The last political post about abortion got sidetracked to government assistance to the poor, so instead of continuing the discussion there, I’ve decided to start a new thread here. Consider a new post in a series about “the issues.” From Mike in the previous discussion:

For me the biggest issue is caring for what Jesus calls the “least of these.” I would argue that would involve issues such as healthcare as millions of Americans are left without adequate access to the care they need. You are also right that it shouldn’t be the governments responsibility to care of the “least of these.” I would love to see the church in America come along side and help these people out in their time of need without the government. But in the present state of the church, that simply isn’t happening with our time or our finances. For example, only 17% of Christians tithe off their income and on average they give 2%. How can the church make a difference if its people aren’t doing their part? Additionally, only 20% of believers in the average church serve in any capacity outside of attending Sunday morning. So then do we as Christians ignore the issue? No I believe that we can partner with our leaders and help them accomplish what the church isn’t.

There are a number of questions that should be asked and answered. “Government Assistance” is a really generic phrase, so I’ll speak in fairly general terms.

1) Do people give enough money to charity?

According to Mike, the answer to this question would be no, but I’m not sure it’s as simple as that. For one, the above is only an analysis of giving within the church. It doesn’t include money given to Habitat for Humanity or money donated to a local charity. A better indicator of giving to charity can be found here. Total charitable giving in 2007 was $306 billion (2.2 percent of GDP). Of that, $229 billion came from individuals. Religious organizations received just over $100 billion

2) How much is enough?

Mike said it’s hard for the church to make a difference because they don’t have enough money, but the question then is, how much? Should the government (or Mike) be able to decide, and force you to give that much?

I would say no, and not only because the money belongs to me, but because I want to decide how that money is used. In the past tax money has been used to put a cross in a bottle of urine. I’m supposed to trust that after the government takes my money they will use it in ways I approve of? No thanks. If I want to donate money, I will give it to the organizations I trust and believe in (none of which are the government).

3) Is the government any good at helping “the least of these”?

I made a post back in May that talked about the war on poverty. In case you don’t want to read it, we currently spend around $600 billion a year on the poor, and since the war on poverty began in the 1960′s, the poverty rate has remained unchanged. So much for making things better. No one really disagreed with that post though, so it must have been a good one.

I’ll look for a post from Mike about how the government is good at helping people.

4) What does government “giving” do to people?

I’ve made this point over and over, but I’ll make it again. When the government gives people things for free, it saps them of the energy to become better. When the government picks you up for making stupid decisions (like buying a house you can’t afford), people don’t learn their lessons. When the government offers to pay for your child’s lunch everyday for their whole life, it’s amazing how “poor” some people immediately become. When people expect the government to support them until they’re dead through social security, people stop saving money and making good choices. When the government gives handouts, it makes things worse. Government programs are bankrupting our country.

5) If the left loves the poor more, they must give more money, right?

Conservatives give 30% more to charity every year despite having a lower average income than liberal families. Do liberals recognize this, or do they just turn a blind eye and champion more leftist causes?

6) Is life all roses?

No, it’s not. Life is a struggle at times, and surviving those hard times make us better people. You don’t become a country with a strong work ethic by believing that the government can fix every problem. No, you tell people to learn to take care of their own life, to better themselves through education, and to make wise choices. If you think more government involvement is the answer, then you have learned nothing from history.

Those are some questions I came up with…what about you? Keep your comments focused on the topic at hand. If you want to talk about guns or war or something else, we can have a new issues post for that.