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!
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