Charles Shiflett Column March 20, 2004

Mixing Politics & Religion

We've all heard the old adage, "Don't mix politics and religion." Yes, there are many instances where
the two are like oil and water. However, when it comes to government welfare programs, a quick
refresher in Biblical principles might be in order.

There is no doubt hard-hearted people exist in this world. They blindly turn their eye to those in need
and put themselves first. However, most Americans do have compassion for their fellow man and when
confronted with friends or family in need, they'll act. The problem comes in how we collectively as a
nation address the problem of poverty.

Liberals tend to be ruled by emotion and are quick to volunteer your tax dollars for various government
attempts at solving perceived problems such as hunger, homelessness, etc. We've all seen news
clips of Democrat Congressmen making outlandish accusations against Republicans, such as saying
conservatives want to force seniors to eat pet food. It makes for interesting politics, but does nothing
to solve our nation's problems.

Conservatives are generally ruled by logic and are reluctant to have their tax dollars wasted on
inefficient government handouts that do little more than apply bandages to deeper problems. Usually
where there is financial poverty, there is also poverty of the soul… and government is ill equipped to
deal with spiritual matters. We sometimes forget that we are spiritual beings temporarily living in this
material realm.

Just as there are physical laws of the universe, there are also spiritual laws. If you drop your car keys,
you know they will fall to the ground. We may not fully understand the Law of Gravity, but we know it
works. Likewise, the Bible is full of God's spiritual laws that also work… though like with gravity, we
may not fully understand why. One of the most important spiritual laws is the Law of Reciprocity. As
the Bible says, "Give and it shall be given unto you…"

The reason government welfare programs work so poorly is they circumvent the Law of Reciprocity.
When government forcibly takes money from one group and redistributes it to another group, a sterile
transaction has been created.

Yet, when you freely give time or resources to personally help someone, two important things occur.
One is that God honors your giving through the Law of Reciprocity and you will be blessed materially
for your sacrifice. Secondly, both you and the person you're helping will be blessed spiritually. By
giving directly, or by working with others in your church or private organization, you are able to
personally touch that individual in need - no sterile handout from a government bureaucracy.

Years ago I coined a phrase in a talk I gave: "Charity without accountability leads to dependency."

When someone receives food stamps or a welfare check, many times they become "hooked" on the
handout. It's human nature to want something for nothing - but along with the handout comes a
diminishing of the individual's self-worth and a vicious cycle is created. Our jails and prisons are full of
men and women who have traveled that road of dependency. By addressing the material and spiritual
needs together and on a personal basis, a measure of accountability is established and expected of
the person being assisted.

Some will point to efforts by President Bush and Governor Perdue to channel welfare dollars to faith
based groups as a solution. I believe both men genuinely want to help their fellow man, but while this
effort may be an improvement over our current system - it will never work as intended. When
government is involved, strings are always attached - strings which could severely harm the
independence of our churches and faith-based organizations. Plus the money is still being forcibly
taken from one group and distributed to another, again ignoring The Law of Reciprocity.

There is no overnight solution that could eliminate government welfare programs and replace them with
private efforts - the nation's liberals wouldn't stand for it. However, if America's churches and private
groups would begin to gradually expand their outreach while demanding accountability from those they
assist - one could realistically envision a nation in a few years where the need for government
programs would be significantly reduced. A much higher percentage of those in need could regain
productive lives and those doing the giving would be rewarded richly.