The enemy Loves the Welfare State

• The enemy wants to hinder the work of the church.
• Fighting poverty, leading people to glorify God by helping them fulfill their created potential, is part of the work of the church.
• To the degree that the government takes the lead in fighting poverty, the church is lulled into neglect of their role in this part of their mission.
  • Paying taxes is immensely more passive and less participatory in the work of helping the poor than "getting one's hands dirty" and loving the poor face to face.
• Therefore, the enemy wants the government to take the lead in fighting poverty.

Of course, this is consistent with "Give to God's what is God's, and to Caesar what is Caesar's," and the commands in Matthew 25 that say caring for the poor is a role that belongs to the body of Christ, not the body of Caesar.