Government Has the Resources

Last spring, I attended the annual Q gathering held here in D.C. If you’re unfamiliar with Q, it’s a Christian version of TED with a center-left evangelical twist. Multiple speakers present back-to-back-to-back, including high-profile leaders and intellectuals and lesser known entrepreneurs and ministry leaders. 

At this particular Q, Florida mega church pastor Joel Hunter spoke in a prime-time slot. Hunter is one of President Obama’s “spiritual advisors” and an advocate for government spending on poverty programs. The Christian Post did a nice write-up of Hunter’s speech, but here’s the nut quote:

Look at the math. It is ridiculous to even, just look at SNAP – Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program – it has been estimated by I think the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities that the average church in America would literally have to double its budget and just take that extra budget and give to hungry people. And that is just one government program. So let’s not fool ourselves. Government can’t change lives, but they have resources we don’t have. We can change lives with those resources.

This quote provides a nice example of Hunter’s understanding of the proper role of government. He isn’t alone. The view of government as the primary means to solve social ills is a popular one. Let’s unpack it a bit… 

Feeding hungry people is a really good thing. It’s one of the essential elements of a Christian life. Jesus demonstrated a preference for the poor, therefore, we do too. It’s concern for the least of these that makes Mr. Hunter’s view unacceptable to me. I think it’s simplistic, lazy, and, ultimately, an ineffective way to help.

Perhaps you noticed the glaring question posed by the logic of his quote. If it’s true that government has resources we don’t have, isn’t that because government took them from us?

Look, it’s true that SNAP is just one of several government poverty programs, and that it’s an expensive one at $78 billion in 2011. It’s also true that our fellow citizens need help. The average SNAP beneficiary makes just $8,800/year. The critical question for those of us concerned with helping these people is how to lift them out of poverty. Decades of social science and boots on the ground work have proven the answer. There exist biblically sound roles for government, morality, the family, free enterprise, and civil society to work together. But, each must remain committed to its appropriate sphere.

So the key question isn’t, “How can churches supplant $78 billion worth of food programs?” Rather, Christians ought ask, “How can the Church do what only the Church is equipped to do?” We will no longer require federal food programs when families are kept intact, a culture of hard work is reaffirmed, the free enterprise system is properly regulated to protect the vital role of entrepreneurs, and the other institutions of civil society (schools, local communities) take up their respective roles in the process of building up and sending out virtuous citizens. The role of the Church is to speak these truths into society. It is to set a moral standard for individuals, hold us together in community, and keep our eyes fixed on Truth. It is to be the hands and feet of ministry to the poor, oppressed, and marginalized.

Ideally, the role of government is to protect the freedom of individuals, churches, and local communities to go about their tasks. No more. The government is ordained with the role of maintaining peace and justice, enabling us to live together in relative harmony. The U.S. Constitution is plain in setting up something like this form. But we live in the real world, where people have come to rely on government programs like Social Security and Medicare. A world in which U.S. foreign assistance has done a lot of good for many people. Conservatives must be realistic about this and find ways to manage these important programs with prudence and responsibility, with a keen eye towards a better way.

Subcontracting the work of the Church to government, as many Christians are wont to do, will always fail. Charity is an act of love, and bureaucracies can never love. Poverty is first and foremost a spiritual problem, and the government can’t speak to the soul.