Welfare Church

The Founding Fathers called for a separation of church
and state.  It seems obvious that they weren't worried
about separating religion and state, but instead were
concerned that a church bureaucracy might merge with
the state, as was the case in England.
   The church was the ecclesiastical government formed
by religious people to organize and perform charitable
works.  The church was the provider of education for
children, food for the hungry, and care for the sick.
   Today, our government supports a failing school 
system, pours our tax dollars into entitlements and
doles out health care only to those meeting certain
criteria.  Our government fails in these attempts 
precisely because it is nonecclesiastical.  Acts of 
charity require a spirit of charity.  Stealing from one
to give to another is not charity.
   We haven't had a separation of church and state since
before the New Deal.

Gerald J. Klaas