Do No Harm or Do Good? Should the Government Provide for the People?

When government attempts to provide all social necessities for its people, it usually fails to accomplish this mission and often harms not only the causes it attempts to promote but also the people it tries to serve. Government failures in providing for the people manifest themselves in two ways. First, such attempts promote mediocre results and squash individual initiative among recipients by perpetuating reliance on government handouts. Second, government taxation and operating principles suppress individual responsibility, compassion, and charity among tax-paying citizens. By addressing these failures, a new model can be developed that could begin replacing many government programs in today’s society. This new model, based on religious values and an understanding of human nature, would provide more effective services for the people and would help foster a more Christian nation.

Andrew D. Muras, from the 1999 Lord Acton Essay Competition

Mostly a good essay. I don't agree with the portions that affirm social justice based on Christianity, and I found it ironic that the author invoked Screwtape since Lewis specifically states in that work that the movement of Christianity toward Marxism and social justice is diabolically motivated. However, the author notes the suppression of spiritual charity that is accomplished by socialist government, which is something I very strongly believe to be the case.