Where’s the Charity in Force?

Recently I had the opportunity to converse with an old friend on the topic of Charity. My friend informed me that from his perspective, in order to live my religion and be charitable, I should be a proponent of Government mandated and controlled health care. From his perspective this is understandable as it is a basic Christian tenet to take care of the poor and needy.  Isn’t that all that is happening when the government injects itself into the health care industry? Aren’t we just making sure that those who don’t currently have health insurance are insured, so they don’t have to live in fear? Isn’t it the charitable, and therefore, the Christian thing to do?

After some additional study I submit this paper as an answer to all individuals who believe, specifically, that government should play a role in providing health care to Americans, and generally, that government should play a charitable role in our lives at all.

Charity is an Exalting Process

In an act of charity, the giver is exalted as they see or become aware of someone in want and reach within themselves to find a way to satisfy that person’s want of their own means. Often this act requires the giver to humble themselves and to reach further than may be comfortable in order to give, in other words, to make a sacrifice.  This sacrifice empowers the giver to more fully recognize the great abundance with which he has been blessed.  Serving others also carries with it the natural by-product of an increased love for all mankind.  This occurs because one has copied the Lord’s example of serving others.

Conversely, those who are in want are exalted because of the potential for great spiritual growth through first, increased humility in the giving of thanks and the showing of gratitude for the care and support, and secondly, through the humbling act of requesting help from an individual or organization. Through this process of receiving, the receiver draws closer to the Savior, by realizing he is not alone, and that God is looking out for him through His other children.

We Are All Dependents

Clearly we are all dependent upon the Savior for our Salvation. None will return to him save through his grace. But when times are good and temporal things are plentiful, we tend to arrogantly forget our dependence upon him and can even leave him completely out of our daily lives.  Thankfully the process of charity has the power to bring back to remember our dependence upon the Savior for all things.

So if charity has such a benevolent impact on givers and receivers, why not use government to spread it to all people within its borders?  The reach of government is so immense, and its resources so deep, couldn’t charity be implemented among all people equally?  Certainly, the charitable intent of the people wouldn’t change just because a government entity was used to provide it, would it?  Let’s examine these questions and see if government truly could engage in the process of charitable giving.

Strike #1 for the Government – No Choice

Many seem to believe that the Government acting in the role of the giver (having been empowered by its citizens’ tax dollars) is a noble purpose. The core problem is the source of funds. Government can only acquire its funding through the power of force, in other words, the government must do it by law.  Hence, when a law is passed there is always a required threat of force to enforce the law; the threats of fines, imprisonment, garnishment, and confiscation are the natural remedy for citizens who do not abide by the “charitable” law.  We have little choice in the matter and may suffer at the hands of the state should we choose to resist. So on the First hand, the giver is not exalted through the process but rather they are debased as their power of choice has been stripped from them.  This is a clear violation of their unalienable right of liberty, or, the ability to choose for themselves.

Strike #2 for the Government – No Growth

The receiver is deprived of the growing process which comes from asking a or seeking for help directly from others.  They still must request the assistance of the Government, but the Government does not see and deal with individuals, rather they deal with social groups, economic classes, and political special-interest organizations. As long as you qualify for assistance it becomes an entitlement for you–in many cases the benefits are irrevocable–unless you physically repudiate it. Consequently, the expressions of gratitude are non-existent. Some may see it as just dipping into the bank account that they were forced to pay into when times were better for them, rather than realizing the Sacrifice of the Giver. Thus the receiver is debased, and has the real opportunity for growth of character stripped from them.

Strike #3 for the Government – A Wall of Separation

This process puts a wall up between the actual givers and receivers through the encompassing, bureaucratic arms of the Government. They never know each other and lose the opportunity for a meaningful relationship. You may even have two neighbors who are both participating in the “System,” one as a giver (Taxpayer) and the other as a receiver (beneficiary), but never realize that one is “Helping” the other . Therefore, they both are deprived of an increase in their neighborly relationship that they could have seen through the act of a direct request or bestowal of charity. As a result their relationship is debased and in all likelihood will not reach it’s potential level of exchange, communication, and love.

What About Charity & Non-Governmental Organizations?

There is a stark difference between governmental “charity” and the philanthropic efforts of private organizations. You will never see the Salvation Army volunteer ringing a bell with one hand while holding a gun in the other. It is critical to remember that a church or volunteer organization has no power of force (law) to command citizens to fund their charitable endeavors. In order to fulfill an organization’s missions, they must rely upon the free generosity of the citizenry. And not only do they rely upon their voluntary donations of material goods but also upon their donations of time and love. Private groups likewise facilitate meaningful communication between volunteers and recipients in order to ascertain how the organization can effectively serve the recipient. With a focus on the individual, rather than some arbitrary social order created by politicians, private charities can help receivers understand that the goods/funds/services they are receiving were made possible solely by the generosity of others; others who desired to give. This process retains the exalting effect on the givers, receivers, volunteers, and the organizations themselves and the world is better for it! True charity reigns and all of this is accomplished by agency and love rather than the force and coercion of the government.

Government – You’re Out!

The very act of “Charitable” giving by the bleeding heart of government, can and will have a damning effect on the citizens. This is because forced charity is a blatant violation of the peoples’ unalienable right of Liberty and ultimately the Savior’s tenet to serve others of one’s free will and choice. If indulged in for long enough, it will lead to a moral cancer, like a virus, that will corrupt the very heart and soul of any nation.

Therefore we see that Charitable Force or False Philanthropy is as destructive in its nature as its name suggests. All government “charitable” (or non-charitable) redistributions must be stopped, thus giving the citizens (IE. the marketplace) the opportunity to come up with better, more efficient, and more helpful ways to assist those in need. If the government was not involved in this so-called charitable giving, Inflation, our National Debt, and the economy would be in a much better state. People would retain a greater amount of their income to bless others how they see fit.  And arguably those who now qualify for these government entitlement programs would be in a much better financial situation free of all the governmental “help” that they currently receive. But that is a subject for another post….