Compassion and Charity - "We Indeed Do Care"

This article really hit home with me. I've been accused, as many of my conservative friends have, of not having compassion for those who need Obamacare. Here is just a snippet of a wonderful article by Wendi Lynn G titled The Raping of America:

Another less direct “either-or” tactic Obama uses is “guilt-manipulation” to allude that if we don’t want reform, i.e., his reform, and unless we agree with the way he cares about the less fortunate, then we are heartless, compassionless, selfish people that don’t care at all. He exploitatively props up the misfortunes of others to reinforce this point. The excluded truth is, we indeed do care, deeply and sincerely, but we disagree with his belief that government must mandate then facilitate our acts of compassion, and that, in a manner that undercuts empowering the helpless to rise to a better outcome for them. Like the saying goes, “Give a man a fish, feed him for a day; teach him to fish, feed him for the rest of his life.” The excluded truth is our compassion is true compassion as it reaches further than just giving fish everyday.

Jesus clearly exhorted that we’re each personally responsible to help the helpless, like the example of the Good Samaritan. He preached that we should give, directly, from the heart. He never preached that the government must facilitate your help, taking from you to redistribute to the poor. Conversely, in fact, He turned over the tables in the temple with righteous anger because the leaders were oppressing the people much as we’re being oppressed today. (I'll share a more in depth explanation on this verse in a forthcoming article entitled, "Socialism is Not Christian".)

How we help matters just as much. For both the sake of the giver and the receiver, charity is to come from the heart, not mandated from, then facilitated by the government. 2 Corinthians 9:7 says, “Let each one give as he has purposed in his heart; not grudgingly or under compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver.” It’s not just about the one who is helped. It equally matters the heart that does the helping; the greater sincerity of heart, regardless of the amount, the greater the gift. The story of the “widow’s mite” beautifully illustrates this point. Being one of the helpless didn’t keep her from giving, and she gave all she had which was next to nothing, but Jesus said she gave more than all.

To read the entire article, go here.