Did you know that 100 years ago few people would have got any government welfare? Welfare is a very recent phenomenon.
The church has played a key role in healthcare and education provision, says Paul Clark. Pictured in Bath Abbey. PICTURE: Elizabeth Jamieson/Unsplash
For most of history, kings and rulers taxed! Mainly because they were better than you and owned the land you lived off. But also to fund armies and the like.
You didn’t go to your rulers for relief – for that you went to the church. It was the church that also provided hospitals and education!
As the Western world became what we call Christendom – things changed. The government itself was Christian; had a Christian conscience. Being able to tax, they could fund things like health and education as the church could only dream.
Soon the government also took responsibility for welfare – and it’s become a huge industry.
Remember that, where this all came from, and say a prayer of thanks.
Paul Clark’s musings can be heard on radio across Australia and at atthetop.org.au.
