Alexa, please understand I don't agree with everything Terrence says, but it could easily be argued with evidence in abundance that the so called social programs which are intended to help people, actually do more destructive work than good work.
Growing up in the city of D.C. I saw more hopeless faces standing in lines waiting for their welfare checks than I care to remember. I can tell you, I believe, allowing someone to stay on welfare or passing it down to another generation is probably the most destructive and inhumane thing you could do for people.
Now letting them starve on the street isn't the answer either, but there is one strong element which both of you seem to leave out. "Private Charities" just because the government beauracrats have stopped helping people does not mean that people individually can't or won't help.
This is where the philosophy that Terrence speaks of and the Conservative/Libertarian philosophies I sometimes speak of differ. I believe that the church in whatever form you care to have, needs to fill an important role in a "just" society. People with strong moral consciousness will help those in need. It is the backbone on which a society depends, in so many ways.
I also believe this is the way in America we used to deal with poor or destitude people. Now of course it wasn't always successful, but it was certaintly better than the welfare programs we have today. I would argue that many people stopped giving to worthy causes in thier local churches because of so many social programs we have.
The systematic attack on church values by the media has also played a profound negative role.
When something is run miles away in some office in Washington, it never is as effective as the local community church helping out. (and by church I mean any denomination)
That really goes to the heart of many of the debates we face today, anytime someone suggest to cut a social program. The people who think we shouldn't have it in the first place are always labelled as uncaring and evil or something. They might actually believe, and they might actually be right, that getting rid of it is the most humane thing you could do. Who really knows unless it's tried.
In my travels I have seen poverty. It sickened me also. When I wondered why, I always saw a less free, more governmentally controlled society.
The hand of Adam Smith is difficult to convey to people. It can't however be argued that it doesn't work.
Michael
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