Taking every thought captive for obedience to Christ (2 Cor. 10.5)

Vision
The Welfare State
These days, as governments are experimenting with new ways of “serving” their constituents – such as “precision medicine” (see The Week 3/29/19) – it’s easy to get swept up into the excitement of new ideas and bold promises.

Which means it’s also easy to lose sight of the real function of government as God intends it.

The government of Finland is introducing one of the boldest innovations in government to date. Helsinki has decided to dismantle the welfare state and return more responsibility to private citizens for their own care and wellbeing.

There is a catch, and it’s not small.

According to Guy Sorman, writing in the March 18, 2016 issue of City Journal, the government of Finland will begin this year eliminating most of its welfare services, those “income-based assistance programs for everything from housing to children’s education to property insulation” (“The Finnish Model”). Is it the end of the welfare state in Finland? Politicians on both sides support this move, conservatives because of the reduction in government it involves, and liberals because of the increase of government reach it promises.

But here’s the catch: The decision is coupled with what is being called a universal basic income, in which the Finnish government will cut a check for €800 ($900 US) each month for every citizen of Finland, to do with as he or she pleases.

This is the big government part that liberals love.

Certainly, some protest and disagreement will accompany this effort, one suspects mainly from the thousands of bureaucrats and service providers suddenly without papers to shuffle.

Mr. Sorman considers that “Shrinking the welfare state will scale back politicians’ ability to buy votes.” I don’t see how anything but the opposite of that can happen. In the welfare state, politicians buy the votes of those served by and employed in assistance programs. Having direct deposit into every citizen’s bank account can’t avoid being a camel’s nose for more government influence and control. $900 a month for every citizen is no small amount of assistance, and it provides a baseline that could be increased or reduced, according to how political winds are blowing.

In the Scriptures, Joseph managed a somewhat similar program, but only for a short time and during a period of grave national emergency. Otherwise, it is not the duty of government to make people responsible, or to prop up their irresponsibility by means of income distribution schemes.

The American experiment in republican government is fraying, and politicians are grabbing at threads, claiming to be the true keepers of the Constitution, and promising whatever they think they must in order to gain or maintain political power. The fog of campaign rhetoric and the needs of the day can make it difficult to see through to what government should actually be.

If the “Finnish Model” works, Mr. Sorman predicts all of Europe will follow suit. And that means the US won’t be far behind, at least in some form.

Christians might preserve a role for government in this country that God will approve, but only if we take the time to consider carefully what Scriptures teach about the role and limits of government. We have no solid foundation on which to stand in judging candidates, platforms, or programs, other than that of Scripture. Ignorance of the Bible’s teaching about government means being complicit in government’s continuing effort to control more of our lives and freedoms.

For reflection
1.  Does your church ever teach about the Biblical view of government?

2.  Where do you turn for your thinking about matters of politics and government?

3.  If the Bible says anything about government, should we be interested? Explain.

Start your own study group to begin discovering what the Scriptures have to say about government and a great many other issues. Get some friends together, propose the idea, and make a list of topics you’d like to study. Then begin with “The Limits of Politics,” which is available as a free download by clicking here.

“The Limits of Politics” is part of a six-part series on a Biblical view of government. You can download all six studies in this series, which begins with “Two Swords” and ends with “Clash of Swords” by clicking here.

The Week features insights from a wide range of topics and issues, with a view to equipping the followers of Christ to take every thought captive for Jesus. Please prayerfully consider supporting The Fellowship of Ailbe by sending a gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 19 Tyler Drive, Essex Junction, VT 05452.