Leave it to the government? That's evil and counter-productive.
I agree. I believe in helping the poor and I do so out of Christian Charity for the love of God. When the government does so it is to enslave the recipients. They create a dependent class that will move heaven and earth to keep their checks and freebies coming.
I agree with Mr. Perkins and so did Davy Crockett and other statesmen.
And shame on the Christians who have allowed the Government to usurp the rightful role of the community church(es).
Given that we're not a theocracy...so what?
Precisely, I totally agree. Scripture does not say, “Put the government in charge of helping poor people with your money they way THEY see fit.” It leaves it up to our Free Will. AND there is no middle-man exec running things on the taxpayers’ dime either.
because most of what the gov’t now does to help the poor, deeply hurts them.
It’s quite easy to feel generous in helping the poor and needy with OTHER people’s money. And that’s what Liberals get, and want, the “feeling” that they are morally superior by helping “the less fortunate” via the government at essentially NO personal cost to them.
There is no doubt that massive govt taxation and welfare is corrosive to Christian charity.
“For, indeed, although the socialists, stealing the very Gospel itself with a view to deceive more easily the unwary, have been accustomed to distort it so as to suit their own purposes, nevertheless so great is the difference between their depraved teachings and the most pure doctrine of Christ that none greater could exist: “for what participation bath justice with injustice or what fellowship hath light with darkness?”
—Pope Leo XIII, On Socialism
Collective salvation is a lie. If anything its the exact opposite of salvation.
True salvation comes from a real personal desire to do good and doing it on a personal basis.
I’m not opposed to having a reasonable safety net for those who are truly needy but those numbers should be very small and certainly not federally funded.
Jerimiah 22 links the authority to the rule to considering the cause of the poor and needy.
Proverbs 31 tells king Lemuel to plead the cause of the poor and needy.
Dan 4:27 tells the king to show mercy to the poor and ties it to a "lengthening of tranquility".
Proverbs 29:14 also states that a king's rulership is tied to how he treats the poor.
If "we the people" want to continue to rule. "We the people" better take those warnings seriously in how we execute government responsibility.
Even if government charity actually helped the poor, it removes both the means and opportunity for an individual to receive the blessing gained from performing the charitable work.
Ping for later
All very well and good. But I wonder what God thinks when Caesar DEMANDS and TAKES the things that are Gods? And does not allow us to render unto God.
He has brought down many evil and corrupt governments. I can only wonder how much longer God will tolerate the USA as they exploit the poor and persecute His children?
Not sure Perkins is really saying what this article claims he said.
Let’s get this straight: coercion is never charity. For the government to coerce money out of people’s pockets to give to the poor is not charity. Christians give more to the poor than all the hypocritical progressives put together, as they should. But we should not stand back and let them say we are “against the poor” because we don’t agree with redistribution of wealth. “He who does not work, neither shall he eat”, Thessalonians 3:10. This is simply common sense. I know that the native people who lived where I do did not tolerate those who did not work.
The real problem is that the federal govt uses the give-aways as a enticement or tool to trap and oppress them. It is not the giving, but the oppression and lack of justice and REAL compassion
Where does the donation go farther?
Through church or Salvation Army or through 7 layers of gubmint union bureacracy?
I am not an absolutist on every secular issue - the legitimate role of government, but I can meet and agree with the FRC more than half way - that (a) charity should NOT be a primary function of government and (b) the first place, the largest place, the most common place for charity should not be to place it in the hands of government.
To suggest that the FIRST place, the most important place, the common place that citizens should VOTE to demand that charity come from, is government, cannot be a Christian suggestion that comes from Christ Jesus. To suggest that it is is akin to suggesting you could have heard Jesus preach to his followers to go and demand Ceasars sword so as to use Ceasars power (secular government) with which to go take from their fellow citizens what they thought they had a right to take - for “charity”.
From a Messiah who when offered the keys to the kingdoms of the earth - world secular power - and answered that offer by saying His kingdom is not of this earth, one cannot imagine that Messiah asking YOU to make ANY mission of Christian living, including Christian charity, a primary function of secular authority.
Governments do not take authority and responsibility of anything that they do not - to every extent they are allowed - take mastership over.
Many Christians have been taught an intellectial illusion. They will say, that when they vote for higher taxes to pay for some program the politicians are selling, they do so because “they think THEY should give more money for that purpose. The illusion ignores that in fact they are NOT voting that its right that THEY GIVE (taxes are not voluntary contributions), they ARE voting to TAKE FROM others. Next, they are given another illusion, that being a democracy makes it all different. In fact, at it’s basic sense a Democracy is no more than 51 out of 100 people telling the other 49 what to do - again, a matter of “we will take” NOT “I will give”. Nothing “Christian” in that.
Maybe it’s time all Christians re-register as “Amish” and obtain the opt-opt rights the Supreme Court has given to the Amish on many things. If things like electricity are an issue, maybe soomeone coild call themself “reformed” Amish (LOL).
Government as a charity of benevolence is terror and a lie.