Sorry for the Delay...

It seems my inspiration for blog posts come in spurts....right now, I can't think of a good topic for a blog post. Any suggestions or questions? Feel free to leave me a comment, and I will do my best to answer any that you have (although I can't guarantee a perfect answer...actually, I can guarantee an imperfect answer)...

Thanks!

Casey

Another Article

Here is a really good article I found on WorldMag this evening...very true and good advice.

http://www.worldmag.com/2013/02/your_pastor_isn_t_a_pundit

On Welfare

We live in a welfare society. The people of America have gotten used to government supplying their every need. Do you need free food? Just get poor enough and the government will help you out! Need money for retirement? We’ve got you covered! Need FREE healthcare? We’ll make sure you get some of our quality care!

Of course, the government says that it is trying to help the poor and needy with programs like (Obamacare, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, etc. While that may be true, giving the government control of welfare is a bad idea for several reasons.

1.       Efficiency ALWAYS decreases when administering a large program. Thus, a federal government will always be less efficient than those who administer the program over a small area.

2.       The government depersonalizes those whom it helps. Due to the sheer amount of people, the government does nothing to actually help those it “helps”. In the government’s mind, people are just numbers to deal with as quickly as possible. The goal of welfare is supposedly to get people off of welfare. Unfortunately, government-run welfare does exactly the opposite, in part because there is little understanding of each individual’s actual needs.

3.       The government has a lot of other things it runs (poorly), so welfare is sloppily run. For instance, in England, (another country with government run healthcare), there are many horror stories of people who have been ignored in the hospitals because of their health insurance and maltreated by the doctors.

Now, don’t get me wrong. Taking care of the poor and needy is important task, but it is not a task for the government. Aiding the fatherless, widow, and poor is a task for the Church. We can see this in multiple passages of Scripture:

·         Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker, but he who is generous to the needy honors him. (Proverbs 14:31.) Thus, aiding the poor is honoring to God.

·        You shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless child. If you do mistreat them, and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry, and my wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless. (Exodus 22:22-24)

·         Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause. (Isaiah 1:17)

·         Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. (James 1:27)

·         If your brother becomes poor and cannot maintain himself with you, you shall support him as though he were a stranger and a sojourner, and he shall live with you. Take no interest from him or profit, but fear your God, that your brother may live beside you. You shall not lend him your money at interest, nor give him your food for profit. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan, and to be your God. (Leviticus 25:35-38)

·         Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy. (Proverbs 31:9)

·         For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem. They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings. (Romans 15:26-28)

      There are many other passages that tell us to care for the poor, orphan, and widow. Notice that in every passage you will see, there is no mention of the government. Every mention of care involves the church. Think of what would happen if the Church actually took its task seriously. The inefficiency of government-run welfare would disappear. Those who are truly in need would actually get the help they need. And, if the Church did what it was supposed to, those in need would get real help: the Gospel. For all welfare is worthless if it only helps materially. As Paul says, the Church should share spiritual and material blessings 

      The reason Government has taken over welfare is the fact that the Church has abandoned its task. If the Church took care of our poor and needy, there would be no need for government welfare!