US churches divided on how to help poor

DALLAS, Dec 15 (Reuters) If it wasn't for churches and religious charities, a lot of folks would go hungry in the United States this winter. But while most churches believe in helping the poor, they take different views on how to go about it.

Some of the more conservative evangelical churches believe any kind of state intervention reeks of socialism and favor individual or faith-oriented efforts.

Others see a more active role for the state and strongly favor plans by the incoming, Democratically controlled Congress to raise the minimum wage.

In the United States -- where the welfare state is less robust than in other developed countries but church attendance rates are much higher -- religious groups often step in to fill social service roles that the state would carry out elsewhere.

''We could not operate without faith-based organizations,'' said Bill Prickett, spokesman for the Dallas-based North Texas Food Bank, which is the biggest in Texas and fed about 262,000 people last year.

Almost 75 percent of the distribution sites that receive goods from the Food Bank are run by religious organizations.

''I was in the Baptist ministry myself for almost 20 years, this is my faith and my passion,'' said Prickett, as forklifts whirled around with boxes of foods in the cavernous warehouse.

BLESSED ARE THE POOR For some Christians, raising the minimum wage carries almost Biblical weight.

''I don't know how being against an increase in the minimum wage could be supported by faith. We are talking about justice here, not economics,'' said Jan G. Linn, a pastor with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and author of the book ''Big Christianity: What's Right With The Religious Left.'' ''Most of what Jesus said was about the poor,'' Linn told Reuters by telephone from his Minnesota base.

Some other mainstream Protestant denominations such as the Presbyterian Church and many Catholics endorse a higher minimum wage.

This is the case even with some conservative Christians who praise the virtue of work over welfare -- because a minimum wage earner is obviously employed.

But for many evangelicals the issue is a hard one to grapple with given their inherent suspicion of Big Government and ties to the business wing of the Republican Party.

''Evangelicals and other conservative Christians are less opposed (to the minimum wage) than ambivalent,'' said John Green, a political scientist at the University of Akron and an expert on religion and politics.

''Since the minimum wage operates at the level of individuals, it is the type of social justice approach evangelicals like. But on the other hand, evangelicals are skeptical of government intervention in the economy,'' he said.

The result was that while many evangelicals would not be strong opponents of the minimum wage they would not rush out to support it either, Green said.

Many religiously-motivated social conservatives believe that issues of social justice are best addressed through churches and individuals and not by raising taxes on others.

''Religious conservatives are very giving people but helping comes from the person and not the IRS (Internal Revenue Service),'' said Tom McClusky, vice president of government affairs at the Family Research Council, a conservative lobby group with strong evangelical ties.

He said evangelicals favored approaches such as the White House Office of Faith-based and Community Initiatives, which makes federal funding available for religious organizations with social service programs.

At the North Texas Food Bank, the efforts of the faithful are appreciated -- but a government-mandated increase in the minimum wage would also be welcomed.

''You cannot feed your family in Dallas on the current minimum wage,'' said Food Bank Chief Executive Jan Pruitt.

REUTERS PDM ND0902