One of the charges occasionally leveled at Christian conservatives is that they are not compassionate. This often wounds us as such, leading to confusion and even feelings of guilt because this is such a serious accusation. Christians, who are supposed to be our brother's keepers, have a hard time responding to people who basically are saying that we do not care about others, and not only are we guilty of that sin, but we are also guilty of hypocrisy. It is really two accusations in one.
The word compassion comes from the Latin "com", meaning "together", and "pati", which means "to suffer". We are to come along side of those who suffer and do what we can to alleviate it. For the Christian, our instructions are clear. We are to be generous and helpful to those in need. James 1:27 tells us to, "...visit orphans and widows in their trouble..." In Matthew 25:35-36, Christ commends those who act out of compassion: "I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me." And Luke 16:19-31 tells us of the story of Lazarus and the rich man, and the perils of ignoring those in need.
Christian charity blesses both the recipient and the giver. All of us are to be dependent on God, who promises us that our basic needs will be met. For other needs, we are to pray, and for those who are needy, God uses charity to answer those prayers and meet those needs. The giver is submissive to God's will, and God directs and moves his heart to be obedient, to give to those in need, and in doing so he is also blessed. Those of us who are blessed more are to in return bless others. This is the very essence of Christian compassion.
However, I can tell you what Christian compassion is not. It is not socialism. If you had a neighbor in great need, perhaps due to illness, you might be led to help that person financially. But if you received a knock on the door with some official forcing you to turn over your earnings to pay someone else's medical bills, that would be a different matter. The forcible taking of something from one person and giving it to another is not compassionate or Biblical. In this situation, the government becomes God, and the command of God to be generous becomes the demand of the state to fork over money, to be distributed as the government sees fit. Rather than God directing our hearts to give to those in need, the government decides how much it will take from one, and how much and to whom it is to be given. Neither person receives a blessing from God; one receives a legal demand and the other an entitlement.
Our system of government is not perfect, nor is our capitalist economic system. As Winston Churchill stated, "it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time." As for economics, you must remember that all the major religions originated outside of Western civilization (Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, etc.) and all the major economic systems came from the West (capitalism, fascism, socialism, communism). Capitalism incorporates more Christian ideals than any of the other forms of economics, particularly in the concepts of individual responsibility to God for one’s choices and behavior. Is capitalism compassionate? Yes. Of all the economic systems, capitalism provides the greatest benefit for all, the highest standard of living, the greatest freedom, the least dependency, and the greatest opportunity for charity. The countries with the greatest differences in incomes, with great wealth and great poverty, are the socialist ones. That is why great numbers seek to come here. East Berlin had to build a wall to keep people in; we are going to need a wall to keep people out. The Accuser points a finger and says, "How can you be a Christian and not want to give this or that government benefit?" Christian compassion comes from the heart, not the Treasury.
Christian compassion is not erasing the law. We do not live in a theocracy, but rather God has ordained civil government to pass laws to organize society and protect citizens. The morality of individuals is the church's concern, and civil order is the state's. Laws are enacted to guard the public, and the Bible enjoins us as good citizens to obey those laws unless they clearly conflict with the Word of God. A law that is not enforced or obeyed is no law at all. We have many illegal immigrants in our country, who have not obeyed the laws of this land, and these laws are not being enforced as they should. If there are good reasons in this country for passing immigration laws, and there are, then they are to be obeyed and enforced. The illegal immigrant came here by choice, not obeying those laws; to allow this to continue, or grant amnesty, invalidates those laws, and encourages further lawlessness. The Accuser condemns the conservative believer, "How can you Christians call yourselves compassionate and not want to help those who have come here to seek a better life?" Christian compassion seeks to ease suffering, but does not enable law-breaking.
Christian compassion is not violating the Word of God. God has given us His own set of laws, and where they are clear, we are not to allow misguided compassion to overturn His commandments. God forbids the taking of innocent life, so no amount of compassion for a single mother allows us to support aborting her baby. God forbids sexual immorality, and compassion does not permit us to endorse such immorality, even if those who desire it would consider themselves to be profoundly unhappy if they could not live in sexual sin. The Golden Rule does not permit sin. Do unto others as we would have them do unto us does not mean to help others to do whatever they wish. The Accuser contests our beliefs, saying, "How can you Christians have so little compassion that you do not condone others living as they wish?" Christian compassion understands the unhappiness of others, but does not compromise His Word.
Compassion not considering Christian morals is devastating in its consequences. Compassion that forces one to pay for another is theft, and this encourages further dependency. Compassion that permits illegality invalidates the law, and this encourages further law-breaking. Compassion that violates God's law is itself immoral and encourages further immorality. Christian compassion is not socialism, does not condone crime, and does not compromise with sin. Christian compassion is furthering God's kingdom with charity, according to His Word. It is the ultimate in caring.
No comments:
Post a Comment