A reader in Tennessee requested that I comment on the question of saints of God making contributions into a community fund usually designated as "The United Way," "The United Fund," "Community Chest," etc. I don't know what it is called in Grenada (if we have such). The comments I will make will be true in the Tennessee, Kentucky and Alabama campaigns as I am familiar with them and have received literature from them describing their work, who gets the money and how it is divided.

Christians are to be benevolent (Eph. 4:28). This is to be directed toward needy brethren (Acts 2:44,45; 4:34,35; 11:27-30) and to those deserving needy of the word (Jas. 1:27; Lk. 10:25-36) but they cannot give to those people or organizations that promote false teaching (2 Jn. 9-11; 2 Thess. 3:10) or laziness or immorality. When we do this we become partaker of the deeds these do which God says are "ungodly."

Most "United Way" campaigns include the Salvation Army, Catholic, Methodist, Jewish and Lutheran organizations. These are all false religions! The donations do not go directly into the treasuries of these religions but are funneled to some charitable or family counseling organization that is controlled by the particular church. Thus it goes to support the teaching of the particular church. Usually the USO is included which is an organization that provides dances and beer for service personnel. These dances are based upon the works of the flesh (Gal. 5:19-21) to which children of God have to stand opposed and apart.

To try to get around objections to supporting such organizations most of these united fund gathering campaigns suggest you "designate" what organization you want to receive your money. Note. they won't allow you to make a check directly to the Boy Scouts, etc. because then it would have to go there. Your check is to be made to the fund. They then take out their share to pay operating costs and then they put it into the common fund. Each organization receives the percentage of the collected funds that was agreed upon before the money was collected. No attention is paid to the designations! It is just a ruse to beguile people who object to some of the organizations included so they will go ahead and contribute to the fund. Many businesses strive (and thus pressure employees) to have 100 percent participation and use this way to get it. Some make your contributing to this fund a requirement of your employment.

For a Christian to give (even a few dollars) to the support of false religions or to some organization that sponsors immoral events is to be "unequally yoked" with unbelievers (2 Cor. 6:14). God (through Paul) said we are not to be so yoked (2 Cor. 6:14-17). Saints have to have the courage to refuse to give into the common fund that uses the money collected in a manner contrary to Bible teaching. We are to be benevolent but in a way that will enable God to be glorified and his word to be upheld. It is not so in these united fund campaigns. You may be ridiculed and pressured (I have known some to be fired from a job) to make you conform but remember the admonition of Paul in Romans 12:2 to be not conformed to the world! You belong only to God (Tit. 2:14) and everything you do is to be done in such a way that God will be glorified.

Guardian of Truth XXXII: 11, p. 323
June 2, 1988