Charity to Be Choked in Upcoming Years

During my current illness, I picked up R.J. Rushdoony's Institutes of Biblical Law from my father-in-law's bookshelf.  While I haven't agreed with everything in it, I've found it to be quite a stimulating read.  One of the things Rushdoony points out repeatedly (and convincingly) is that countries that reject Biblical precepts will inevitably have (or evolve into) totalitarian governments. 

In my reading I found this quote particularly prophetic given the state's recent takeover of the healthcare industry: 

"It is significant that in the Soviet Union any charitable activity [was]strictly forbidden to religious groups.  If a church group were to collect funds or goods to administer relief to sick and needy members of the congregation or community, it would immediately create a power independent of the state as the remedy for social problems.  It would moreover create a power which would reach people more directly, efficiently, and powerfully.  The consequence would be a direct affront to the preeminence of the state.  For this reason, in the democracies orphanages have been steadily the target of repressive legislation to eliminate them, and charity has been preempted by the state increasingly as a major step towards totalitarianism."

I would submit that over the next few years we will see an increase in legislation that will put the clamps on churches and private charities with regard to their charitable functions.  Those in positions of government will not be able to permit these agencies to exert a power that will be competitive to the state's. 

To be sure, we have already seen this to some degree.  A church cannot house homeless people unless it meets certain building codes and state imposed standards--as if letting them sleep on the street provides better accommodations.  Churches have also been marginalized when it comes to taking care of orphans. It used to be that children were dropped at the doors of churches.  Today, foster care is handled almost exclusively by the state.

I had the opportunity to speak with Sen. Boccierri about a year ago about alternative methods of healthcare.  I suggested that he try to do something which would promote the involvement of churches & charities.  He just gazed at me with a perplexed look as if to say, "Are you crazy?"  A few following words made it clear that he had no intention of letting non-governmental agencies have anything to do with providing those kinds of services.