--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When we ignore the prostituted child, we…" description: "\"When we ignore the prostituted child, we actually lend our hand to their abuse. When we ignore the widow and the orphan in their distress, we actually ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6c/joel-houston-59653_abuse_when-we-ignore-the-prostituted-child-we_2347054.jpg" --- # When we ignore the prostituted child, we actually lend our… ![“When we ignore the prostituted child, we actually lend our hand to their abuse. When we ignore the widow and the orphan in their distress, we actually add to their pain. When we ignore the slave who remains captive, it's us who is entrapping them. When we forget the refugee, it's actually us who…” quote by Joel Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6c/joel-houston-59653_abuse_when-we-ignore-the-prostituted-child-we_2347054.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6c/joel-houston-59653_abuse_when-we-ignore-the-prostituted-child-we_2347054.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6c/joel-houston-59653_abuse_when-we-ignore-the-prostituted-child-we_2347054.jpg) > “When we ignore the prostituted child, we actually lend our hand to their abuse. When we ignore the widow and the orphan in their distress, we actually add to their pain. When we ignore the slave who remains captive, it's us who is entrapping them. When we forget the refugee, it's actually us who is displacing them. When we choose not to help the poor and the needy, we actually rob them. Perhaps the only fair thing to say is that when we forsake the lives of others, we actually forsake our own.” [Joel Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-houston/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Ignoring suffering perpetuates harm; caring for the vulnerable is essential to our shared humanity. **In simple terms:** Neglecting others harms both them and us. Key Takeaway Actively help those in need. Themes compassion social responsibility justice humanity Mood empathetic urgent Type inspirational call‑to‑action When to use this quote - community service - volunteering - advocacy Key Concepts ethics social activism Questions to Reflect On - What small step can you take to support the vulnerable? - How does personal responsibility shape societal change? A Different Perspective Resources are limited, making aid challenging. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Abuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abuse/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Distress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/distress/) [Help the poor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/help-the-poor/) [Lives of others](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lives-of-others/) [Orphan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/orphan/) [Pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pain/) [Refugee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/refugee/) [Slave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slave/) [Widows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/widows/) ## Related quotes > [Unfortunately, liberals didn't stop with welfare-statism. They also turned to economic regulations, not understanding that such interventions, again, harmed the very people they were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-g-hornberger/unfortunately-liberals-didn-t-stop-with-welfare-statism-they-also/) [Jacob G. Hornberger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-g-hornberger/) > [I will continue to find ways to help poor people find a job, get a job, and learn someday to own the job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/newt-gingrich/i-will-continue-to-find-ways-to-help-poor-people-find-a-job-get-a-job/) [Newt Gingrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/newt-gingrich/) > [You can't help the poor by becoming one of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/you-can-t-help-the-poor-by-becoming-one-of-them/) [Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/) > [I am a sensitive person, so it is actually saddening to learn that these poverty-stricken families are most of the time mistreated or looked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/i-am-a-sensitive-person-so-it-is-actually-saddening-to-learn-that/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [I dream that someday the United States will be on the side of the peasants in some civil war. I dream that we will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-parenti/i-dream-that-someday-the-united-states-will-be-on-the-side-of-the/) [Michael Parenti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-parenti/) > [If you really want to help the poor, help the rich. They're the ones who will invest, build more factories, create more jobs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-e-simon/if-you-really-want-to-help-the-poor-help-the-rich-they-re-the-ones/) [William E. Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-e-simon/) > [If we Christians would join the Wise Men, we must close our eyes to all that glitters before the world and look rather on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/if-we-christians-would-join-the-wise-men-we-must-close-our-eyes-to/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [My especial object is to help the poor; the rich can help themselves. I believe in self-made men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-pulitzer/my-especial-object-is-to-help-the-poor-the-rich-can-help-themselves-i/) [Joseph Pulitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-pulitzer/) > [I can tell you about Hillary Clinton's heart. This is a woman, who, after law school, went down to my native South. She went…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-brazile/i-can-tell-you-about-hillary-clinton-s-heart-this-is-a-woman-who/) [Donna Brazile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-brazile/) > [It's amazing to me how many people think that voting to have the government give poor people money is compassion. Helping poor and suffering…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/it-s-amazing-to-me-how-many-people-think-that-voting-to-have-the/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [You cannot build character and courage by taking away people's initiative and independence. You cannot help people permanently by doing for them what they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/you-cannot-build-character-and-courage-by-taking-away-people-s/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [I know I could never forgive myself if I elected to live without humane purpose, without trying to help the poor and unfortunate, without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-ashe/i-know-i-could-never-forgive-myself-if-i-elected-to-live-without/) [Arthur Ashe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-ashe/) > [When we want to help the poor, we usually offer them charity. Most often we use charity to avoid recognizing the problem and finding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-yunus/when-we-want-to-help-the-poor-we-usually-offer-them-charity-most/) [Muhammad Yunus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-yunus/) > [ I enjoyed \[playing lawyer in From The Hip\] as an ode to my dad. My dad went to Harvard and Harvard Law School, so… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judd-nelson/i-enjoyed-playing-lawyer-in-from-the-hip-as-an-ode-to-my-dad-my-dad/) [Judd Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judd-nelson/) > [Funding from rich countries to help the poor and vulnerable adapt to climate change is not even one percent of what is needed. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-stocking/funding-from-rich-countries-to-help-the-poor-and-vulnerable-adapt-to/) Barbara Stocking ## More by Joel Houston > [Originally, I didn't want to say too much about the art...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-houston/originally-i-didn-t-want-to-say-too-much-about-the-art/) [Joel Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-houston/) > [If our worship is just great youth meetings, nice songs, lots of jumping around and a few CDs, then we're missing it. Our vertical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-houston/if-our-worship-is-just-great-youth-meetings-nice-songs-lots-of/) [Joel Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-houston/) > [When you are out of your comfort zone God can do what only He can do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-houston/when-you-are-out-of-your-comfort-zone-god-can-do-what-only-he-can-do/) [Joel Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-houston/) > [There's an element of fervor and passion that you can't describe when it comes to people who, their faith literally might cost them their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-houston/there-s-an-element-of-fervor-and-passion-that-you-can-t-describe-when/) [Joel Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-houston/) [Explore all 5 Joel Houston quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-houston/) ## More Abuse quotes > [I wrote when I was a young teen, but I didn't put an eye on the available markets until I was seventeen. The next…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reed/i-wrote-when-i-was-a-young-teen-but-i-didn-t-put-an-eye-on-the/) [Robert Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reed/) > [Amongst the financial Twitterati, the term 'muppets' has come to describe any client used and abused by some financial predator. I've adopted the term…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-ritholtz/amongst-the-financial-twitterati-the-term-muppets-has-come-to/) [Barry Ritholtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-ritholtz/) > [Being nice is okay,but don't allow anybody to abuse it...try to fight for your self when you know your on the right way...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-nice-is-okay-but-don-t-allow-anybody-to-abuse-it-try-to-fight/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Build a bridge over shame by teaching kids about sexual abuse. Give them a chance to run to us should they encounter it. Be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-byers-ruch/build-a-bridge-over-shame-by-teaching-kids-about-sexual-abuse-give/) [Carolyn Byers Ruch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-byers-ruch/) > [It is sure that those are most desirous of honour or glory who cry out loudest of its abuse and the vanity of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/it-is-sure-that-those-are-most-desirous-of-honour-or-glory-who-cry/) [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) > [“The sole reason I stand to open it up now is that lots of people who are in pain just like I was, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-dsouza/the-sole-reason-i-stand-to-open-it-up-now-is-that-lots-of-people-who/) [Patricia Dsouza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-dsouza/) > [Democracy must be built through open societies that share information. When there is information, there is enlightenment. When there is debate, there are solutions.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atifete-jahjaga/democracy-must-be-built-through-open-societies-that-share-information/) [Atifete Jahjaga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atifete-jahjaga/) > [I have a theory that all abuse, no matter what kind of abuse it is, is foremost an assault on the mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-westover/i-have-a-theory-that-all-abuse-no-matter-what-kind-of-abuse-it-is-is/) [Tara Westover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-westover/) > [“Blaming therapy, social work and other caring professions for the confabulation of testimony of 'satanic ritual abuse' legitimated a programme of political and social…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-salter/blaming-therapy-social-work-and-other-caring-professions-for-the/) [Michael Salter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-salter/) > [Finally, the scariest thing about abuse of any shape or form, is, in my opinion, not the abuse itself, but that if it continues…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cumming/finally-the-scariest-thing-about-abuse-of-any-shape-or-form-is-in-my/) [Alan Cumming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-cumming/) > [“Research on organised abuse emphasises the diversity of organised abuse cases, and the ways in which serious forms of child maltreatment cluster in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-salter/research-on-organised-abuse-emphasises-the-diversity-of-organised/) [Michael Salter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-salter/) > [“Stand up for yourself. Never give any one permission to abuse you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/stand-up-for-yourself-never-give-any-one-permission-to-abuse-you/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [All governments should be pressured to correct their abuses of human rights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/all-governments-should-be-pressured-to-correct-their-abuses-of-human/) [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) > [“Words are free. It does not mean you should abuse them. Be kind with them. They will mirror your actions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hadinet-tekie/words-are-free-it-does-not-mean-you-should-abuse-them-be-kind-with/) [Hadinet Tekie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hadinet-tekie/) > [My illness is one often characterized by dramatic overspending - in my case through frenzied shopping sprees, credit card abuse, excessive hoarding of unnecessary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-behrman/my-illness-is-one-often-characterized-by-dramatic-overspending-in-my/) [Andy Behrman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-behrman/) [Browse all 3,113 Abuse quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abuse/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When we ignore the prostituted child, we actually lend our hand to their abuse. When we ignore the widow and the orphan in their distress, we actually add to their pain. When we ignore the slave who remains captive, it's us who is entrapping them. 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