Churches Can’t Help Poor Alone
From time to time in your pages there have been comments about how churches might shoulder the burden of supporting the poor and marginalized in society. Supposedly enlightened pundits suggest that this would shrink the federal deficit that is hemorrhaging because of welfare payments.
As a pastor, I find it amusing that this is taken seriously. While religious communities are dedicated to helping people, they are not financially able to take care of the greater needs of the general society. And the question could be raised, why should they? Is not the whole body politic responsible for assisting those who fall through the poverty threshold?
It has been estimated that if churches were to adequately replace federal and state programs, an additional 40% would have to be raised for their budgets. Is this not a form of those who are not churchgoers passing the buck to religion?
STEPHEN J. MATHER
Pastor
First Presbyterian Church
of Anaheim
Anaheim
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