Only one master
I think the Southern Baptists are correct on this one:
News-Sun, Evening Star & Herald-RepublicanDr. Robert Reccord, president of Southern Baptist Disaster Relief, is strongly opposed to reimbursements for Katrina aid. His organization, the nation's third largest disaster relief agency, has provided 5 million hot meals and vital services to Katrina victims.
"Volunteer labor is just that: volunteer,"� Reccord says. "We would never ask the government to pay for it."
Matthew 6:24
"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money."
I think the reason faith based programs are so effective is because they are done out of love, with God as the boss. When they are done out of contract with the Government as the boss, then they cease to be faith based.
I applaud these Christians as well. What's too bad is that government programs have to exist at all. The church is the only �relief� organization that can truly �help� people. I can understand disaster relief and the repairing of infrastructure, but feeding the hungry and taking care of widows, orphans and those in need . . . sounds like Pure Religion as described in James.
We are also told in Galatians to do �good� to everyone, especially Christians and in Ephesians thieves are told to work so they can give to those in need.
The problem is that everyone�s definition of �good� is not the same as Gods.
The goal of Christianity is not just to feed the hungry, but if Christians give as God intended, more people would be drawn to serve the one true master and would in turn receive true "help" and not just a temporary hand-out.