SOCIAL ACTION

Many non-evangelicals have criticized evangelical Christians for not “caring,” that is, for what they perceive to be too-little social involvement. In 1979 the Gallup Poll organization surveyed a cross section of Americans. The facts speak for themselves.

The question was “Do you as an individual happen to be involved in any charity or social service activities, such as helping the poor, the sick, or the elderly?”

The affirmative response by religion was proportioned as follows:

Non-Church Members

19%

Protestants

27%

Church Members

30%

Non-Evangelicals

26%

Catholics

26%

Evangelicals

42%1291

William Booth could not sleep one evening, so he went for a walk in the night. He walked down to the poor side of London and there, in the cover of darkness, saw the impoverished and beaten half-lives that existed in that setting. The rain was beating down on some of London’s derelicts who were sleeping near the curbsides. When Booth returned home, he told his wife, “I’ve been to hell.” Out of that nightmarish experience came the dream of the Salvation Army.

Had Booth not left the security of his own home, he might never have become aware of the needs of the homeless masses.1292

The following parody was written by two Englishmen after converting to Christianity from Communism.

The Socialist’s 23rd Psalm

The Government is my shepherd,

Therefore, I need not work.

It allows me to lie down on a good job;

It leads me beside still factories.

It destroys my initiative;

It leads me in the path of a parasite for politics’ sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of laziness and deficit spending,

I fear no evil; for the Government is with me.

It preparest an economic Utopia for me;

By appropriating the earnings of my own grandchildren.

It fills my head with false security;

My inefficiency runneth over.

Surely the Government should care for me all the days of my life;

And I shall live forever in a fool’s paradise.1293