An argument I frequently hear is that the government shouldn't offer assistance programs because that's the place of the church.
Ignoring the fact that the idea that all charity efforts should be solely the business of churches is nowhere found in Scripture or Tradition, it has another glaring flaw:
the church hasn't.
45,000 people die each year due to lack of health insurance coverage.
1 of these unnecessary deaths would be a tragedy. 45,000 is an epidemic.
The church helps individuals. But the kind of systemic change required to prevent unnecessary deaths is either not within her power, or not important enough to work toward.
Oddly, we have no problem with others forms of government "assistance." I am assisted by the roads, the library, the US postal service, public education, etc, etc.
The government should help where necessary. The Church and community should help as much as possible. The Church abdicated. The community abdicated. That's why government got so big. And now we have a big, ugly mess.
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