The Responsibility of Charity

The Responsibility of Charity
by Ki Vick

There’s quite a bit in the media these days about various and sundry charitable laws and government programs. We must help welfare moms, and we must pass laws to stop child abuse. If you don’t vote on such and such bill, you are sending children in to sweat shop labor, or starving them at school.

It’s very easy to get wrapped up in all the heartstring tugging, and truly believe that we MUST allow the government to continue these programs. That if you don’t want these programs then you are not a good Christian/woman/man/father/mother/PERSON. By not wanting the government to step in and “take care” of these people, you are saying you want no one to step in and take care of these people.

My father and I have talked about voting in our podcasts. I have stated that I believe by voting you give consent for deeds to be done in your name. It is a way to “pass the buck” on to someone else. You don’t have to enforce theft and morals on others, because you’ve given your representatives in the State the authority to do so *on your behalf*. By voting you are saying that you want the force of the State to be used to enforce a specific will, YOUR will.

This is no different. When people want the State to take care of charity, what they are saying is that they don’t want to take care of charity. They don’t want to go help their neighbor. They don’t want to give of their time and money freely. They want the State to come in and “deal with it” for them. It is a way to pass the responsibility of charity on to someone else.

When you make the State in charge of charity, if charity is not done, it is not your fault. It is “the politician’s” fault, or “the law maker’s” fault, or perhaps “the bureaucrat’s” fault. It absolves you of the responsibility of charity. You did your job. You told your lawmaker to do this charity so your job is done. If the charity work isn’t done, it’s their fault.

If charity needs to be done, it is the responsibility of persons to do it, not the State. If you are outraged at the way welfare is handled, think back and ask yourself if you have helped people who were in need. If you think we must have laws to help children eat well, ask yourself if YOU have helped children eat well. Never ask the State to do something that you are capable of doing yourself.

Ki VickKi
Staff member, Bad Quaker Dot Com
Co-host Bad Quaker Dot Com Podcast

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