November - December 2005 The Sabbath Sentinel

Editorial

Compassion ... So Called by Ken Ryland

Through two recent hurricanes we have wit­nessed once again the incredible generosity and compassion of Americans in general and Christians in particular. People from all over the U.S. streamed into the American Gulf coast to pull people they have never met from rooftops and minister to the hurting and the hungry. Without regard for themselves, they came to feed, clothe, and shelter the homeless. Many have stayed to help rebuild the lives and dreams of strangers. Churches from 2,000 miles away quickly organized disaster relief teams to provide food, water, and clothing. Some have taken leaves of absence from their jobs to rebuild houses, clean away debris, and restore electricity, water, and sewerage. This is the best we have to offer as a country, and it was very much in evidence in the aftermath of hurricanes Katrina and Rita. These heart warming scenes of heroism, restoration, and self sacrifice were, thankfully, the norm in these disasters just as in the times past.

We also got a glimpse of a very ugly side of American life. In retrospect, it is true that the American press grossly exaggerated the problems in New Orleans. There were preliminary estimates of 10,000 deaths, as well as reports of rapes and murders inside the city's domed stadium where many of Hurricane Katrina's refugees fled for safety. Although it was bad enough, there were really only about 1,000 who died in all the states affected by Katrina, and the stories of rapes and murders inside the stadium were fabricated to gain the attention of the press. It seems that the press was more than willing to be­lieve such exaggerations without proof.

In contrast to what we all witnessed in New Orleans, those who prepared themselves by heeding the warnings and either leaving the impact area or making extensive preparations fared much better. These people were prepared to take care of themselves and to help others in need — all with no desire for personal recognition. They demanded little in assistance, and, as a result, were quickly overlooked by media types and politicians. After all, who is interested in the self reliant and independent? They offer no opportunity to display a politician's or news anchor's compassion on every TV screen in America.

What has become evident is that we have two distinct definitions of compassion. Most Americans will do whatever is necessary to help others in times of need. We continue to live on the legacy of our Christian past where the Golden Rule was the stan­dard of conduct that most citizens considered to be the norm. Unfortunately, because of the institutionalization of "compassion" through our welfare sys­tem, we have created an entire class of people who are perpetually dependent on the tax dollars (com­passion?) of other citizens, and have little regard for the burden they place of hard working and in­dependent citizens. I am not talking about those who have genuine need and are not capable of taking care of themselves. I am talking about people who make a living by living off the hard work of others. These are the people who harassed police, looted stores, and threatened those who managed to maintain a supply of food and water. It was these people who horrified America and the world.

Is this a problem of government or the Church? Some may say the government has created this problem. However, I think that many churches have been more than willing to surrender to the government their God given responsibility of taking care of the poor and needy. This is particularly true of liberal de­nominations. They seem to see government welfare as an extension of the Church's obligation toward the needy. If there is a problem concerning the separation of Church and State, this is where it lies. On the other hand, Bible believing churches not only accept as one's individual responsibility the Bible's mandate to care for the needy, they also be­lieve the words of the apostle Paul, "If anyone will not work let him not eat," (2 Thessalonians 3:10). The apostle also states in Ephesians 4:28, "Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor doing honest work with his hands, so that he may be able to give to those who are in need."

By allowing government to assume an increasingly greater role in supplying the needs of our citizens, we have created a permanent class of needy people whose lives never get any better and who see the "compas­sion" (handouts) from their government as their right. Since government operates as a political force and not as a moral force, there is never a sense of obligation on the part of the recipients of welfare, nor is there accountability for the dollars and services rendered. This kind of government "compassion" is nothing less than pandering for the sake of votes. Moreover, for those who would like to see the government expand and the Church retreat, this is the perfect formula for creating dependence in the people for their favorite politicians and government programs. By its very structure, this kind of welfare dependence makes the people subservient to Caesar, not to God.

Lest anyone think that this writer is condemning the poor who are caught in this welfare bog, I blame politicians who have seized on the misery of the poor, and I blame the Church in general for not standing up on its hind legs and fighting to keep the poor out of the hands of Caesar's lackeys. Much of government justifies its existence by maintaining people in a state of self perpetuating dependence. The job of the Church is to free them from their dependence on worldly sys­tems and bring them into a dependence on the only One who can save them, Jesus Christ. One of the most insidious results of keeping the poor on the govern­ment welfare rolls is that it robs them of opportunities to make decisions that most people make as a matter of routine. Rather than take the initiative to improve their education, their employment (if any), and their financial circumstances, they are encouraged by overzealous politicians and bureaucrats to keep taking the handouts—all which prevents them from escaping their compassion imposed prison. This situation also tears families apart and breeds suspicion and resentment toward authorities. They feel trapped in their poverty and helpless to free themselves from it. Any Christian who would support the use of government to control the lives of people in this manner needs to reexamine his values in the light of Scripture.

As a society our sense of compassion appears to be losing its compass because much of the Church is forfeiting its role as a powerful moral force in our culture. The rails that keep this country from falling off the cliff are the moral laws of the Bible, and at this point the Church is not engaged enough in politics, business, or the culture in general to keep our aimless culture from killing itself with "compassion."

TSS

November -December 2005 The Sabbath Sentinel