OUR BROTHER'S KEEPER

"Then the Lord said to Cain, 'Where is your brother Abel?' 'I don't know,' he replied, 'am I my brothers keeper?'" (Genesis 4:9).

"What part of 'you are your brother's keeper' do you not understand?'" the liberal replied to a conservative who challenged his assertions. Being a conservative myself, I thought the conservative "bungled" his answer. So, here is my answer to the liberal who would bring the power of the state to bear on the problems of hunger, poverty and health care.

First, liberal politicians do not care any more than anybody else about social problems, or even global warming. Their personal checkbooks and tax returns tell the true story. They build huge energy consuming houses, drive those same kind of cars, while personally contributing very little to the "little people" to help them with their problems. Conservatives give far more than liberals to charitable work.

The hallmarks of conservatism are: Traditional Values, Limited Government (personal freedom) and market economy. Jesus taught in a parable that anyone in real need is our neighbor. And he said by means of another parable that the sin of simply ignoring one in desperate need is sufficient to send a person to Hell. So what really helps those in real need the most? [Money does not solve non-money problems. Not all apparent need is real need.]

Liberalism comes in two different styles, the extreme of each being Communism, the state owns everything, and Fascism, the state simply dictates every facet of business. What is common to both forms of liberalism is state control. In either of the extremes there is no freedom; innovation comes to a halt. Even in moderate forms of liberal government, shortages and rationing become reality. Back in my early years, President Nixon used price controls on gasoline. We had constant gas shortages. People waited in line to fuel up their cars. Some found that by the time it was their turn to fill up, the gas was gone. Without price controls we have plenty of gas, but at a price. Likewise, it will be the same with government-run health care. People will wait in line for their turn and many will die while waiting (except for the politicians, of course). Granted, the current health-care system isn't what it should be, but there is plenty of health care at a price. When there is plenty, even though it might be expensive, it is available to be given away. When there is scarcity, there is nothing to give away and everybody suffers. Liberalism spreads the misery, the help that it extends to those in need is only apparent because production of essentials falls to subsistence levels. How does that help any body? Freedom is a powerful dynamic of production. If one is allowed to produce for the market, without exploiting fellow humans, there will be plenty.

In the Bible, being our brother's keeper is addressed on the level of personal responsibility. Religion that is worth anything is freely held and is the true Christian position. As Joshua said in the Old Testament, "But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve . . . But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord (Joshua 24:15). The choice to help someone in need must be made freely. We can say we believe in God until the cows come home, but if we do nothing to help those in need we really do not believe. "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world" (James 1:27). This is when we are "our brother's keeper."

Grace&Peace
Tom