Cutting social programs may help the poor
May 31, 2011
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Commenting on the American Catholic scholars who have criticized Republican lawmakers for failing to help the poor, Father Robert Sirico of the Acton Institute acknowledges that all Christians have a serious moral obligation to help those in need. However, he adds, there are serious differences of opinion among believing Christians as to which policies actually do help the poor.
Father Sirico points out that a strong argument can be made against the social programs that Republican lawmakers propose to cut. Some liberal commentators, he observes, seem to suffer from "an incapacity to recognize that we really believe that many government programs aggravate rather than ameliorate poverty and other social ills." If the government programs are actually harmful to the poor, then cutting them is a way of helping those in need.
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Posted by: unum -
Jun. 01, 2011 7:01 AM ET USA
Father Sirico is a voice of reason that will be ignored by the progressive culture of Washington as it seeks to impose the will of government on those with low incomes Those who would politicize Christ's message for their own political goals will eventually have to answer to God for abusing His words. But, the faithful must continue to live the faith by being Christ to the poor instead of subcontracting that role to a secular government. The love of God is not present in government programs.
