Responsibility to the poor: Government or Church? Part II

The Coach's Team ^ | 5/11/18 | Kevin Kookogey

[Oldpuppymax]

The aim to eliminate poverty, especially under sanction of law, results in all sorts of injustice, including taking from one group of people in order to give to another without the consent of either. That is not charity. It is compulsion, and God admonishes against it. (2 Corin 9:6-8)

Moreover, like all social programs, the lofty goal of eradicating poverty breeds corruption among those who administer the agenda. Emotions are manipulated to loosen the purse strings of well-meaning citizens to contribute to a cause that no human could ignore. Yet very little of the money raised or taxed to address poverty in America or via foreign aid ever gets to those most in need.

In the case of foreign aid, dictators intercept the funds. In our own country, much of the money is skimmed off the top for the manipulators themselves.

Ending poverty, after all, is big business! Like the race business, those who claim to desire its end are, in fact, engaged in the effort to perpetuate it by stroking the heartstrings of the undiscriminating.

There is also the matter of creating dependency. Last year an independent film was released to critical acclaim, and while I do not vouch for the entire film or its creators, its central theme was true and compelling: that our providing of clean water, shoes, and money to foreign countries has created such reliance upon the continuation of these gifts that the recipient nations are losing the ability and the initiative to provide for themselves.

Are we not chasing things God may never have intended we pursue?

But all of these are secondary concerns. The root of the problem is that compulsory aims to eliminate poverty, or grand emotional appeals by civic and non-profit organizations (including the Church and its affiliates) to produce a...

[JimRed]

Depends. Poverty caused by events outside of the control of the victim, help ‘em recover. Poverty caused by behavior, eff ‘em.

[Vigilanteman]

Never forget that the government is the religion of the LibTard class, complete with its own God (then iron fist of government power), heaven, hell and dogmas.

[mjp]

The aim to eliminate poverty, especially under sanction of law, results in all sorts of injustice, including taking from one group of people in order to give to another without the consent of either. That is not charity. It is compulsion, and God admonishes against it. (2 Corin 9:6-8)

Leftards believe in taking from the rich and giving to the poor because they accept the Marxist belief that the rich exploit the poor and take their wealth from the poor. Actually, the free market economic system creates wealth for everyone.

[Ohioan]

The reality is--as proven by the American experience--that Federal directed Welfare has disastrous social effects, while Church programs can actually work. Here is the testimony of Thomas Jefferson as to what was proven to work at the time of Independence:

Jefferson On Welfare

The contrast between what Jefferson describes and what is the present disaster could not be more stark.

[z3n]

teach to fish

[tillacum]

You are correct. Just like communism is the god of communist believers.

[SMARTY]

Right-AND so long as we are taxed so MUCH for all kinds of programs and assistance to the ‘poor’... it doesn’t make any sense to keep paying MORE taxes, JUST because the government mishandles and squanders our revenue

In many cases, gov’t. assistance is ALREADY available to them . They are either TOO lazy or TOO stupid to apply for it.

Consequently … the hospital can’t collect on the charges so the accounts go over to collection agencies… who DO make application for fed assistance to pay for med attention that was given to these losers. Of course the hospital gets only pennies on the dollar in payment for the delinquent charges.

So:

• Taxpayers pay a premium for their OWN health plans (increasing all the time)
• Taxpayers pay a deductible on their policies, when they make a claim
• Taxpayers pay for ‘office visits’ up front every time they see a doctor
• Taxpayers are continually stiffed by the fed with more and higher taxes, so losers who won’t work and other career freeloaders can have FREE health care
• Hospitals make up their loss on delinquent accounts, by padding the bill for all patients who DO have insurance…..

Mr. Taxpayer just paid F I V E times, and doctor has not touched him yet!!!!!

[metmom]

The church.

It’s a mandate by Jesus to His followers.

He never told us to foist off our responsibility to government officials.

He knew what government was perfectly capable of in His day and not much has changed.

[Arkansas Toothpick]

Plus, I would argue that very often the Left is motivated by power, not true religion, when they implement government “solutions.”

[Kickass Conservative]

As my Late Mother used to say, “you help People who CAN’T help themselves, not People who WON’T help themselves”.

She wasn’t talking about the Government.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Good essay, praise the Lord!

PING!

[TBP]

Individuals, churches, charities, civic organizations, and the like. Government is only a last resort, and then it should be local, not Federal.

[gigster]

I forget who said it, but to paraphrase: "My responsibility to the Poor is to not become one of Them."

[kearnyirish2]

Jesus also made it clear it was voluntary - and the State instead prefers to manufacture a whole “poverty sector” of the economy they control 100%.

The State is effectively removing religious institutions from their traditional niches (education, healthcare, charitable giving) and replacing them with Deep State bureaucracies.