Why Man’s Efforts Fail

Nevertheless, the existence of millions of homeless children points up man’s failure to solve this grave problem. The director of a child welfare agency was quoted in Time magazine as saying: “A person with psychological disorders and mental impairment, a sick person​—a sick, fragile population—​cannot act as an agent of development.” The same magazine forecast that as a result of this, one Latin-​American country would be “burdened with millions of adults so undernourished, unskilled and uneducated that they will be impervious to any kind of civilizing process.”

In view of this, do you think that the effects of malnutrition, sexual abuse, and violence can be solved solely by human means? Do you feel that any man-​made program can recover all the street children after they have struggled to survive in the streets among aggressive, ruthless individuals? Can you envision a program for educating parents to act responsibly toward their offspring? Sad to say, human efforts, however sincere, cannot entirely solve the problem of homeless children.

Why? Someone or something is preventing this problem from being solved. Interestingly, Jesus identified a person, whom he called “the ruler of the world.” (John 14:30) He is Satan the Devil. (See page 12.) His insidious influence over mankind is the principal hindrance to solving these problems and achieving true happiness. (2 Corinthians 4:4) Therefore, the removal of this invisible creature and his cohorts is imperative if righteous conditions for all homeless children and underprivileged individuals are to be attained.

Homeless Children​—Is There a Solution?

PEOPLE who really care for their fellowman do not want to give up as if nothing more can be done for homeless children. They realize that street children need more than a roof over their heads. Children flourish when they have peace of mind, enjoyable work, good health, and self-​confidence. Altruistic men and women offer themselves willingly in the interests of the homeless, and that is commendable. But in spite of their efforts, the problem of street children persists.

The reason is that the present system that perpetuates conditions that produce homeless children cannot be fixed. It is like a broken-​down car that is beyond repair. Realistically, should we not recognize that man’s creativity alone cannot bring about a just human society?