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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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Source: Informed
Christians
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