The Church's Passed Buck | Sojourners

The Church's Passed Buck

THERE’S A PARTING in the clouds and the sun is beginning to shine because when "we" the church passed the buck to bureaucracy to handle our responsibilities of charitable service, it obviously failed. Now is the time to grab the opportunity and the responsibility that we let go of in the past.

If liberals (welfare proponents) want to help the conservatives (charitable organization advocates), that’s absolutely wonderful ("Hearts & Minds," by Jim Wallis, May-June 1997). However, I believe that the liberal leadership in this nation has their arms crossed and a frowning countenance because while their good-hearted followers are willing to help others, their hidden agenda to advance socialism is thwarted. If welfare reform is successful, their ability to grasp that element of society has been loosened and freedom is advanced in our society.

I wonder what kind of alternative to replace the old system was the religious opposition to welfare reform looking for? Did they want another bureaucratic social program in its place? The fact is that there is an alternative in place and that alternative is us—the church. Not the church as an institution but the church as a body, including the Christian people involved in organizations like The Salvation Army and Habitat for Humanity.

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Sojourners Magazine July-August 1997
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