Bigger Vs. Smaller Government, and Jesus
There has
been an ongoing debate for a long, long time about whether government should be
bigger or smaller. The debates have
raged, but it is hard to discount success and it is hard to hide failure. Over the course of the last 80 years there have
been times government was shrank, but the majority of the time government has
expanded – sometimes quite rapidly. Most
notably among the leaps were Franklin Roosevelt’s “New Deal,” and Lyndon
Johnson’s “Great Society.”
Many
have come to view “Obamacare” as the sort of “trifecta” which basically completes the government’s
responsibilities by assuming the role of providing healthcare for all
Americans. Many view this as nothing
short of Socialism. Others would not go that far, but would concede that it is a
move in a more “socialistic” direction.
The dictionary definition of “Socialism” is “A way of organizing a
society in which major industries are owned and controlled by the government
rather than by individual people and companies.” (Webster’s) Many believe the ultimate goal of Obamacare
is to force a collapse of the private insurance market and force the country
into a single payer system; i.e. a government monopoly on healthcare.
Conservatives have generally advocated smaller government, lower taxes,
tax breaks for business owners and corporations with a view toward stimulating
the economy and thereby encouraging economic growth, self-reliance, and
individualism. Traditionally liberals
have supported growth of government and government programs, higher taxes to
support this growth and advocate that people, particularly wealthier Americans,
should pay more in order to subsidize the poorer and weaker. Liberals have cited, as precedent, everything
from the more socialistic leaning European countries to the Bible in defense of
their position. Conservatives, in
contrast, have sought to pound home the idea that man should be as free as
possible and that government is controlled by “We the People” (U.S. Constitution Preamble) and
not the other way around.
Some have pointed to Scriptures such as
Acts 2:44-45 where the early church is said to have “had all things in common;”
or perhaps to Jesus’ examples of caring for the poor and less fortunate in
order to defend their positions.
Certainly, these are noble and indeed expected of followers of Christ. But the question becomes; ‘Did Jesus admonish
individuals or governments to care for others?’
Jesus had strikingly little to say about governments and politics. When he taught that mankind was to “Render to
Caesar what is Caesar’s and unto God what is God’s” (Mat. 22:21) he was
effectively highlighting an eternal separation of the institution of man/government
with the Kingdom of God. Empires,
countries, and even their forms of
government have come and gone over time and will continue to come and go as
long as the earth remains, but the Kingdom of God is ultimately “a-political,”
or separate from politics, even though many have tried to intertwine the two is
unhealthy ways.
President
Obama and the late President Reagan could hardly have two more divergent
viewpoints concerning foreign policy, economic philosophy, and the role of
government. This year, 2014, marks the
25th anniversary of President Reagan’s farewell address to the
nation given from the Oval Office on January 11, 1989. I strongly encourage you to follow the link
below and listen to the 20 minute address by the former President, paying
careful attention to his philosophy and considering its results after
implementation during his 8 years in office.
Especially compared with what we are seeing and hearing today from
various voices in the debate. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKVsq2daR8Q
President
Reagan says in this address that “government is the car, and ‘We the People’
are the drivers.” He believed Americans are to control when it goes, when it
stops, how fast it goes, and where it goes. But, far more prevalent in the current
administration are initiatives and policies in support of the premise that “We
the People” are the car and
government is the driver with
government effectively controlling when,
where, and how we go. The two philosophies are totally different
and stand in total contrast to one another.
Considering
our responsibilities as Christians some may ask, “How would Jesus view these
things?” There were plenty of attempts
to pull Jesus down into the petty arguments of the day. Many of the questions he was asked were
nothing more than traps set by those who sought to eliminate his
credibility. He never fell for it. His answers strongly implied that the answers
to their questions were largely unimportant in the bigger scheme of
things. But, are these questions totally
unimportant for us? Is there a preferred way; a more biblical
approach? I believe there is. We certainly need to determine as much as we
can about the issue(s).
One of my
favorite Christian philosophers is the late Ronald Nash. I have about 20 titles in my library authored
by him. A couple of his books are quite
helpful at this point. One is entitled Poverty and Wealth: The Christian Debate
over Capitalism. This book introduces the study of economics and observes
basic economic principles as they are played out in world history. The other is
Social Justice and the Christian Church. This book strongly refutes those who would
capture evangelical Christianity for leftist causes. Nash insists that Socialism caricatures capitalism
and disadvantages more than it helps the needy.
It tends to create a sense of dependency in place of self-reliance which
is unhealthy and demeaning to both individuals and entire societies. It is the old principle at work that if you
give a man a fish, you feed him for a day, but if you teach a man to fish, you
feed him for a lifetime.
This issue
is no different than any other.
Christians need to increase their knowledge and be able to argue their
positions credibly, intelligibly, and biblically. When people mischaracterize and misrepresent
Scripture we need to be able to recognize it and rebut with cogent arguments
always in defense of God’s Word.
In Christ,
Dr. Allen Raynor, Pastor
