told him that because he understood that, by helping those around him he was really helping himself and vice versa, he could accumulate more wealth.
Information from Korean Buddhism
Confucius on Orphans
- Confucius statue in Chongming Island.
Confucianism is a philosophy of how one should live. Its roots go back to Kung Fu Tzu (Confucius) who lived in China between 551-479 BC. In Li Chi (The Book of Rites), Confucius describes an ideal state as follows:
"They showed kindness and compassion to widows, orphans, childless people, and those who were disabled by disease, so that they were all sufficiently maintained."
Information from Confucianism
Quotes from Baha’i Study
Bahá'ís put a great deal of importance on raising children to know and worship God. Children who are orphaned are no exception. Bahá'u'lláh, the Bahá'í prophet, explains that anyone who raises and educates a child is really raising and educating His child, and He is grateful for that service. Thus, Bahá'ís consider adopting an orphan to be the same as adopting the child of Bahá'u'lláh - an incredible honor and responsibility.
Information from Baha'i Study
