If you've been reading this blog at all, you will have noticed that I have been posting quite a bit on political matters. Like cap and trade, health care reform, etc. Something I have been thinking about is why I care so much about these things. After all, as a Christian, my overriding goal is the salvation of souls. So, how does worrying about politics tie into being a Christian? 1 John 3:16
16 This is how we have come to know love: He laid down His life for us. We should also lay down our lives for our brothers.
That verse, along with all the others in the Bible that tell us to love our neighbors, is why I care about politics. Because of that love, first, I want them to be redeemed, second, I want to care for them. The second part is where politics can come in.
The laws and policies of the Federal Government effect every American citizen, and many foreign people as well. That is why I watch to make sure that detrimental laws and policies are not passed.
Then there's the issue of personal responsibility, and America's lack of it. As a Christian, I want to imitate Christ. In America, all I see are people making the Government responsible for everything. Christ did not do that, He took personal responsibility for me. So, when the Government wants to increase its power with the stated goal of helping the unfortunate, I say no. Helping the unfortunate is my responsibility, not the Government's. If the Government thinks it needs to impose itself somewhere to help people, then that is a sign that we Christians need to step up and do more.
An example would be the social security system. It is broken. UsDebtClock.org puts the Social Security Liability at $14 trillion and counting. If it wasn't broken, that number would be $0. Plus, as far as I know, nobody can live solely on SS checks. The idea behind SS is a good one. We have a responsibility to take care of our elderly. That's even Biblical.
The problem is that the Government can't do that. We as people should do it ourselves, and do something that can replace Social Security. The only time the Government should have to step in is in a very few cases where there is no other choice. Another example of America's failure to take responsibility is the recent economic crisis. Basically, Americans decided that they had to have their own homes, even though they could not afford them. Certain factions then pushed the lenders to lend money to these people that really couldn't afford it. Eventually these people defaulted on their loans. The lenders, and the factions that pushed them, refused to take responsibility. Instead the Government did, and bailed them out.
Number one, they never should have allowed those loans in the first place, that was incredibly irresponsible. Number two, the Government should not have bailed them out. It was not the American Taxpayers fault that these people made really bad decisions, we shouldn't have to pay for it. Instead, the lenders should have taken responsibility and gone bankrupt. That would have allowed smarter people to take charge of lending and avoid this problem in the future.
Then there's the homeless. They are stuck outside in the cold. They shouldn't be. We are a rich country, we have enough money, that if we used it right, all those homeless people would at least have a roof over their heads. And if we took even more responsibility, we could help them get back to work and off the streets permanently. But, because of our irresponsibility and attitude that they are the Governments problem, the homeless get left out in the cold.
In conclusion, the reason I am posting on political matters is because I cannot stand seeing our Government hurt so many people. The Government is there to keep the peace and allow us to help others. It is our responsibility.