Is "In Government We Trust" replacing God?

W. Bradford Wilcox has an interesting article at Public Discourse on the relationship between the welfare state and a people's practice of religion. He raises the question because of Obama's success at wooing religious voters. Will they get what they expect from his policies? Or will his presidency undermine the very values they hold dear? Wilcox cites a study by Anthony Gill and Erik Lundsgaarde from the University of Washington as an answer. Their findings should trouble all those who believe a country is only as strong as the faith that motivates its people.

The researchers found "that countries with larger welfare states had markedly lower levels of religious attendance, had higher rates of citizens indicating no religious affiliation whatsoever, and their people took less comfort in religion in general. In their words, 'Countries with higher levels of per capita welfare have a proclivity for less religious participation and tend to have higher percentages of non-religious individuals.'"

Does this matter? The secularist would say "No, good riddance," but Wilcox cites the observations of political scientist Alan Wolfe who "noted that large increases in welfare spending in Sweden, Denmark and Norway over the last half century have ended up eroding the moral fabric of families and civic institutions in these societies. Scandinavians have come to depend not on family, civil society, or themselves, but on the government for their basic needs." In other words, the Nanny State will take care of them. This is a problem, Wilcox says because "many Scandinavians, especially young adults who have grown up taking the welfare state for granted, are markedly less likely to attend to the social, material, and emotional needs of family and friends than earlier generations. As a consequence, social solidarity is down and social pathology—from drinking to crime—is up. In Wolfe’s words, 'High tax rates in Scandinavia encourage governmental responsibility for others; they do not, however, necessarily inspire a personal sense of altruism and a feeling of moral unity toward others with whom one’s fate is always linked.' Not surprisingly, cheating on taxes is on the rise in Scandinavian countries, both because the social solidarity undergirding these societies is fraying and because men and women—especially high earners—are recoiling from paying the hefty taxes associated with keeping their nanny states afloat." (Sound familiar?)

Uncle Sam is not our Savior, but many people today seem to believe he is. I wonder if those are the same types of people who jumped out of windows during the depression. We face many challenges, but government, even one led by a man canonized by the mainstream media, will not save us. Let's put our trust in God where it belongs and work to strengthen our families.