Oxford Dictionary defines charity as the “Help or money given
voluntarily to those in need.” Clearly
the issue comes down to whose money is given and is it given voluntarily? When a government provides money to help
those in need is it their money to give and is it given voluntarily?
Depending first on who you
believe has the greatest right to the currency in question you could suppose it
is taken from the private citizen so that it becomes the governments
money. But for the later condition does the government provide it voluntarily? I
can think of no case where that is true.
It may come without condition, but the Congress controls how funds are
to be used; no one empowered to just give away the governments money so the
idea of voluntary disbursement seems a non-starter.
For this reason I believe
anyone who says the Government can be charitable defines charity different than
I do.
