It cannot be done. . .

The attacks on the charities of the churches is less an attack on them than it is the whole idea of an NGO (non-governmental organization).  There are many, including Pope Francis, who are insisting that the demise of the NGO culture would be an apocalyptic moment both for society and for Christianity.  What is really in question here is the funding of the work.  There are those who warn that without the government dollar to bankroll the work of Christian charities, they will not survive.  I am more and more convinced that with the almighty government dollar behind them, they are not quite Christian charities.  This is less about their integrity or efficiency (as some have suggested) and more and more about the whole idea of whether or not Christian charities should live off the government's dime.

Let me put it bluntly.  If we cannot do what we are doing without the funds from Uncle Sam, we should not be doing it at all -- at least under the guise that this is a Christian charity.   Even worse than doing charitable work with somebody else's checkbook and then calling it your own is the prospect of advancing causes which are in conflict with Scripture itself.  If we cannot do what we are doing without the credit card of the government footing the bill, Christian charities (NGOs) should admit that they are no longer acting in the name of the churches which founded them and simply contracting with the government to do what the government wants and pays them to do.  Even it this is not necessarily bad, it is not Christian or charitable work.

There is another level to all of this and one which begs to be researched and reported.  That is to what level these Christian charities (NGOs) have become advocates for things in conflict with the basic Christian values and the unchanging truth of God's Word.  What is unfolding is how these Christian charities not only act on behalf of the government but even more so on behalf of the progressive and liberal agenda which denies or conflicts with Christian doctrine and truth.  Just as this progressive and liberal worldview has worked to hijack the government's voice and purpose in the work of NGOs, it has also been at war with the catholic and apostolic faith and attempted a takeover of the Gospel for the sake of modernism over revelation in the Church.

I am not at all sad that this debate is now taking place.  I do not really care who raises the questions (whether Trump or Musk) but am relieved that we are now finally beginning to address what has happened to Christian charity and the voice of the Church.  By becoming mere government contractors to accomplish a vision of truth and reality without a source in God's unchanging Word, Church charities have called into question their purpose and identity.  This is not a bad thing.  

A good example of the problem lies with what was once called Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Resettlement Services.  The decision to rebrand as Global Refuge claims to be rooted in the growing worldwide need for compassion and support but it may more accurately be reflective of their move into advocacy for a political cause with values that are not quite what they once were.  To quote Global Refuge:  With millions of people displaced by war, famine, climate change, persecution, and more, our mission of providing the “long welcome” has become more crucial than ever. The accompanying growth in the demand for our essential, expanded suite of services has sparked the need to identify ourselves ever more clearly and create a bigger table of supporters.  Mission creep is not simply the problem but where that mission is creeping and how far removed that mission is from its sponsors.  What some celebrate as a new direction should be lamented by the churches as the abandonment of their founding purpose for the more glamorous and lucrative role as a government contractor.  This is but one example among the many examples that could be identified.  

Yes, I do hope that in the end the government will distinguish between those programs which advance truly humanitarian causes against those which advocate for political causes and positions that may or may not be supported by the churches.  In the end, however, I do pray that Christian charitable organizations will recover their purpose and stop acting as the agents of a political purpose or political cause that is not the Gospel. If the work cannot be done without government money, perhaps we should not be doing it.  If the government money is the greater attraction over the work itself, perhaps the pursuit of the dollar is our real purpose.