Societal imperative

With all due respect to the Rev. James Holland ("Individuals, Not Government, Must Care for the Poor," March 22 letters), you can't have it both ways.

I'm assuming Rev. Holland is like most Christians who want their political leaders to exhibit the Christian values shared by the majority of the country (and, as they'd stress, the Founding Fathers). It makes little logical sense then, that Rev. Holland could say that using federal tax dollars to care for the poor is not a Christian moral imperative but an imperative reserved for ideological ghouls like Lenin, Stalin and Hitler. This comes right after Rev. Holland says Christians caring for the poor is a moral imperative, not an option.

If we want our leaders to be led by their Christian values, then that means doing everything in their power (i.e., using federal tax dollars) to help the poor. It's not an option, as Rev. Holland stressed.

You can't pick and choose when you want your political leaders to act like Christians.

 

BRANDON SZUMINSKY
Canonsburg