A Essay on Faith Based Initiative

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Feeding the Needy

Look at America from the outside and you will see its rich material lifestyles, but from the inside there remains too much poverty and despair amidst abundance. Our government can rally a military, but it cannot put hope in our hearts or a sense of purpose into our lives. But, in the midst of governmental bickering, America finds the diversity and vigor of neighborhood healers. Often on shoestring budgets, these quiet heroes lift people's lives in ways that are beyond the government's power, slowly mending the painful wounds of poverty in our nation, one heart and one act of kindness at a time. The government should accept these faith based charities as partners and allow federal funds to go toward supporting them.

Firstly, faith based initiatives currently active have been successful in helping our poor population. "Charitable choice" provisions require the government to give religious institutions like the Salvation Army an equal footing when it seeks bids and grants contracts for the private-sector provision of government-funded social services, such as providing food or job training. Representative Tony Hall, who stood next to President Busch at the podium said, "More than 70 percent of food kitchens are operated by faith-based organizations that work hard to collect donations but have not been able to keep their shelves stocked. These are creative and resourceful projects whose dedicated employees and volunteers deserve support." Charitable choice has allowed a small amount of federal founds to help support these projects. The new bill would only increase the number of people being helped in our poor communities. The American government should embrace these organizations and begin to work together toward the common goal.

Secondly, at the very least, we would be helping the poor. Whether Christianity influences the underprivileged that attend a dinner or clothes drive, they are still being fed, clothed, and emotionally supported. Mathew 25:40 says, "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me." Lets begin with helping the needy physically, and then spiritually. Enacting this bill would be a tremendous financial benefit to faith based charity organizations who help our poor population. Teaming with the government, these faith-based initiatives will increase the number of people being feed and clothed each day. That should be our number one priority. We are not enacting this bill to preach but to provide.

Lastly, supporting faith-based charities would expand the amount of people reached by the word of God. If government funds finance an event hosted by a faith based organization, it provides a window of opportunity for outreach. As Henry Ward Beecher put it, "Every charitable act is a stepping stone toward heaven." Even if just one person that attends a dinner stays for the sermon afterward, that one person may go home changed. We must concentrate on taking one bite of the apple at a time. We live in a society plagued with misinterpretation, a plague that has destroyed the morality of our government. Separation of church and state has expunged church involvement in our government, and humanism has taken its place. But occasionally we are given a small window of opportunity for outreach, and now it's time to take it.

Why hinder our opportunity to save lives physically and spiritually? The government has proposed a plan to allow faith-based organizations a chance to financially survive, a prospect that will benefit the poor and then provide a sense of hope for them in a time of need. A hope that one clings too to survive. A hope that feeds the soul one day at a time. Thales once said, "Hope becomes poor man's bread." It is time to provide that hope, and allow government funds to aid in the process.