Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN Texas On one side you have the limited government group who believe as the founders did that charity (helping the poor) is best provided by private entities such as the church and other charitable organizations. On the other side you have those who believe it is up to government to care for its citizens. This is one of the most debated questions of the last century.
As is the norm there are two opposing viewpoints.
In Colonial times and the first 150 years of the nation charity was voluntary generosity given to lend temporary assistance to those who have fallen on hard times.
Those who believe it is up to government to promote the general welfare" clause in the preamble to the Constitution allows the government to participate in charity. Since the Great Depression there has been a gradual increase in government services to assist the poor. Government assistance is the opposite of charity in that charity is something we voluntarily support.
Since governments only source of income is from we the people then government assistance no matter the good intentions is paid for by force of law. Today there are programs for almost anything that a citizen would need. Programs that feed the poor provide retirement welfare for single moms healthcare for the poor (Medicaid) healthcare for seniors (Medicare) subsidized housing unemployment and the list goes on and on.
Since President Lyndon B. Johnson declared war on poverty the government has created program after program to stamp out poverty. Today the numbers in poverty at least percentage wise are the same. With an ever increasing population there are actually more people classified poor than ever. Not only have the numbers not decreased but as an unintended consequence of the way these laws are written being poor has become systemic and generational. Welfare was intended to assist people for a temporary period of time while they get back on their feet. However the rules and regulations do not promote getting back on your feet as much as making it easier and more attractive to stay on welfare.
It seems that much of the time bills are written quickly and broadly with few details as to how they are to be implemented or governed and with very little thought or research done to see how the bill/law would negatively impact society or businesses. As a result there are many unintended consequences that actually make society worse. This has been the case with our welfare laws. Consequently there are now at least three generations living on government assistance.
Benjamin Franklin once wrote in a letter to a friend that he had noted in his travels that the countries that provided the most for its people had the most poor. Likewise he said the countries that provide the least had more productive citizens. What a true observation.
Most of the Founders did not believe that charity was a responsibility of government. At that time and for the first 170 years personal responsibility and character were virtues that were taught in the home church and in school. Jesus is our example of giving to the poor and doing so in a way that would raise them up and not keep them down. His disciplined life style and work ethic shows us that God values hard work and discipline and through it we are rewarded for our efforts.
God is the author of charity. Proverbs 19: 17 says He who has pity on the poor lends to the LORD And He will pay back what he has given." Also Proverbs 28:27 says He who gives to the poor will not lack But he who hides his eyes will have many curses." And then there is Proverbs 31:8 & 9 Speak up for the those who cannot speak for themselves for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy." God is also the author of social justice.
Because of the strong belief in self-government or personal responsibility high value was placed on character and the virtues that spring forth when we govern ourselves. Virtues such as prudence restraint industry frugality sobriety honesty civility and reliability were present in American society for the first two hundred and fifty years. These were stressed in the home and reinforced in school. Adam Smith the Scottish philosopher stated that freedom teaches the virtue of self-command which he writes is not only itself a great virtue but from it all the other virtues seem to derive their principal luster.
Because of this great foundation America has always been the most generous nation on earth. Even in our current economic challenges Americans are generous. We give more per capita than any other nation to help those in need whether here or abroad. In the early days the church was the center of charitable assistance. As the government began to take over the role of the church in providing assistance to the poor the church began a steady retreat into its four walls. However during disasters we see it emerge as it is the faith based organizations who respond first to offer aid and comfort. They can respond quickly and more efficiently because of the lack of layers of rules and regulation that FEMA operates under.
So what brought about this change in the culture? As we moved into the 1960s a shift took place in the schools as God the Bible the Ten Commandments and character emphasis were removed from the classrooms of America. Hard work discipline excellence and success began to be de-emphasized. Today they are not valued at all. Instead of expecting students to rise to the challenge of a really good education the experts" began to lower expectations and shift from the basics to experimental teaching methods in math and reading that have failed to increase learning and instead graduated many who could not read and has resulted in a drastic increase in the dropout rate.
Our schools have become more about making sure students feel good about themselves without having to actually work hard for anything. Therefore there is no value placed on satisfaction for a job well done" which has produced a generation with a sense of entitlement to success without having to work for it. Some say we have dumbed down the last two generations so much that we now have citizens who do not value work and that may be true.
When we fail to challenge each generation to learn and excel then we are setting them up for failure. With this failure comes dependence on government to take care of the problems and provide for citizens what for centuries they have provided for themselves. Americans have a history that is rich in hard work ingenuity creativity individualism and entrepreneurialism. This is a legacy we cannot afford to lose because once it is completely lost America is lost.
We are at a crossroads in which we will need to decide whether we want the American way of life filled with opportunity to succeed or if we want full equality where no one succeeds and we are all slaves of the government. Pay attention to how the media and the statist go after Representative Paul Ryans budget proposal or any sensible budget proposal that would dare to suggest that we all have to give a little and stop the drunken spending spree. I am personally tired of hearing people buy the line that the Republicans want to deny people healthcare Social Security Medicare welfare etc. Paul Ryans plan is reasonable and will benefit all because tax cuts benefit the poor just as much the upper middle class.
If as rational human beings we would stop and pay attention it would be clear that what the left claims the right wants to do - the left is actually doing. They already have a committee of unelected members whose sole job is to deny people healthcare and by temporarily canceling FICA for an indefinite period of time they are draining social security and limiting the amount each person can then collect in retirement.
Yet they point their finger at the Republicans and audaciously say they are going to do all these things. I refuse to believe that the American people are stupid and cant see these lies but I do believe many of us are asleep at the wheel. It is time to face the truth of where we are and unite to save what freedoms we have left before all of us are living on the government plantation. The church must step up and create solutions to the problem of systemic poverty and the social problems attached to it.
The age old question of whether it is better to give a man a fish to eat or teach him to fish is the question on the table. Each program needs to be able to answer this question. If we arent teaching people how to provide for themselves then we need to find ways to do just that. There is no utopia where there are no poor. Jesus said that we would always have the poor among us but not to this magnitude. America it is time to wake up and for the churches to unite!
Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN Texas On one side you have the limited government group who believe as the founders did that charity (helping the poor) is best provided by private entities such as the church and other charitable organizations. On the other side you have those who believe it is up to government to care for its citizens. This is one of the most debated questions of the last century.
As is the norm there are two opposing viewpoints.
In Colonial times and the first 150 years of the nation charity was voluntary generosity given to lend temporary assistance to those who have fallen on hard times.
Those who believe it is up to government to promote the general welfare" clause in the preamble to the Constitution allows the government to participate in charity. Since the Great Depression there has been a gradual increase in government services to assist the poor. Government assistance is the opposite of charity in that charity is something we voluntarily support.
Since governments only source of income is from we the people then government assistance no matter the good intentions is paid for by force of law. Today there are programs for almost anything that a citizen would need. Programs that feed the poor provide retirement welfare for single moms healthcare for the poor (Medicaid) healthcare for seniors (Medicare) subsidized housing unemployment and the list goes on and on.
Since President Lyndon B. Johnson declared war on poverty the government has created program after program to stamp out poverty. Today the numbers in poverty at least percentage wise are the same. With an ever increasing population there are actually more people classified poor than ever. Not only have the numbers not decreased but as an unintended consequence of the way these laws are written being poor has become systemic and generational. Welfare was intended to assist people for a temporary period of time while they get back on their feet. However the rules and regulations do not promote getting back on your feet as much as making it easier and more attractive to stay on welfare.
It seems that much of the time bills are written quickly and broadly with few details as to how they are to be implemented or governed and with very little thought or research done to see how the bill/law would negatively impact society or businesses. As a result there are many unintended consequences that actually make society worse. This has been the case with our welfare laws. Consequently there are now at least three generations living on government assistance.
Benjamin Franklin once wrote in a letter to a friend that he had noted in his travels that the countries that provided the most for its people had the most poor. Likewise he said the countries that provide the least had more productive citizens. What a true observation.
Most of the Founders did not believe that charity was a responsibility of government. At that time and for the first 170 years personal responsibility and character were virtues that were taught in the home church and in school. Jesus is our example of giving to the poor and doing so in a way that would raise them up and not keep them down. His disciplined life style and work ethic shows us that God values hard work and discipline and through it we are rewarded for our efforts.
God is the author of charity. Proverbs 19: 17 says He who has pity on the poor lends to the LORD And He will pay back what he has given." Also Proverbs 28:27 says He who gives to the poor will not lack But he who hides his eyes will have many curses." And then there is Proverbs 31:8 & 9 Speak up for the those who cannot speak for themselves for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy." God is also the author of social justice.
Because of the strong belief in self-government or personal responsibility high value was placed on character and the virtues that spring forth when we govern ourselves. Virtues such as prudence restraint industry frugality sobriety honesty civility and reliability were present in American society for the first two hundred and fifty years. These were stressed in the home and reinforced in school. Adam Smith the Scottish philosopher stated that freedom teaches the virtue of self-command which he writes is not only itself a great virtue but from it all the other virtues seem to derive their principal luster.
Because of this great foundation America has always been the most generous nation on earth. Even in our current economic challenges Americans are generous. We give more per capita than any other nation to help those in need whether here or abroad. In the early days the church was the center of charitable assistance. As the government began to take over the role of the church in providing assistance to the poor the church began a steady retreat into its four walls. However during disasters we see it emerge as it is the faith based organizations who respond first to offer aid and comfort. They can respond quickly and more efficiently because of the lack of layers of rules and regulation that FEMA operates under.
So what brought about this change in the culture? As we moved into the 1960s a shift took place in the schools as God the Bible the Ten Commandments and character emphasis were removed from the classrooms of America. Hard work discipline excellence and success began to be de-emphasized. Today they are not valued at all. Instead of expecting students to rise to the challenge of a really good education the experts" began to lower expectations and shift from the basics to experimental teaching methods in math and reading that have failed to increase learning and instead graduated many who could not read and has resulted in a drastic increase in the dropout rate.
Our schools have become more about making sure students feel good about themselves without having to actually work hard for anything. Therefore there is no value placed on satisfaction for a job well done" which has produced a generation with a sense of entitlement to success without having to work for it. Some say we have dumbed down the last two generations so much that we now have citizens who do not value work and that may be true.
When we fail to challenge each generation to learn and excel then we are setting them up for failure. With this failure comes dependence on government to take care of the problems and provide for citizens what for centuries they have provided for themselves. Americans have a history that is rich in hard work ingenuity creativity individualism and entrepreneurialism. This is a legacy we cannot afford to lose because once it is completely lost America is lost.
We are at a crossroads in which we will need to decide whether we want the American way of life filled with opportunity to succeed or if we want full equality where no one succeeds and we are all slaves of the government. Pay attention to how the media and the statist go after Representative Paul Ryans budget proposal or any sensible budget proposal that would dare to suggest that we all have to give a little and stop the drunken spending spree. I am personally tired of hearing people buy the line that the Republicans want to deny people healthcare Social Security Medicare welfare etc. Paul Ryans plan is reasonable and will benefit all because tax cuts benefit the poor just as much the upper middle class.
If as rational human beings we would stop and pay attention it would be clear that what the left claims the right wants to do - the left is actually doing. They already have a committee of unelected members whose sole job is to deny people healthcare and by temporarily canceling FICA for an indefinite period of time they are draining social security and limiting the amount each person can then collect in retirement.
Yet they point their finger at the Republicans and audaciously say they are going to do all these things. I refuse to believe that the American people are stupid and cant see these lies but I do believe many of us are asleep at the wheel. It is time to face the truth of where we are and unite to save what freedoms we have left before all of us are living on the government plantation. The church must step up and create solutions to the problem of systemic poverty and the social problems attached to it.
The age old question of whether it is better to give a man a fish to eat or teach him to fish is the question on the table. Each program needs to be able to answer this question. If we arent teaching people how to provide for themselves then we need to find ways to do just that. There is no utopia where there are no poor. Jesus said that we would always have the poor among us but not to this magnitude. America it is time to wake up and for the churches to unite!
