October 17, 2005
Many people think government wastes our money – and it is our money!
Here’s another reason to think so.
The federal government is spending $11 million per day on hotels to house victims of the two recent hurricanes in New Orleans and the gulf coast.
They say long-term housing is lagging and so the federal government is picking up the tab for 600,000 people.
As of last Wednesday, 22,000 people were still in shelters in 14 states.
Why can’t the churches mobilize to care for most of these people?
Not only is it an opportunity to demonstrate the love of Christ, it is also an opportunity to evangelize.
Helping those in need should be the primary work of the church, not the government.
After the Vietnam War, Americans helped thousands of Vietnamese, including many orphans, resettle and many of them were resettled by churches and individual Christians.
I know.
I was a part of that in the 1970s when I lived in Houston.
The government shouldn’t be expected to foot the bill or be the primary source for this relief and reconstruction effort.
The churches should.
I’m Cal Thomas in Washington.
Cal Thomas is a nationally syndicated columnist based in Washington, D.C.
