There has been, in my opinion, a monstrous perversion of Christian teachings. In order to promote Marxism, a variety of of Christian organizations and denominations have been infiltrated and influenced to promote an anti-Christian message- “social (in)justice.” Many evangelical groups and the Catholic Church support it as well. Just take a moment to let that thought percolate. Would Jesus support Marxism? Would he support a system that is openly resistant to any God but the state? Mind you that social justice is nothing more than Marxism renamed, so I have a difficult time accepting that Jesus will support it.
What I do know is that the Bible encourages charity in both Old and New Testaments. Here’s a random selection of verses.
Deuteronomy 15:7
If there is a poor man among your brothers in any of the towns of the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward your poor brother.
Leviticus 25:35
‘If one of your countrymen becomes poor and is unable to support himself among you, help him as you would an alien or a temporary resident, so he can continue to live among you.Psalm 37:25-26
I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. They are always generous and lend freely; their children will be blessed.Psalm 41:1-2
Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; the LORD delivers him in times of trouble. The LORD will protect him and preserve his life; he will bless him in the land and not surrender him to the desire of his foes.Matthew 6:1-4
“Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
2 Corinthians 9:7
Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.Colossians 3:12
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.1 Timothy 6:17-18
Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.
I will openly admit that I am by no means a theologian. But what I gather is that charity is to be something personal. God clearly wants us to be kind to the less fortunate. I also think that he wants is to do that ourselves. Note the verses from Matthew and 2 Corinthians; they seem to suggest that not only should giving be an individual decision-without coercion, but is should also be done in an anonymous manner. Additionally, charity not only improves the status of the poor, but improves the condition of the giver’s soul. Basically, it is good for all, and pleasing to God.
Let’s contrast that with the concept of social justice. Essentially, the government, an agent of force, will confiscate from some, and give it to others (after wasting the majority of it in DC). How does being legally robbed by the government improve your soul, or you as a person? How does a confiscatory policy help you please your God? Can giving be defined as charity if you have no choice? I don’t recall Jesus holding a gun to someone’s head, but Lenin, Stalin, Mao, Castro and Che certainly did, and in millions of cases, their minions pulled the trigger.
To me, the answer is simple. Government taxation is NOT charity. It does nothing for the “giver,” and, as history shows, we spent a trillion dollars in the “War on Poverty,” and ended up with more poor people! I guess our government purchased a trillion dollars worth of poverty. No one bothers to mention that in the war on poverty, poverty won. And, in fact, the government’s efforts helped poverty win, and will continue to do so.
