I understand why people are liberals. Who doesn’t want free stuff? “Equality”? It sounds so pretty. Help the downtrodden. Make everyone equal. Everyone should be taken care of. The “rich” people don’t mind paying for your health care. Obama provides, after all. Bush single-handedly destroyed the world, and now Obamessiah will save us.
I already wrote about my take on socialism and why I don’t believe that works from a spiritual angle. Here’s the meat of it:
This may be politically incorrect, but here goes: The underlying premise of Christianity is NOT equality. It is salvation through Jesus. Period.
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God gives to us according to what we can handle. He knows our hearts and our intentions… more will be given to those who use well what they are given.
Now, are liberals really socialists? My opinion is yes. You can call it redistribution, expanding social programs, taking care of the poor, whatever you want, the principles are the same: take money from the wealthy (via taxation in this case) and spread it to those who don’t have as much via social programs. Robin Hood style. I’m going to leave that alone. Work through it. Think about it. Discuss amongst yourselves.
Taking that to the next level, what should the government’s role be, then? Biblically first, and then Constitutionally, what should America’s government look like? I can’t possibly do that justice. My advice would be to read the Bible and work toward understanding truth, and then take a look at the Constitution and understand the foundation of our laws. However, here’s my take on things.
Romans 13:1-7:
Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. 4 For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience’ sake. For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God’s ministers attending continually to this very thing. Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.
That’s self explanitory, and should be the foundation for our response to government. We are to follow the laws – regardless of who sets them. Judges (17:6, 21:25) makes it pretty clear that any form of government is better than chaos. Even a liberal one.
I also want to be clear that the Bible doesn’t dictate a particular form of government. However, in America, we are set up as a representative democracy, and as Christians who live in this country, we are to submit.
Now, in the Constitution we are given a very sparse outline of government. I don’t think that’s an accident. I believe that the government is there to protect us from each other and keep us from chaos, but they need to stay small. Focus on things like defense. When the government gets its hands on too many things, there will be problems. There is too much subjectivity involved, which is why separation of church and state is in place. Where is the line? How far is too far for the government? I think that line has already been crossed.
So far we have given the government power over our education, our businesses, our health care, and just about every other aspect of our lives – and that scope of power is growing rapidly. The social programs that are in place in our country remove responsibility from the individual. Get pregnant? It’s okay, even if you’re 15 you can go to a clinic and get an abortion – you don’t even have to tell mommy and daddy. Can’t get a job, or just don’t want to work? It’s okay. Welfare and foodstamps and Section 8 have you covered. Screw up and get fired? Unemployment’s got your back.
While I think select programs are good in moderation, it’s this thinking has given birth to the bailoutpalooza we’ve been watching. You’re working in a struggling industry with a union that puts your industry at a ridiculous handicap in foreign markets, and can’t figure out how to make it work? It’s okay, you’ll still get a $25 billion check to put off your inevitable failure a few more years. Our society has become so lazy, entitled and irresponsible that we’re destroying ourselves at a ridiculoulsly fast rate. People have GOT to be accountable. This goes for individuals AND industries, and covers both fiscal and social aspects of government.
Quick Wrap-Up:
Fiscally: The government HAS TO STOP FUNDING EVERYTHING THEY’RE FUNDING. They’ve already effectively bankrupted themselves, and raising taxes will do nothing but throw us deeper into the pit of recession. Programs have to be cut. Taxes have to be cut so people can afford to put money back in to the economy. Socially: It helps no one to remove accountability. At all. The laziness, entitlement, and moral decay that results is sickening.
The bottom line is this: Leave us alone.
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