Jesus Christ Was the First Socialist

On Tuesday night Mandi was kind enough to join me at the southern Utahns for Obama gathering at the Jazzy Java. We all introduced ourselves and why we were there. We were apparently the only two "undecideds" in the energized group, although I don't know why Mandi introduced herself as such because she is clearly a decided (see: her sole blog post and numerous comments alluding to her man, McCain).

I think even Mandi would agree, it was a nice experience. At the meeting, some Obama representatives were better than others--the ones with the bitter, conspiratorial tone were hard to stomach, but for the most part it was good people interested in the ideas of a pretty good guy. Discussed several times was an obvious Democratic cause central to the Obama plan: helping the poor. It didn't bother me. Rising poverty is clearly a huge problem our nation faces; it's seems wrong to ignore it and, admittedly, some ideas are poorly informed populism while others do a better job to encourage progress. But a dialogue addressing the problem is a good thing where it is a problem that will only forseeably worsen.

Then tonight I had the good pleasure to volunteer at the church cannery canning thousands of cans of peaches. It was a timely reminder of how those who are underprivileged ought to be helped and who really ought to be helping. When properly done, church welfare is a win-win with people feeling good about their service and people feeling good about a welcomed helping hand. And all this minus the compulsory means necessary with state intervention.

Using western Europe as an example, it has notoriously become a more secular society than what we see in the US; however, it is interesting that the fall of its religious activity has been accompanied by the rise of its welfare state. It would appear that when the government robs churches of the significant role of charitable giving, people quickly lose interest in an institution that now has a less relevant purpose in society. Obviously, other social mores are at play, but the government doing what has historically been the church's job has to have an impact.

I don't think Europe's a bad place because its citizens are comfortable with socialism, and religion still does have its presence there for those inclined, but my questions are: Is our country's current roles for church and state the ideal solution for social welfare, or does the government need to step in where the churches have deficiencies, or Friedman-ites, is it stupid to step in at all?

Oh, and I don't think Jesus Christ was a socialist at all as Hugo Chavez and his red contemporaries like to call it. Clearly the distinction is that Jesus Christ asked to sell all you had and give to the poor. If you care for what He said, it is one's own choice to whom, how much, or even at all.