FEMA - Welfare or Charity?

We as Americans have a bad habit of looking to Washington to “Fix” any and all problems.

Welfare is one of those problems that we look to the Federal Government to solve.

So, how should we handle Welfare? Let’s look at the proper way to deal with people who are not able to fend for themselves through no fault of their own.

There is a hierarchy of responsibilities that should be observed. Here is the order of priorities:

1. First people should be responsible for their own sustenance if at all possible.
2. Next come families and friends.
3. Next come the local Churches.
4. Next comes the Local Government.
5. Next comes the State Government.
6. And then finally comes the Federal Government.

We as a Nation have this order reversed! The first place everyone looks is to the taxpayer’s pockets.

Imagine if the way we would collect the needed money for FEMA was that a soldier came and pointed a gun at you and said we need $500.00 from you to help the people affected by the Hurricane. And if you don’t give you will be jailed. This is the effect of Federal taxes used to help the poor. If it is not given freely with no coersion, it is not Charity it is Welfare. And the giver will not get the blessing because he had no choice.

Here is the way it should work:

It is back in the days of the Wagon Train. You and some others have just hired a Wagon Master to take you from the East to the West. You and 15 other Wagons are paying the Wagon Master to be your government. He is to protect you and govern you for the duration of the trip.

Now suppose during the trip, the Widow Jones horse that is pulling her wagon gets killed. What should the Wagon Master do?

1. Ask for donations to buy a horse from Mr. Smith who has 20 extra with him.
2. Ask for Mr. Smith to just give Widow Jones a horse.
3. Ask Widow Jones to see if Mr. Smith would let her do clean up and washing/ironing jobs to buy a horse from him on credit.
4. Just have the Wagon Master tell Mr. Smith that the Wagon Train members voted to have the horse taken from Mr. Smith to give to the Widow Jones and he has no say. He is told that he will be under arrest if he declines.

Now, if you said any of the above except #4 then you are on the right track to being fair to your fellow beings. But if you said #4 then you are for Welfare and are not a fair person because you believe that in order to help someone the only way possible is to punish one person in order to help someone else. Rob from the rich to give to the poor.

This is where we are as a nation. We think the answer to the poor is to do the only immoral thing on the list of ways we can help, because we have lost our faith in the kindness of our neighbors.

May God have mercy on those who feel “robbing from the rich to give to the poor” is a moral act.