- We were given the ability to make choices by God
- Government should not do anything to remove our ability to make choices, except when those choices impede on another
- (I struggle with this on two fronts:
- Many of us are not smart, skilled, or have enough time to correctly decide important things with lasting effect. I know what I want for lunch today. Do I want a ROTH or Traditional IRA? I am not sure. What level of education and school will best suit my career? I did not even know what my career would be while I was in school, and I am still not sure if more education would help me excel.
- Some portion of the population (I argue a substantial portion of citizens) would make poor decisions. My understanding of Christian mandates says that we need to care of the poor and needy with no exceptions given for those for “did it to themselves”.
- So, how then do we reconcile small government with a need to provide for those unable to provide for themselves (whether through their own choices or not)? Certainly, various religious organizations are positioned to assist. Is the subtext then that all citizens should be religiously affiliated? And those who do not line up with any given religious organization in their area will not get any support? Does the Christian mandate forbid government from fulfilling these obligations? To this last one, I do not believe so. While some religious organizations are well positioned to help the poor at scale, most are not. This would lead to a waste of resources and unequal application of benefits. Additionally, religions are more likely to make value judgements when administering benefits than a government.
- What about those who are not able to find a suitable religious organization and who make poor choices? Do we just abandon them? Would it not be more fully embrace of the Christian mandate to craft society in a way that limits some choices (by issuing higher taxes and mandating participation in health and retirement programs) but provides safety nets for the inevitable poor decisions?
- Finally, there are claims of wondrous bounties that come when one’s social safety is not tied to employment. For example, people who stick low pay and bad schools for their children but reasonable healthcare benefits could more freely move around if the healthcare was universally available.)
- (I struggle with this on two fronts:
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