The View From 1776

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The Christian church, from its earliest days in Asia Minor, was commanded by the apostle Paul to take care of the needy.  This it did so well that, by the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the church was the semi-official educational and health-care arm of government.  During the Middle Ages, the Roman Catholic Church became the sole source of education, law, and charitable works such as hospitals and shelters for the needy.

This role was carried here to the British North American colonies in their Protestant churches and remained in force until well into the 20th century.

Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal forcibly grabbed that function from the church in the Depression by imposing huge tax increases and creating the socialist welfare state.  This was part of President Roosevelt’s campaign promise to impose socialist state-planning, which necessitated the first moves toward today’s secularism in government and education.

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Mita writes:

The post by Lawrence Auster on Oct. 11th was pretty succinct, if not too succinct. While he is correct in pointing out that “lefties” have a tendency to think big government and all its myriad of social programs is the answer to all life’s ills and shortcomings, especially poverty, he neglected to give an adequate alternative to the socialist agenda… the church. Yes, Jesus did say “Who made me judge or divider over you?”, but when the gospel is preached and the kingdom of God spreads as a result, people will naturally be more charitable and equitable. It is also not the governments job to force people to “give” charitably. That’s technically not giving either - that’s being “Robin-Hooded”.

Historically, the church, meaning the church as a whole, not just its leaders, has reached out into the community with the love of Jesus. This has not only been in the form of charitable giving, but charity has usually been accompanied by the preaching of the gospel, instruction in the “Golden Rule”... the basics of true Christianity. Love God, love your neighbor. The Gospel has provided the foundation on which society is supposed to be built, and this is what has made civilized society thrive… When government tries to do the churches’ job, whether by force or because of the neglect of the church, socialism and worse will naturally get sucked into the vacuum left by the vacant spot in society where the church used to be.

While Godly charity and preaching of the Gospel still happens today, I am afraid that much of the church, especially in America, has been infected with the “Me First” virus of humanism spread by today’s society. Secular Humanism has pervaded so much of the house of God that its structure as a whole is faulty, or “not up to code”... We have all had experience at some point with homes built in a sub-standard manner… if even one corner of a house or apartment building has not been built solidly on the foundation laid for it, it will endanger the rest of the house. That corner will have to be torn down and rebuilt correctly according to the blueprint, lining up with the foundational boundary and according to the building code standards. Otherwise, the whole house eventually falls down for lack of structural integrity in even one supporting beam.

“Unless the LORD builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain” (Ps 127:1). If the church were to rise up and rid itself of godlessness and unholiness within its own ranks and become a Godly standard for society, perhaps this nation would have hope after all.

2 Chronicles 7:14 says “if MY people, WHO ARE CALLED BY MY NAME, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and TURN from THEIR wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

1 Peter 4:17 “For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God?”

Notice, this isn’t a call for those outside the church to repent, but those inside. The church must not only preach the gospel, but obey it as well. Otherwise, it loses its effectiveness in society. The church cannot “throw its hands up in pious horror” when people do what they normally do in a fallen state. And the church certainly must not have the attitude of “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.” Instead it must be salt and light in a rotting and dark world. As the saying goes, “One cannot blame unsalted meat for going bad”. The church should serve as the preservative factor the way God intended, but can only do that if it purges itself of its own sins and repents.

Another consideration is TAXES. The government, by imposing certain taxes, has usurped the church in its duties or taken the place of the church authority in peoples lives. For instance, when property taxes were instituted, government assumed ownership in some capacity of the land, demanding a portion of its worth every year. This is a hardship for many and there are many people who lose their land because they cannot pay the imposed taxes, or can lose their land simply because it is in a desired area when the government decides to use their “right of eminent domain” because the land would make a better tourist area… (selah)

But scripture says, “The Earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof...” In the Old Testament, the “taxes” came in the form of sacrifices and offerings according to this principle - that we are just stewards of what God gives us. It all ultimately belongs to Him. In the New Testament, the early church took this to the next level and shared EVERYTHING, so much so that there were no believers who were needy. See the book of Acts 2:29-47.

“Charity”, or as charity is translated, “Love”, became a lifestyle lived out every day with the help of the Holy Spirit. That is the ideal goal for society, but in the context of the kingdom of God spreading throughout society. It cannot be done adequately in the flesh by forcing people to redistribute their wealth to people they don’t know against their will through the imposition of unjust taxation and the passing of secular laws enforcing it.

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