Charity is willingly given from the heart. – Rush Limbaugh

Per FoxNews.com…

Tucker Carlson had a must-see segment Thursday night in which he debated a bishop of the United Methodist Church who believes the United States should not turn away the caravan of migrants that has gathered at the southern border.

Bishop Minerva Carcano said the migrants have a right to flee poverty and violence in their home countries, and to seek asylum and receive due process.

“These are people who need humanity to extend compassion to them and love and care. It may discomfort some, but this is a moment in which we can show the best of humanity,” Carcano said.

Tucker raised the issue of the massive cost to U.S. taxpayers when it comes to housing, health care, education and other basic services for illegal immigrants. 

“Some estimates suggest the cost is hundreds of thousands per immigrant over a lifetime. The Methodist Church is not paying that bill, U.S. taxpayers are,” Tucker argued. 

Carcano argued that immigrants contribute “much more” to the economy than they take out, to which Tucker responded that studies have shown that people who come to the U.S. with less than a high school education take more from the system than they put in by a “huge margin.”

Tucker noted that Carcano’s church — as a religious institution — is exempt from paying taxes.

“If you’re encouraging people to come here, why don’t you have an obligation to provide them education, housing, food, medical care? But you offload that onto taxpayers. And I wonder if that’s a Christian thing to do,” Tucker said. “How can you feel virtuous when you’re not paying for the things you’re encouraging?”

Carcano said that all the members of the United Methodist Church who live in America pay their taxes like every other citizen, and the church itself spends “millions of dollars” caring for immigrants.

“American taxpayers spend $135 billion on this,” Tucker replied. “I’m just saying, if you’re going to encourage people to come in here, I think you should pitch in a little bit more than you are.”

As a former member of the United Methodist Church, I believe that they should, also.

Christian Charity is one thing. “Social Justice” being funded by American Taxpayers is another.

And, that got me to thnking…

This time of year, Americans’ thoughts and hearts turn toward helping those who are less fortunate.

We are reminded of the plight of others every time we pass by a volunteer at a Salvation Army Kettle.

And, that got me to thinking, Who actual gives more to charity, the Vocal Minority, America’s Liberals…or the Silent Majority, Christian American Conservatives?

I have noticed over the years, that when a Christian American Conservative, such a myself, writes an article concerning Christianity in America, Liberal activists in Liberal Churches, such as the Bishop in the above article, jump up on their hind legs and start complaining that Conservatives ARE the problem with Christianity in America, and, that Christian Conservatives are the least charitable, least caring of Americans.

A pretty silly statement, when you think about it. One that is so blatantly false, it’s laughable.

Realclearpolitics.com posted the following article by George Wills (before he completely lost his mind) on March 27, 2008,  featuring information gathered by Arthur C. Brooks, a professor at Syracuse University, who published “Who Really Cares: The Surprising Truth About Compassionate Conservatism”…

— Although liberal families’ incomes average 6 percent higher than those of conservative families, conservative-headed households give, on average, 30 percent more to charity than the average liberal-headed household ($1,600 per year vs. $1,227).

— Conservatives also donate more time and give more blood.

— Residents of the states that voted for John Kerry in 2004 gave smaller percentages of their incomes to charity than did residents of states that voted for George Bush.

— Bush carried 24 of the 25 states where charitable giving was above average.

— In the 10 reddest states, in which Bush got more than 60 percent majorities, the average percentage of personal income donated to charity was 3.5. Residents of the bluest states, which gave Bush less than 40 percent, donated just 1.9 percent.

— People who reject the idea that “government has a responsibility to reduce income inequality” give an average of four times more than people who accept that proposition.

Brooks demonstrates a correlation between charitable behavior and “the values that lie beneath” liberal and conservative labels. Two influences on charitable behavior are religion and attitudes about the proper role of government.

The single biggest predictor of someone’s altruism, Willett says, is religion. It increasingly correlates with conservative political affiliations because, as Brooks’ book says, “the percentage of self-described Democrats who say they have ‘no religion’ has more than quadrupled since the early 1970s.” America is largely divided between religious givers and secular nongivers, and the former are disproportionately conservative. One demonstration that religion is a strong determinant of charitable behavior is that the least charitable cohort is a relatively small one — secular conservatives.

Reviewing Brooks’ book in the Texas Review of Law & Politics, Justice Willett notes that Austin — it voted 56 percent for Kerry while he was getting just 38 percent statewide — is ranked by The Chronicle of Philanthropy as 48th out of America’s 50 largest cities in per capita charitable giving. Brooks’ data about disparities between liberals’ and conservatives’ charitable giving fit these facts: Democrats represent a majority of the wealthiest congressional districts, and half of America’s richest households live in states where both senators are Democrats.

While conservatives tend to regard giving as a personal rather than governmental responsibility, some liberals consider private charity a retrograde phenomenon — a poor palliative for an inadequate welfare state, and a distraction from achieving adequacy by force, by increasing taxes. Ralph Nader, running for president in 2000, said: “A society that has more justice is a society that needs less charity.” Brooks, however, warns: “If support for a policy that does not exist … substitutes for private charity, the needy are left worse off than before. It is one of the bitterest ironies of liberal politics today that political opinions are apparently taking the place of help for others.”

In 2000, brows were furrowed in perplexity because Vice President Al Gore’s charitable contributions, as a percentage of his income, were below the national average: He gave 0.2 percent of his family income, one-seventh of the average for donating households. But Gore “gave at the office.” By using public office to give other peoples’ money to government programs, he was being charitable, as liberals increasingly, and conveniently, understand that word.

The Methodist Bishop on Tucker Carlson’s program is a great example of the closing statement in Will’s article.

After the eight long years of the previous Administration, Liberals have come to expect American Taxpayers to pay for their latest cause in “the Battle for Social Justice”. In this case, it’s the Liberals who run the United Methodist Church.

The thing is, I was always taught that true charity comes from the heart. That Christians get together as a congregation and help the needy, like the small group I attend who are providing “Santa” for a little girl living with her grandmother.

I’m having an issue with welcoming an invasion carrying their country’s flag who refuses to enter our Sovereign Nation the right way and who, when blocked from forcibly crossing our Southern Border, arrogantly tell authorities that if we give them $50,000 a piece they will return to their home country.

That positively reeks of humility and being downtrodden, doesn’t it?

Or something.

So, Bishop, if you really want to help those “poor souls” in the Migrant Caravan, take some money from the coffers of the United Methodist Church Headquarters, go to Tijuana, and start passing it out.

As for me, I think I will take some canned goods to the Food Bank which my local church helps to sponsor.

Charity begins at home.

Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they marveled at him. – Mark 12:17 (ESV)

Until He Comes,

KJ