Dependent On Welfare?

Before I had children, I believed that I would live in a tiny trailer if that is what I needed to do in order to stay home and raise my children.  I teach a lot on mothers being keepers at home.  Cynthia commented on one of my posts, " I just want to add that my mother was a single mom who had to work.  I made up my mind at a young age that I would go on welfare or live with relatives or whatever it took to stay home with my children.  God has always provided without resorting to those measures.  I am thankful."

Then another woman wrote, "I am all for moms staying home with their children.  I am blessed to be able to stay home, but welfare should not be used so that a mom can stay home with her kids.  That is not what welfare is for and that is abusing the system."

I believe women who keep having children without a husband to get more money from welfare is abusing the system.  However, if a woman loses her husband when she has young children, she has no living relatives to support her, and the church refuses to support her, I believe this is exactly when welfare should be used.

Connie was a young mother with six children.  Her husband was in and out of prison, mostly in.  She lived on welfare so she could be at home raising her children.  Her husband finally came to the Lord.  Who could possibly fault her for that?  Should she have gotten a full-time job leaving her children with strangers to care for all day?

The Bible exhorts young widows to get remarried, have children, and guide the home.  It exhorts the church to provide for older widows.  It exhorts families to take care of each other.  If their is no willing family or church, I think it is better for the mother to go on welfare to take care of her children rather than find a full-time job and let someone else raise her children.

Yes, some of you had mothers who worked if you lost your father and she modeled hard work to you so now you are a hard worker.  She refused welfare and you admired her for that.  If children have lost their father, I see no reason why a mother couldn't receive welfare for a time until she got remarried or found a church to support her.

She would have to learn to live frugally and simply.  She would need to cook her food from scratch and shop wisely but all these would be good for her children to see.  She would be there to raise and discipline her children and give them the love they so need.

I know this opinion will be controversial since welfare is so abused in this country but I  think if there is ever a need for welfare, a widowed or abandoned mother with children without a supportive church or relatives would be the best reason welfare was instituted.  I sure wouldn't mind using my tax dollars so a widowed or abandoned mother could stay home and raise her children.

But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, 

and especially for members of his household, 

he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

I Timothy 5:8