Distorted Modern Altruism is No Alternative

Our constitution protects the welfare of the people. Welfare in today's context mostly means organized efforts on the part of public or private organizations to benefit the poor, or simply public assistance. This was not the meaning of the word when used in the Constitution. It meant well-being, happiness, and prosperity. Protecting or promoting the right to prosperity does not mean guaranteeing prosperity. In much of our religious thought, we are encouraged to be altruistic, which is self-sacrificing for the good of others. However, modern altruism often maintains that one should sacrifice to the extent of total self-denial or self-destruction if that is what be required. Maintaining that all level and means of sacrifice is justifiable for the common good. Social structures that are based on altruism add a dimension that religion does not and it is a huge difference - force. In the Christian religion, we have been told to "love our neighbors as we love ourselves" but that implies a certain level of self-interest or self-esteem and is at odds with modern altruism. For if we feel required or forced to make a complete sacrifice for our neighbor, it is only a small step to expect the same of our neighbor. That is hardly loving. Any generosity should be done out of complete joy and free will. It has been said to me many times, "Jesus was a socialist," but I have yet to find any evidence where Jesus required or forced someone to be altruistic. Does one have a moral obligation to jump in and save a drowning man if they themselves can not swim? Should they be required to lose their life (livelihood) to save another? Modern altruism would demand so. However, if one can swim and can reasonably deduce that they could save a drowning man, without certain harm to themselves (or others), morally, they should make every effort. However, in a free society, they should not and can not be compelled to by force of law. For these reasons, I can not support any ideas of forms of government that would force someone to be altruistic. It is no form of love for mankind to force others to provide for the welfare of those who choose not to contribute to society. Those who criticize my view would say I am devoid of any charity and am only consumed with greed. That is the farthest from the truth. If I were to sacrifice to my own demise, I would no longer be free to help others. If you take away my ability to excel or produce, there will be no excess to give. The alternative is to allow me freedom. Freedom to direct my affairs as I see fit. Freedom to provide for my family and share with others whom I determine. This past fall my wife wrote a little note on sharing. It was a beautiful piece on how she has approached the idea of sharing with others and how it would be wise to consider this idea as a society. With her permission, I share it with you here:

My thoughts on "Sharing" - by Beth Teegarden 

 I am a mother of 5 children. I have learned so much from them as I have watched them grow up. As their mother, I, of course, have had to teach them about sharing. The "rule" in our house is you must ask before taking and the "owner" has the choice of sharing or not. As you might expect there were times when the "owner" did not want to share. At the beginning of raising these children I, as the mother, would step in and "make" the owner share bringing up many points about how it is the right thing to do and especially about how nicely their sibling asked. The owner would then share but I began to notice something. There was not a wonderful smile and warm fuzzy feelings I was hoping for from making the owner share. Instead, there was sulking, resentment and many times the comment "Mom MADE me, etc..." This taught me that if I FORCED the owner to share I was completely teaching them everything I didn't want them to learn and experience about sharing. Now, in our household, if the owner does not want to share they do not have to and I stay out of it.......well except for the side comments about how I wished they had chosen to share. This experience with my children has been in my thoughts as I have pondered the idea of "redistributing the wealth". As a Christian, I am fundamentally for sharing. It is a good thing and it should happen. But I am against MAKING someone share. I believe it will breed resentment and bitterness in the hearts of the people and then the "GODLINESS" of sharing is lost. By forcing someone to share are we not taking away the opportunity for God to work in the heart of that individual? I ask you...when you choose to share do you not experience a feeling of love, joy, thankfulness, and goodness in your heart? In my spiritual journey, I have not experienced "force" from God. Only choice. I made the choice to love and worship God...God does not force me to. I made the choice to follow Jesus Christ, my Lord, and Savior...Jesus does not force me to. I choose to pray...I am not forced to. I choose to share...God does not force me to. For me, FORCING the people of this nation to share is ungodly and I can't be for it. I do pray that we become a sharing nation. I believe God has asked us and is hoping we CHOOSE to share. But I pray that we are sharing because people have the love of God in their hearts and are following the teachings of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Sharing because they choose to...not because they are forced to.