I see a lot today going around about whether our government should drastically cut aid to the poor. What disturbs me is that most of the posts advocating this are self proclaimed Christians. They say that God does not command people to take care of the poor, especially governments. I wonder and sorrow at this, for the Bible is full of verses (about 2,000 of them) commanding people and governments to care for the poor, the elderly, the outcast. In the New Testament alone, one out of every 16 verses talks about caring for the poor or elderly. In the Gospels it is one out of every 10 verses, and in the Epistle of St. James, it is one out of every 5. It is clearly a topic very important to God, and thus should be very important to believers.
As to whether the government should help the poor, let us look at the Bible in whole context- not just an isolated verse or two, but as a whole.
God commanded in several places in the OT for the Kings of Israel to be just, to take care of the poor, to suppress oppression, to look out for the widows and orphans. Proverbs 8:15, 16 of the Bible says that governments should use wisdom to rule and to make laws that are just. Proverbs 17:7 says rulers also should not lie. Proverbs 20:26 says wise rulers always try to punish the wicked. Proverbs 28:2-4 and 29:4 urges rulers to maintain order justly, to follow God’s moral code and to avoid oppressing the poor. There are many others. The Prophets railed against the Kings over and over again because not only did they do such things as bring in idols, but they withheld help from the poor,as in Isaiah 3:15. It is a repeating theme.
In the NT, Jesus tells us to "render unto Caesar what is Caesar's" and Paul tells us to be good citizens of our country in Titus and Romans. We know we are going to pay taxes in any country, that is part of being a member of a country. The ancient Jews paid taxes to the King, then to the Romans and so forth, and we pay taxes to Uncle Sam. Can we attempt and strive to vote in government that uses our money more wisely, and thus lowers taxes, yes. But pay them we will.
As people of faith though we need to think about what we really wish our taxes to go towards. Do we need to rebuild countries hostile towards us, when our own people are suffering? Do we need to spend millions on restoring cultural centers of other countries, when we have our own to look after? Do we need to fund war in other countries that has no bearing on our own direct safety and security, nor is waged in the name of saving people from genocide? As Christians, we should ever seek to have Christ's heart and interests foremost in our minds, and thus in how we vote. What was Christ concerned with? God is concerned with justice, with the safety of His people, with the poor and elderly being looked after. His Church should be focused first on spreading the Gospel, and then with taking care of the "least of these." The government we vote for should be interested in a just society, helping those who are helpless, keeping our country secure, lifting our educational standards, protecting individual liberties and ever seeking to improve our society. As stewards of God's earth, we should also seek to take care of the creation God has entrusted us with- as stewards are answerable to their Masters for the condition of the property when it is returned.
This notion going around that "it is bad when our taxes (taken from me to give to someone else) help the poor" is nonsense. We pay taxes because that is part of being in a society. We are going to pay taxes as long as we are part of any large, organized community; anthropology teaches us that. It is what we choose to spend our taxes on that reveals our character.
Do we need reform in how our government helps people? Yes. But considering the Food Stamp program has a 3% fraud rate, we're doing pretty good there, we do need to work to stamp out that 3% though. The idea that if we cut taxes further and do drastic cuts to programs that help the poorest of the poor that more people will suddenly help take care of all the needy is just not well thought out. We don't live in that kind of world anymore. If the ancient Israelites who had Prophets from God living among them wouldn't properly take care of the poor, why do we think Christians who are that in name only are going to do so now?
I've visited 3rd world countries, and been swarmed by the begging children. I work with food banks now that are at all time lows, and know of churches that are the only food pantry in town (in a town of 70,000) and struggling to just feed 30 families a month. If we are going to claim to be Christians, then let us vote not only to be Pro-Birth, but Pro-Life; a people that says we will help feed hungry children and elderly pensioners. We know we will have to pay taxes regardless, so let us insist our taxes be used to help our own people, rebuild our own country, promote justice here at home and secure our own borders before we need to spend billions elsewhere.
As to whether the government should help the poor, let us look at the Bible in whole context- not just an isolated verse or two, but as a whole.
God commanded in several places in the OT for the Kings of Israel to be just, to take care of the poor, to suppress oppression, to look out for the widows and orphans. Proverbs 8:15, 16 of the Bible says that governments should use wisdom to rule and to make laws that are just. Proverbs 17:7 says rulers also should not lie. Proverbs 20:26 says wise rulers always try to punish the wicked. Proverbs 28:2-4 and 29:4 urges rulers to maintain order justly, to follow God’s moral code and to avoid oppressing the poor. There are many others. The Prophets railed against the Kings over and over again because not only did they do such things as bring in idols, but they withheld help from the poor,as in Isaiah 3:15. It is a repeating theme.
In the NT, Jesus tells us to "render unto Caesar what is Caesar's" and Paul tells us to be good citizens of our country in Titus and Romans. We know we are going to pay taxes in any country, that is part of being a member of a country. The ancient Jews paid taxes to the King, then to the Romans and so forth, and we pay taxes to Uncle Sam. Can we attempt and strive to vote in government that uses our money more wisely, and thus lowers taxes, yes. But pay them we will.
As people of faith though we need to think about what we really wish our taxes to go towards. Do we need to rebuild countries hostile towards us, when our own people are suffering? Do we need to spend millions on restoring cultural centers of other countries, when we have our own to look after? Do we need to fund war in other countries that has no bearing on our own direct safety and security, nor is waged in the name of saving people from genocide? As Christians, we should ever seek to have Christ's heart and interests foremost in our minds, and thus in how we vote. What was Christ concerned with? God is concerned with justice, with the safety of His people, with the poor and elderly being looked after. His Church should be focused first on spreading the Gospel, and then with taking care of the "least of these." The government we vote for should be interested in a just society, helping those who are helpless, keeping our country secure, lifting our educational standards, protecting individual liberties and ever seeking to improve our society. As stewards of God's earth, we should also seek to take care of the creation God has entrusted us with- as stewards are answerable to their Masters for the condition of the property when it is returned.
This notion going around that "it is bad when our taxes (taken from me to give to someone else) help the poor" is nonsense. We pay taxes because that is part of being in a society. We are going to pay taxes as long as we are part of any large, organized community; anthropology teaches us that. It is what we choose to spend our taxes on that reveals our character.
Do we need reform in how our government helps people? Yes. But considering the Food Stamp program has a 3% fraud rate, we're doing pretty good there, we do need to work to stamp out that 3% though. The idea that if we cut taxes further and do drastic cuts to programs that help the poorest of the poor that more people will suddenly help take care of all the needy is just not well thought out. We don't live in that kind of world anymore. If the ancient Israelites who had Prophets from God living among them wouldn't properly take care of the poor, why do we think Christians who are that in name only are going to do so now?
I've visited 3rd world countries, and been swarmed by the begging children. I work with food banks now that are at all time lows, and know of churches that are the only food pantry in town (in a town of 70,000) and struggling to just feed 30 families a month. If we are going to claim to be Christians, then let us vote not only to be Pro-Birth, but Pro-Life; a people that says we will help feed hungry children and elderly pensioners. We know we will have to pay taxes regardless, so let us insist our taxes be used to help our own people, rebuild our own country, promote justice here at home and secure our own borders before we need to spend billions elsewhere.
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