Applied Christianity

NZ Prime Minister Michael Savage described the introduction of the social security system in NZ as "applied Christianity". It was about helping people, a Christian duty to help people.

For Christians, maybe we should view the welfare system in Australia as applied Christianity.

We are called to help the poor and the sick, the old and the widowed. Yet, if that help is provided in the form of government welfare, some pull back.

Denouncing this help, arguing against it, arguing that it should be cut or abolished - and never mind increasing it. Yet, the welfare state is about helping the same people Christians are called to help.

Would support have been higher if the welfare state had always been referred to as applied Christianity?

There seems to be great power in a term. It can conjure up bad images and Government provided welfare certainty does this - images of the undeserving poor, big government, and expensive programs.

There is a chance that calling it applied Christianity would not have changed much but it may have at least reduced the negative images.

What if we viewed the pension as helping people, including the widows mentioned in the Bible?

If unemployment benefits were viewed as helping the poor, the poor so frequently mentioned in the Bible, not the ones so often demonized now in public discourse.

The same applies to the universal health care that was included as part of NZ social security bill.

One could view it not as welfare and social security but as applied Christianity, a way to ensure that Christian duty is done: the one that calls us to visit and care for the sick.

Now, a rebranding exercise is not going to change everything. Yet, it is interesting to note how perceptions of something matter.

Foreign aid as a term is not that popular, for example. However providing maternal care, HIV/AIDS treatment, malaria treatment and supporting education, are popular. They also happen to be what a big part of Australia's foreign aid funds.

So, what if Christians decided to call the Australian welfare state applied Christianity and at least called it that amongst fellow Christians? Would it mean more support for increasing unemployment benefits, the pension and other benefits?

Christians may decide to view taxes, and increased taxes if need be as good. They may view it the same way that members of the L.D.S church view tithing - giving 10% of their income to advance God's mission.

In this case, giving at least 10% of income to taxes, to support the welfare state, to advance God's mission.

Someone on $60,000 would have paid just over $11,000 in taxes in 2018-2019 which is less than 20% of their income. Excluding the portion that is given back in the form of direct or indirect benefits like child-care rebates, infrastructure and deductions and the amount of taxes not going to helping the poor and sick, our contribution to advancing God's mission would be less than 10%.

Now, people may argue that the tithe is not actually Christian. It belongs to the Old Testament and disagrees with the Christian churches that do tithe. It is not applied Christianity. It is not in the New Testament.

There is something else not in the New or Old Testament either.

God helps those who help themselves. God never actually said that. So, it should not be used as a reason to oppose the welfare state.

The link between Christianity and the welfare state is nothing new.

For one, the NZ PM on the urging of a Reverend referred to it as applied Christianity. All the way back in the 1930's but there were other links, as examples, the social gospel movement in the United States in the 19^th and early 20^th century and the Liberation Theology movement in South America in the second part of the 20^th century, and now.

So, if there is the link between Christianity and welfare, why are not even more Christians supportive of the welfare state?

There seems to be this strong idea of the undeserving poor. Welfare makes people worse off or government is always bad.

There are the many misconceptions about who is poor and why. How much they receive in help. How much it costs everyone else in taxes to provide that help.

There are stereotypes and overblown numbers, often provided in response.

Jesus sat down with tax collectors. Jesus also sat down with people who would have received some of those taxes if the modern welfare state had existed.

Sitting down with, eating with, and caring for people who receive and need welfare. An indication that we too should care for them. An indication that it is applied Christianity.

The retort may be that not supporting the welfare state is caring. Yet not giving the hungry food, the sick healthcare, the poor enough money to live on, and accusing them of being undeserving, does not seem like applied Christianity to me.