Comments about ‘Policymakers, take a lesson from Isabella’

Mr. Florez implies that forcing us to do good is good. Force to do good is BAD. It has always been bad and it will always be bad. Using force, or compulsion, to be god-like is the antithesis of god-like behavior.

Using the example of a young girl who CHOSE to do good shows us how kindness should work. Telling us that we need to be forced by the government to do those acts of kindness is as warped an idea as has ever been printed.

Charity begins at home. Charity is not a function of the government; it is a function of the heart. Heartless people will never offer charity. Godless people will try to force charity on heartless people.

Florez starts off on the right track here. He is correct that modern society has largely adopted a "me first" attitude in which selfishness rules the day.

However, Florez quickly veers off course and makes a "me first" demand on behalf of those who want free government handouts. Indeed, his demand that certain groups receive entitlement dollars, with no effort to support themselves, is the epitome of a me first attitude.

The Founding Fathers believed that a man must work for what he receives, and if he will not work, he will not receive. Government handouts to those who can work, but refuse to do so, drives this Country into debt and makes the moral fabric of society weaker.

See there, doing good -is bad. Letting people die because they can't afford health insurance or the company dropped them is good because you didn't force anyone.

Well I have one statement for you "do-gooders" There are how many "christians" in this country? Solve the problems then. Take care of the sick, dying and destitute until there is no problem left for the government of the people to solve. This is YOUR failure to do the job willingly.

Screwdriver | 10:48 a.m. March 5, 2011

So, you believe in compelling people to do good? You believe that YOU have the right to be someone else's conscience? You believe that the end justifies the means? You believe that YOU are permitted to take from the rich and to give to the poor?

That's what I inferred from your post.

God gave us the great gift of agency WITH accountability. He rejected Lucifer's plan of compulsion, but YOU promote that plan of compulsion. Since God has already rejected Lucifer's plan to FORCE us to do good and to be good, doesn't it follow that God has also rejected YOUR plan to FORCE us to do good and to be good.

Choice, with accountability for our choices, is the greatest gift from God. He will NOT force any of us to return to him. He will NOT force any of us to do anything that He has asked us to do.

It amazes me how many people take the name of Christ in vain as they tell us to FORCE others to follow Christ's example.

Mike, I vote like anyone else. If there are sick and dying I vote to help them. I also give to the Association for Free Clinics.

You don't seem to mind forcing me to support a military that kills hundreds of thousands of innocent "collateral damage" so nope I don't mind if you are forced to help the sick and dying. Since you are religious you would have helped anyway, right........ ? And I don't mind you paying in the system so when you go to the emergency room with no insurance the rest of us are FORCED to cover it.

There's a lot of forcing going on from the right.

Screwdriver | 4:30 p.m. March 5, 2011

Do you have even a small idea of what the Constitution is all about?

You take jabs at the military; the military that kept Germany and Japan from taking away YOUR citizenship just a generation ago. The military is Constitutional. It is allowed. It has been put under the jurisdiction of non-military leadership and it is funded by YOUR representatives.

Charity from the government is NOT in the Constitution. Article 1, Section 8 enumerates the duties of Congress. Charity is NOT on that list, yet you decry the military, which is Constitutional, even as you ride around on your high horse and claim that the government ought to be in the charity business.

Does the 'rule of law' mean anything to you, anything at all? The Constitution is the Supreme Law of the Land; yet you demand that Constitutional activities stop and that unconstitutional activities go forward.

Who gave you the right to change the Constitution for your own purposes?

You can help whomever you want, but you can't claim governmental authority to force others to help.

General welfare ring a bell?

Are you sure you know the constitution?

It's still the charge of christians to heal the sick and feed the poor. Do it your way. Get it done and there won't be any problem to solve. I've just challened the entire christian religion to get the job done. I'm doing my part. Who's dropping the ball? Get on thier case and the government won't have anything to do.

Wrapping yourself in your limeted interpretation of the constitution won't save anyone or yourself.

Re: Mike Richards | 7:45 p.m. March 5, 2011 South Jordan, Utah

I love it when you get into religious preachy mode, your arguments vaporize and your audience shrinks.

This does not work with the majority of people. But then, perhaps that is not your objective. Maybe you want your targeted audience to acknowledge your LDS bona fides because your opinion is quite vapid and inconsequential.

We can argue about "forced" and "voluntary" all night long. However, many times "voluntary" efforts come because there is a subtle level of force making the person decide to take action voluntarally. Many church practices ask for "voluntary" action with the understanding that to do otherwise has its consequence. Many would call that "forced".

However, in a society built upon the democratic principle that opportunity be provided for everyone to enjoy the benefits of a free society, we need to find a means to provide for the least-fortunate among us. It is amusing that some of the people here want people only to get what they can from their own labor, but what do you do for those who cannot labor, like a orphaned child or a severely disabled individual?

I don't think the government should be in the charity business. I think there shouldn't be anything left for the government to do in a "christian" nation as many would like to see it.

I believe in the separation of church and state. Bottom line - get the job done and there is nothing for the government to do.

Otherwise, I vote for things that "force" you to do good. And you vote and support military missuse that has killed a lot of innocent people. We can never be "even" on that.

And really the founding fathers were against a standing army in the first place.

Government charity is not forced, it is offered by the people through their governmentthe expression of shared values. We want to help. Don't be charity conscientious objecter.

At any level of government there is a little give and take. It's cooperation, as opposed to being a hermit or an anarchist. Consider yourself drawn instead of pushed.