Does God Favor Unlimited Government?

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Does the Lord favor unlimited Big Government to provide for EVERY human need? Many of our church officials think so, with government health care being only the most recent demand. The Mainline Church lobby offices on Capitol Hill here in Washington are busily pushing for Obamacare while preferring a more direct, “single-payer” option of full, socialized medicine, without any incremental steps. Evangelical Left activists echo this demand. Jim Wallis of Sojourners organized a conference call with President Obama to rally religious support. For liberal religionists, Matthew 25’s command to care for the “least of these” automatically means Big Government must take care of everyone.

But should Christians not acknowledge there should be some limits on the power and responsibilities of government? In the 20th century, we saw the horrific consequences of totalitarian experiments. Less extreme, we saw the limitations and failures of The Welfare State, including the tragic, unintended results of 1960’s Great Society programs, where government displaced and severed the once strong ties of families and churches.

Some thoughtful Christians are responding to the Religious Left push for government controlled health care. The National Association of Evangelicals has mildly warned against a complete government take-over. More substantively, Iowa Catholic Bishop Walter Nickless recently pointed out that Christianity does not teach health care is a “natural right.” Health care for all is moral good to which society rightly aspires. But that goal does not necessarily entail “government monopolization,” the bishop stressed. The government insurance that Obamacare promotes would actually deprive many working class Americans of options in their health care, he warned. Higher taxes, bureaucratic inefficiency and suppression of private initiative would hurt poor and working class people, he further surmised.

Here is my article about Bishop Nickless’s thoughtful critique. Why aren’t more Christian leaders speaking out like this? Why is the Religious Left dominating much of the religious sphere with its mind-numbing pseudo-arguments? Too often we must rely on secular conservative sources for what are deeply spiritual understandings of government’s divinely ordained role to protect society without usurping equally if not more important institutions, like families, churches, and private associations.

Bishop Nickless wrote that Christianity teaches government should have a monopoly on national defense. Indeed, the Scriptures specifically ordained the state to protect its people with the “sword.” Of course, the Religious Left inverts this, demanding that government do everything but engage in military defense and law enforcement. This week we recall 9-11 and the events that followed. IRD’s Religious Liberty Director Faith McDonnell has been commemorating some of 9-11’s victims, lest we forget. Here’s her latest article. Andhere’s another.

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