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Another Perspective
Christians in a Post-Welfare State World
How will they realize their obligations to the poor?
(Page 2 of 2)
For Christians, humans are more than mere mouths. They know moral and spiritual poverty can be as devastating as material deprivation. This expansive understanding of poverty has enormous potential to help Christians correct materialist assumptions about human needs.
Another source of inspiration — especially for Americans — may be Alexis de Tocqueville’s great book, Democracy in America. Among other things, this nineteenth-century text illustrates how American churches played the predominant role in helping those in need in an America in which government was the means of last resort when it came to poverty.
Lastly, there is the example of the ancient church. The early Christians didn’t imagine that lobbying Roman senators to implement welfare programs was the way to love their neighbor. Instead, to the pagan world’s amazement, the early Christians — bishops, priests and laity — helped anyone in need in very direct, practical ways.
As anyone who has read the Church Fathers knows, the early Christians went out of their way to personally care for the poor, the incurably-sick, and the disabled — the very groups who were non-persons to the pagan mind.
Moreover, the Christians undertook such activities at their own expense, and often put their own lives at risk. When plagues came and everyone else fled, Christians generally stayed behind, refusing to abandon those in distress, regardless of their religion.
In crisis, the cliché goes, we find opportunity. Instead of engaging in politically exciting but ultimately futile rearguard-actions to defend welfare-states crumbling under the weight of decades of irresponsible spending, the coming post-welfare state age could be a chance for a Renaissance in Christian thought about the whys and hows of loving those to whom Christ Himself devoted special attention.
Yes, that means abandoning much of the framework that dominated 20th-century Christian reflection upon these questions. But anyone interested in serving the poor rather than their own ego or career-advancement shouldn’t hesitate to take such risks.
The poor’s spiritual and material well-being demands nothing less.
About the Author
Samuel Gregg is Research Director at the Acton Institute. He has authored several books including On Ordered Liberty, his prize-winning The Commercial Society, Wilhelm Röpke’s Political Economy, and, most recently, Becoming Europe: Economic Decline, Culture, and America’s Future.
Letter to the Editor View all comments (48) | Leave a comment
More Articles by Samuel Gregg
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Darin| 4.13.11 @ 6:55AM
The commandment from Jesus to care for widows, orphans, and help the poor was an individual mandate. It has been perverted to justify taking from one and giving to another. The only time Jesus expresses such a thought is in the parable of the talents. There, the servent who did not do what he should had his talent taken from him and given to the servent who had the most. Jesus never, ever, said we are to take from one and give to another. Such a concept used to be known as theft, but now we call it welfare.
DLB| 4.13.11 @ 7:00AM
Our focus should always be to help people become more self-reliant. Welfare from the church would be almost as destructive as welfare from the State.
MCrites| 4.13.11 @ 2:01PM
Not necessarily. Relief from religious organizations almost always comes with some fairly substantial behavioral requirements. While not perfect, the process tends to improve those involved instead of crippling them by enabling their continued counter-productive behavior. I know, it sounds like pop-psych drivel, but I've seen it work many, many times ...
aj| 4.13.11 @ 7:44AM
The premise contained in the first word in the title to the article is a false one. They aren't.
Appleby| 4.13.11 @ 2:08PM
Speak for yourself, buster.
Mike D.| 4.13.11 @ 8:23AM
He's right about the post welfare state. Its coming whether anybody wants it to or not. Either via a civil war, economic collapse, or hopefully by a reduction in spending(which I highly doubt).
There are people who can't help themselves(about 5% or so of present welfare state nipple suckers) which charities(you know the places, where dollars and time are given voluntarily, not confiscated by the state) can assist.
Mick Lee| 4.13.11 @ 8:49AM
We Christians now recognize the evil of compelling faith by the sword. Where is our Christian objection to charity by the Sword? Isn't it evil to make others outside the Church pay for our agenda?
Kurt| 4.13.11 @ 9:11AM
When everyone fit to pull the wagon pulls their fair share the load is small for all, when many are allowed to ride in the wagon and not pull their weight the load becomes unbearable for the few still pulling the wagon, hence the welfare state in 2011! Welfare doesn't need to be modified it needs to be ENDED!!!
ShortNSweet| 4.13.11 @ 9:48AM
Well said Kurt.
I see families coming back together to support each other. I grew up with all my grandparents, cousins, and even second cousins, in the same neighborhood. In my generation we have spread out over the entire state, and beyond. We rarely keep in touch beyond facebook, and emails. It's a sad state of affairs. But, if welfare were "ended" families would be the supporters of those members of their extended families who were in need, and then the churches would be next to help families in need. Honestly, I think that is more what is intended in God's word. (Family is one of God's most prized creations...and they have been destroyed from the core, as well.)
Appleby| 4.13.11 @ 2:15PM
In our family we stick together. We follow the strictures of 1 Tomothy 5:8:
"But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever."
My father was a Jew and my mother is a Methodist; my sisters are Foursquare, Jewish, Methodist and Presbyterian and my brother is Greek Orthodox. I am Catholic. Every last one of us also believe Matthew2 25: 31-46 got it right:
The Sheep and the Goats
31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
P.S. We all agree that this use of "you" is a command to the INDIVIDUAL, and that we are to use our own resources in so doing.
james S laRoche| 4.14.11 @ 8:02AM
i been a giver and a receiver this scripture will not go away ! its a matter of Love in action this we shall be judged by !
PJ| 4.13.11 @ 9:36AM
As society becomes more & more secularized, I see more people throwing a few meager dollars to their favorite charity. It was similar to the way those pharisees & sadducees of the New Testament, threw their few coins to the poor, absolving themselves from further charitable actions.
Socialistic governments may be able to alleviate some of the physical trauma of true poverty but certainly not the feeling of abandonment & loneliness associated with it.
Today, I see less people interacting with others in friendly ways whether it be a simple hello or a smile. I see less children smiling, -----being happy. This is what a Godless, secular society breeds.
I hope the progressives are happy!
Walking Horse| 4.13.11 @ 10:12AM
This is what the Social Gospel movement was all about: using the police power of the State to compel people to do what they deemed "good", to forcibly take from one to give to another.
Mr. Lee nails it when he writes, "Where is our Christian objection to charity by the Sword?"
Ken (Old Texican)| 4.13.11 @ 10:32AM
Mr. Lee,
very well spoken, sir, and very timely.
Bo| 4.13.11 @ 10:55AM
I bet Jesus would've rather Ceasar taxed the rich to pay somebody else to wash all those poor people's feet so he could sit at home and watch TV.
Petronius| 4.13.11 @ 10:56AM
Over a century ago, H. L. Mencken said, "getting a living is too easy in this country. It gives rise to inferior men." Today those with inferior character run the state, ruin the economy, demolish our culture, plunder our earnings, and make war on success because inferiority is in their nature as is predation, perversion, and parasitism. And they use "the poor" as a vehicle to destroy Christianity. Most people are poor because they are economically illiterate, incompetent, and flatly refuse to do what is necessary to become successful. And the days of inflated paychecks for the minimal pursuits of mindless occupations are over. The bar has been raised. From now on anybody who cannot master our new information technologies is destined to fail in the job market. The reckoning is coming and there can only be one response if our country is to survive the damage wrought by the liberals. They must be driven from office and kicked off their judicial benches and banished for cultural treason. The middle class tax payers are tapped out and can't afford more profligacy. It's time for an Oliver Cromwell archetype who will take out the trash and force the slackers to make themselves useful in the market or take their character deficiencies to Cuba and Venezuela where everything is controlled by people like them.
Sheila| 4.13.11 @ 11:40AM
Well said.
Appleby| 4.13.11 @ 2:17PM
Gertrude Himmelfarb and the Victorians would agree with you wholeheartedly.
Al Adab| 4.13.11 @ 11:27AM
Frankly, Christians made a significant error in passing the buck of their personal obligations along to government agencies. Those agencies can never replace the action and charity of individuals no matter how much we may wish it. One's personal obligation to help the poor, to be charitable, cannot be avoided by proxy. After all, charity under compulsion through taxation is no charity at all.
Michael Tomlinson| 4.13.11 @ 2:02PM
Hey, is that why Muslims historically seem to ally with fascists and communists? What about the current alliance between the left and Islam? When one understands Islam believes in compelling religious submission by the sword and enforcing its doctrines by the sword how could anyone take seriously the notion that it believes in voluntary personal obligations to take care of the poor? Under sharia the state/Islam tells people what to do and they do it . . . The alternative is persecution or death. Not very voluntary.
Al Adab| 4.13.11 @ 2:39PM
How did we jump from a discussion of Christian charity into something about the nature of Islam? Islam, meaning submission (to G*D), actually joins with the state as a singularity. Islam makes almsgiving one of the pillars of faith. Christianity stands outside the state as a kingdom "not of this world". To reiterate, charity under compulsion, is not charity at all.
Margaret| 4.15.11 @ 1:13AM
You are exactly correct. We are intended to live in relationship, to be of one Body. We are intended to love one another as in Matt. 25. This means that when we encounter someone in need we actually talk to them, find out what is happening, what it is they need, and we to the extent we are able, provide food, water, shelter, clothing, or care. The 'extent to which we are able' is a lot, we have lived in a privileged place and time.
The anger, the hostility, the charges of racism are only possible because we have allowed government to take the place of individuals caring for one another. When we ask, when we accept, or when we provide for one another, we do so in bonds of love. It is difficult to be aroused to violence when we give one another compassionate help.
Government dehumanizes those in need. Walk into your local social security, food stamp office or county clinic. The people working there treat everyone with contempt at the same time encouraging them to accept the 'free' services. There is no sense of caring for people as persons. There is no sense of gratitude for another human being's humanity toward one another. There is no 'good feeling' for having done 'the right thing.' There is only despair, defeat, and hopelessness.
We need all of these types of interactions because they grow everyone involved closer. To survive as a nation, we need this, the Depression did this. We need to cultivate it again in our neighborhoods, in our zipcode, in our larger community, so that violence does not become an acceptable means to feed your family.
cicero| 4.13.11 @ 12:10PM
One of the least recognized virtues of private charity over the government entitlement process is that in the case of private or religious charity, it it doesn't produce the desired result, it is stopped. Not so in the case of government entitlement.
Franco| 4.13.11 @ 12:42PM
While I certainly agree that helping the widow and orphan crowd is best interpreted as an individual mandate in order to avoid state-sponsored theft and "charity by the sword" (wonderful phrase, BTW), I am defened by the chorus of righteous indignation in the comments here.
I think it's because that, although individual giving benefits the soul, it can also get you in trouble with the state or even sued under some circumstances. Just a thought.
John| 4.13.11 @ 1:06PM
Its not about either/or. Both government and civil society have a role here. Only an extreme libertarian would object. Modern social welfare is one of the great social inventions of the modern age. Not perfect but necessary. We don't want to go back to the Dickinson poor house do we?
Al Adab| 4.13.11 @ 2:45PM
Modern social welfare is not, as you believe, a great social invention. Instead it represents tyranny in a most malevolent fashion. To take from one group, person or class for the benefit of another which is, through many machinations, favored as a ward of government is simply theft and as such a moral evil. That we have deluded ourselves into thinking charity is a function of government is both damgerous and irresponsible. The obligation- as Christians put it - "to love one's neighbor as one's self" is a personal one and cannot be imposed through force. Charity under compulsion is no charity at all.
skip| 4.13.11 @ 1:11PM
This is much ado about nothing.
Real Christians will follow Christ's exhortation to tithe.
Christians are called to assist the helpless, not the clueless. Our society would improve drastically without welfare entitlement.
K962| 4.13.11 @ 1:54PM
The welfare state has been nothing but an enabler of
poverty. It provided a license to getting pregnant out of wedlock with little consequence. Father not there ? No problem Uncle Sam will step in and provide for kids no matter how many you have outside marriage.
The welfare state has been definite enabler of the irresponsible lifestyle and moral decay in the country.
fwb| 4.13.11 @ 2:07PM
Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.
Giving is NOT what it's about. Ignorance is a rampant disease. Don't catch it.
Welfare was NEVER about helping. It was about gaining control over people. A dog won't bite the hand that feeds it. The government has used this paradigm with social security, school lunches, etc all in an effort to gain control over the people. Pour that kool-aid down the drain.
Truth is King| 4.13.11 @ 2:42PM
Christians, unite:
"But you, beloved, build yourselves up on your most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit; keep yourselves in the love of God; wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And convince some, who doubt; save some, by snatching them out of the fire; on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. Now to Him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you without blemish before the presence of His Glory with rejoicing, to the only God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord, be Glory, Majesty, Dominion, and Authority, before all time and now and for ever. Amen." Jude 1:20-25.
PM| 4.13.11 @ 3:59PM
Many of the comments on this article espouse some of the least Christian viewpoints I have ever seen. As a Christian I am embarrassed that I fall under the same "Christian"umbrella as many of you. The judgmental tone of your responses makes a mockery of the teachings of Christ.
Appleby| 4.13.11 @ 4:59PM
Christ did plenty of judging, actually, if you read what He actually said and not what you heard from somebody who works for the New York Times. When he stormed through the Temple overturning tables, he was not exactly non-judgmental, was he? And how about the times he spoke of the "scribes and Pharisees" as "whited sepulchures" and of the plate and cup that are clean on the outside but filthy dirty on the inside? How about the parable of the Good Samaritan? (Maybe you should read up on the Samaatins while you're at it, and figure out why this was such a judgmental parable). How about Matthew 5, Matthew 6 and Matthew 24-25?
When Jesus said "Judge not, lest ye be judged" He also added "for with the same measure as you mete out, so will you be judged." Frankly, my dear, a Christian OUGHT to be judged by the same measure as he judges, and proudly so.
pencil| 4.14.11 @ 5:53PM
With an unbiased, reasonable, and just trial. What I mean is, Jesus knows the truth and can read minds. His judgements will always be spot on. We as humans however need to be more careful when judging anything lest our pride and bias take hold. We need to not compare ourselves with others and we need to carefully seek the truth. Some judgements are even off limits such as determining whether or not a person will be saved.
skip| 4.13.11 @ 10:14PM
PM
Which are the 'least Christian viewpoints' you have ever seen?
Which responses cause you to be 'embarrassed'?
Which responses make a 'mockery of the teachings of Christ'?
Are you going to teach and admonish, or just judge?
DaveS| 4.13.11 @ 6:17PM
I have had my pocket's contents withdrawn regularly for long enough - and this Christian is done with faceless and ungrateful no-loads who've received the booty.
My Church likes tithing; if you compute the pre-tax taking, there's no formula out there that says I have to give any after-tax to the 'poor' - a segment that looks positively middle class to much of Europe and wealthy to 99% of Africans outside of a few enclaves.
Charity begins at home.
Pat| 4.13.11 @ 6:27PM
Interesting juxtaposition of sound conclusions based on absurd assumptions. What pending demise of the welfare state? When will that happen? How? This author doesn’t delve into those piddly details – instead he rushes on to conclusions which, while being politically correct from a Conservative viewpoint, are unsupported by his vague opening assumptions. The purpose of the welfare state is to make everyone equal – equally “poor” works as well as equally “wealthy” under that concept.
And this author ignores the incredible personal power of the “helpless” within our society. Being “helpless” is a common condition shared by many in America and almost always invokes “official” compassion in response – not only from Christians, but from Jews, Muslims, Buddhists and probably atheists as well. Because what can you do with someone who is “helpless” – how do you punish them for being “helpless”?
And it’s true that numerous Americans have learned to be professionally “helpless” in order to get a free bite at the apple. Take an unwed mother of three living in Detroit, she receives government assistance, food stamps, rent assistance, reductions in her utility bills – take that assistance away and what happens? Do you simply allow her kids to freeze in January or go without food – remember she’s “helpless”, so don’t expect her to find an alternate solution. While it is true that America is the best place to be officially “helpless”, you can’t blame Christians for the generosity of our official welfare state. There were many bad decisions heaped on top of previous bad decisions when we crafted the welfare state, but those decisions weren’t mandated by Scripture.
For example, supporting welfare recipients in the highest cost of living cities in the country such as New York or Philadelphia rather than moving them to lower cost of living venues. Or giving welfare recipients money instead of paying their bills directly to the utility company or the landlord. Because when you’re “helpless” and the boyfriend beats you up and steals your money, the state still ends up paying the bill – and why, because you’re “helpless” (you probably guessed that one, right?). This author is rather confused and somewhat muddled in his assertions but he’s correct that the politicians will cling to the present system. And not because they’re “helpless” but because we allow them to – so maybe we’re the ones who are “helpless”.
philfl63| 4.13.11 @ 9:26PM
As the King of France responded when asked "But Sire, what about the poor?", the King answered "F**K the poor!" In the U.S. there is no reason to be poor beyond those truly mentally or physically incompetent. Everyone else who is poor is either a welfare leech, doper, boozer, or lazy scammer. Let them eat cake. And let the Church and private charities care for those who are truly mentally or physically incompetent as they did before gubmint welfare.
Rev Trask| 4.13.11 @ 9:38PM
The Tea Party Evangelicals need to crack open those Bibles they`re always thumping when a Republican candidate comes to town, and start understanding the Word of God.
skip| 4.13.11 @ 10:17PM
Rev Trask
Which verses need to be cracked open?
What understanding the Word of God is so lacking?
Truth is King| 4.14.11 @ 12:39AM
My Bible's always open.
Is yours?
Malbuff| 4.14.11 @ 9:11AM
If every Christian family effectively "adopted" just one poor family, this problem would be solved.
Appleby| 4.15.11 @ 4:31PM
Ronald Reagan said once that if each Church would adopt 10 poor families, the problem would be solved.
And although I believe the Mormon theology is, um, science fiction, I would hold up their social welfare system to anybody in the world as an example. Like the Victorians, they go where it's needed with what's needed, only for as long as it's needed -- with the express purpose of solving the problem at hand and getting the downtrodden back on their feet and into the community as a working member again as quickly as they can.
That used to be what it was all about.
shipley130| 4.14.11 @ 5:14PM
That word Leviathan to explain the US federal government should be used everyday. It's exactly what the fed has become.
Tatiana Covington| 4.14.11 @ 8:31PM
Screw the poor. Besides, robots are coming into reality, so we just won't need the poor for much longer anyway.
Good riddance!
Christian Louboutin | 6.23.11 @ 5:57AM
At present, these are important discussions. But frankly they're nothing compared to the debate that has yet to come.
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Moyers' phony quote has one thing correct. NPR/PBS is a gift to liberalism. Why would they fight so hard against de-funding?
Creative Recreation | 8.10.11 @ 10:24PM
is good