Over two million people “liked” this picture on Facebook.
Shockingly, the person that “shared” it was a Christian.
I felt a rant coming on. I really wanted to hit Reply.
“Taxed to the ‘breaking point’? Come on!”
I desperately wanted to point out that the United States has one of the lowest tax rates in the world. If taxation levels are at the breaking point, I hope I’m in Africa when some actual hardship comes to North America.
I wanted to ask, “Who is this person who is ‘able to work, but refuses to’?” Even if this described EVERY person on government assistance, the number of tax dollars going to these deadbeats would make up a small portion of the tax dollars collected. The reality is that most of the people on assistance are very willing to work and do.
I wanted to tell a story:
My French Fries: A Parable
Once upon a time, there were three children. They were in the back seat of the car. They cheered as the driver, their father, turned into the McDonald’s drive-through. He passed two large fries to each of the older children and told them to share with the youngest child who, he knew, would only eat only a few.
The youngest asked for a fry. Then asked again. The pleaded. Then wailed.
The older child reluctantly surrendered two, the second oldest, only one. They were very reluctant to share their fries.
The father was angry with the older children.
I’m sure you are angry with them too.
They forgot the fries weren’t theirs.
They forgot behave appropriately given the Grace they received.
You Won the Lottery
If you live in North America, you’ve won some sort of a lottery. You live in an affluent society where the infrastructure fosters wealth and where opportunities for work and education abound. You enjoy the highest standard of living of any time or any place in history. Even if you are in the lower-middle class, you take for granted luxuries not even dreamed of by the richest rulers of the greatest empires in history.
All the stuff you have is not because you worked so hard for it. Although I don’t doubt you worked hard; you have what you have because you were lucky enough to be born here.
Share your fries.
This guest post, written by Nate Pruitt, on Zack Hunt’s American Jesus takes a look at the same issue from a different angle: http://theamericanjesus.net/?p=9644
America does not have the highest standard of living in the world, a quick search would show much data to show there are several other places that overall quality and standards are much higher. Also, welfare including social programs that are not direct welfare actually account for much more than 10% ,haha. Much much more. The government actually spends more money on “social” programs both national and internationally than they do on the defense budget.