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Why Christians Should Oppose "Faith Based-Initiatives"
Pastor Glenn Guest
In what is supposed to be an effort to help the needy in our
communities, the President has, in his "Faith-Based and Community
Initiatives"
proposed giving taxpayer money to religious organizations. While this
proposal might be well intended, it should be strongly opposed by
Christians on scriptural grounds because it will greatly imperil our
freedom to carry out the Great Commission given to us by our Lord
Jesus Christ.
According to the "Faith Based and Community Initiatives" section of
the White House web site, the rules which must be agreed to by a
church receiving taxpayer money state; "Basically, it means you cannot
use any part of a direct Federal grant to fund religious worship,
instruction, or proselytization. Instead organizations may use
government money only to support the non-religious social services
that they provide."
Under these conditions the Church will be prohibited from telling
anyone about Jesus Christ in any program in which taxpayer money is
used. This is in direct conflict with the command of our Lord
which says "Go ye into all the world, and preach yhe gospel to every
creature." Mark chapter 16 verse 15.
We must remember that all the works of Jesus, feeding the hungry,
healing the sick, and even raising the dead, are inseparably linked to
the preaching of the Word. The priority our Lord gives to the
preaching of the Word reminds us "For what is a man profited, if he
shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" Matthew chapter 16
verse 26.
Also, for a church to enter into such a contract with the government
would make it impossible for that church to give Jesus the
preemminence, since He would, by contactual agreement, be completely
excluded from any taxpayer funded program or activity. Colossians
chapter 1 verse states very clearly:
"And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the
firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the
preemminence."
We are also instucted in the Word concerning the method to be used in
financing our Lord's work. In 2 Corinthians chapter 9 verse we are
told: "Every man as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not
grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver."
This plan, if adopted, will bring into the Church money that is not
"cheerfully given", but is instead given "grudgingly" and "out of
necessity", since taxpayer money is collected by the government
through the use of force. This is contrary to the proper spirit of
giving that our Lord desires to see in the hearts of those who serve
Him and support His work.
Any church that receives taxpayer money will immediately become an
agency of the Federal government. History shows us that what the
government funds, it devours. Consider what has happened to our State
and Local governments, as well as our school systems. Though the
Federal contributions (again taxpayer money) are relatively small, the
Federal government controls almost all of what can and cannot be done
by these entities.
These who would enter into this "Faith-Based and Community
Initiatives" program with the government will soon find themselves
enslaved. These contracts with the Federal government will bind as
strongly as chains made of steel.
One final point, churches that receive money from the government will
also be caught up in protracted legal battles when even the slightest
perceived mistake is made in the use of these funds.
Let us not sell our God given, blood bought freedom for a few pieces
of silver, but instead let us do our Lord's work His way, because
freedom lost is seldom, if ever, regained.
Pastor Glenn Guest
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