Tuesday, 17 September 2013

What Should A Christian Do?

If we accept that working for the State often does as much harm as good, that teaching crushes youngsters as much as it imparts knowledge, that the health services medicalize as much as they cure, that the social services destroy the family as much as they help the individual; if we accept that so called charities such as Oxfam and Christian Aid often do more harm than good, reinforcing corrupt power structures, enabling warrior gangs, belittling, humiliating and patronizing the foreigner, legitimizing taxation and climate change scams, reinforcing the power of elites both here and abroad, where does a Christian put their money, their effort, their love?
Even on a small scale, charity can be counter productive. It can discourage autonomy and encourage dependency or even crime, e.g. drugs, people or weapons trafficking, or simply a problem of persistent begging and mugging.
So is 'charity' really what Christian charity is about?
We are called to love our neighbours, but the poor hate charity, the dole, dependency. This sort of charity defines the giver as rich and exalts their power. How can a rich person be a poor follower of Christ?
If a Christian gives away all their money, then who to?
Most Christians have steady respectable jobs, particularly in the state sector, complete with holidays and pensions. Their ethos of public service is all that is left that is good in the public sector.
But in giving money to charity, are they simply giving money to professional troughers in order to appease their consciences?
If they were to live like Christ, with no thought for the morrow, with no pension, trusting in each other and the Lord, would their charity be more effective? Certainly more poor people might enter their buildings. If the Church tried once again to live outside the State, would it live more truly within Society?
But, apart from giving a little more time and money to charity, what distinguishes a Christian from the modern heathen?
Amazingly, being poor almost totally excludes you from being a Christian here in England. The poor are powerless, and unless you live in a poor country, the Church is mostly made up of those who have power over others.
The poor are Jesus's favourites, yet modern Christians say they want to make poverty history.

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