Pastor Kent Simmons
Most who are following the whirlwind new president’s agenda will certainly know that USAID is being scrutinized for cuts.
Catholic Relief Services, for instance, who receives one-half of its annual budget from the Federal Government is being hard hit by these reductions. The organization garners roughly $600 million from taxpayers to assist in a variety of charitable efforts.
I am not here to debate whether those funds are well spent or not.
What troubles me is that any governmental assistance should be afforded to religious institutions and organizations whether Protestant or Catholic.
It seems an anathema to all that call themselves followers of the faith that government should be needed at all.
In one of the richest nations on the earth, the United Sates, people committed to Godly precepts should be generous to a fault toward those less fortunate around the world absent any governmental funding.
Certainly, welcoming such partnerships is helpful, but not in place of religious benevolence.
To be sure, the funding by American taxpayers is one-half CRS’ budget. Our citizenry does not cover all the expenses.
Still, for every charitable giver in America in 2022, the average person gave $1,500 annually. That’s for rich and poor alike. Want to break it down further? $4 a day!
Look, I am not here to shame anyone. My thought is only this; if what we give to our fellow man around the world is less than the cost of a cup of coffee each day, our actions may be speaking louder than words.
I am not comfortable with the government doing the religious community’s bidding. And if I were an atheist, I would be even more unhappy that religious institutions received even a dime of my money.
There was time in Jewish history when Moses was seeking resources to purchase the construction needs for the mobile Tabernacle (Exodus 36).
He summoned the people, made the needs known, and the people responded.
Why? Because they believed the effort worthwhile and was honoring to God.
And what is even more astounding is that so many resources were gathered that Moses had to give instructions to the people to stop giving as they had more than enough of what they needed.
Today, little has changed. To the extent that we are willing and able, we are to be our brother’s keeper.
Let’s let our government do what it is supposed to do and let us do the rest.
It would improve our reputation, quiet the atheist, and tell the world that our nature is shown by our actions.
Kent Simmons is the pastor of Canyon Community Church in Kingman, AZ.
