A letter in Voices, 9-15-2009, excoriated Republicans for resisting the monstrosity called the health bill or whatever it is at the moment. According to him it is wrong to deny all the government supplied I want crowd what they want. In this case it is health care. Not only are there those who demand it for themselves, there are those who l also demand they be given what they want and use error to bring it about. That is the position of the letter writer who says the chairman of the Republican Party should stop shouting hatred toward those who want the bill passed.

In the letter, the writer wrote that he is sure that many Republicans attend Christian churches then questions their understanding of Christ’s words in the gospel. He then begins to write about a certain verse in the scriptures to prove his point.

He wrote that Christ is reported to have said that whatever you do for the least of these, you do for him. He then wrote, He might just as well have said whatever you do to the least of these, you do to him. The words of Jesus, as “reported” in the Bible, are: … Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. (Matthew 25:40)  And Jesus said, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. (Matthew 25:45) It appears that the letter writer knows next to nothing about the teachings of Jesus while accusing others of being biblically illiterate.

It never ceases to amaze me how the liberals try to use the Bible teachings to justify the forced takings by the government to help others. Many of them don’t believe the word of God and yet they try to use it as a hammer to make the rest of us conform to what they don’t believe.

The letter writer, as do many others, suggests that Jesus is speaking of government doing benevolence when in fact Jesus was speaking to individuals, many of whom would obey the gospel on the day of Pentecost, and who would become members of the assembly of people following Christ. The teaching on giving and helping the “least of these” can be found throughout the book of Acts, and the letters of the apostles. Acts chapter 2:44-45, And all that believed were together, and had all things common; 45 And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.  The foregoing is voluntary giving, not forced giving by the government welfare systems called socialism/communism. In Galatians 6:10, As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith. Again, the teaching is to individuals, the members of Christ’s body, exhorting them to give of their means to help others. That is one of the many ways that God’s people show faith in Jesus Christ.

Those that believe the Bible teaches that the government should be involved in benevolence should produce the scriptures and stop taking words out of the context of the message. In claiming that the people who attend Christian churches don’t understand the Bible is laughable when the letter writer by his own words revealed his utter lack of the Bible, better known as ignorance of that which he attempts to speak so eloquently. He is the one who needs to stop spouting hatred and by his words, he is intimating that since we believers do not want government run health care we are somehow disobeying God. He is the one in error.

© 09-15-2009 DEC