Faith and Foreign Aid: Three Questions & Answers From The Teachings of Jesus

In the days since Elon Musk told the world he fed “USAID into the wood chipper”, and the agency’s website went dark (1), there has been a tsunami of debate about the merits and legality of that decision. And religion, specifically Christianity, has been a big part of that debate, with both sides using scripture and religious language. So, as someone who tries to live my life according to the teachings of Jesus, this begs a question: How should the teachings of Jesus inform my point of view on U.S. foreign aid? 

Spoiler alert: I did not find an easy answer that leads to an obvious conclusion about which political outcome is right. But, I hope to provide a framework that will help all citizens, regardless of religious or political bent, to thoughtfully evaluate this issue. 

As background, USAID had a budget of $44.2 billion in 2024, or about 0.4% of the U.S. Budget (2). It was created as part of the Foreign Assistance Act approved by Congress in 1961 and signed into law by President John F. Kennedy (3).  Its stated mission is this: “We partner to end extreme poverty and promote resilient, democratic societies while advancing our security and prosperity (2).” 

Developing a point of view on U.S. foreign aid requires wrestling with at least three questions: 

• Do humans have a moral obligation to help people who are less fortunate?

• If yes, does that moral obligation extend to governments?

• If yes, does the current way of administering aid represent the best stewardship of those funds?

The first question is perhaps the easiest to answer. Christian scriptures clearly and consistently indicate that we are to care for the poor and the sick. Jesus described how God would commend his followers by saying, “For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me’…““And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’” (4).  The Hebrew prophet Ezekiel used the destruction of the city of Sodom as a cautionary tale about not taking care of the poor, including those outside her territory. “Sodom’s sins were pride, gluttony, and laziness, while the poor and needy suffered outside her door”(5). 

The second question is a little more difficult. Is charity just an individual act, or should it extend to groups of people, including organizations like the government? When King David of Israel was transitioning power to his son, Solomon, he prayed this prayer: “Make other rulers bow down and all nations serve him. Do this because the king rescues the homeless when they cry out, and he helps everyone who is poor and in need. The king has pity on the weak and the helpless and protects those in need. He cares when they hurt, and he saves them from cruel and violent deaths…Let him make nations prosper...” (6).  This suggests the king (the government) received its power at least in part because it helped those less fortunate. Helping those who could not help themselves was part of earning the moral authority to lead, and this responsibility extended to dealings with other nations. Especially in a democratic society, where government is essentially an extension of the people, it seems reasonable that government is an acceptable way to pool our resources to efficiently help others. 

This brings us to the third question. Does our approach to providing aid represent the best stewardship of resources, helping as many people as possible with the funds available?  Jesus emphasized the importance of matching the level of responsibility with the level of competence. “Anyone who can be trusted in little matters can also be trusted in important matters. But anyone who is dishonest in little matters will be dishonest in important matters (7).” And the scriptures make it clear that God wants people to be honest in how they manage money. “A false balance and dishonest business practices are extremely offensive to the Lord, But an accurate scale is His delight (8).”  So, if people are being dishonest or programs are ineffective, Christian scripture suggests we would be justified in changing leadership and revamping programs. 

The problem is, this third question is impossible to answer without impartial and honest information. Right wing media is only sharing examples of ridiculous waste, and left wing media is only sharing examples of great positive impact. It is likely there are elements of truth and falsehood in both. I would like to see a detailed list of USAID programs, so I can form my own opinion. But that information is no longer available. And, neither side of this debate has any incentive to provide that information, lest it shine some light upon a nuanced middle ground. 

So, as a Christian, how can I think about foreign aid in a way that honors my faith? Personally, here is where I came out. First, I must reaffirm my commitment to help those less fortunate. Behind all the political drama, there are real human beings who lack basic food, healthcare, and safety. And the teachings of Jesus tell me I should try and help them. And I should encourage others to do so as well, including pooling resources in order to maximize efficiency and impact. If enough of my fellow citizens agree that our government should dedicate resources to helping others, then I should demand competency and integrity in how those funds are administered. This means insisting on transparency and accountability from those in charge, and doing my best to filter out the partisan noise to get to objective facts.

In short, I cannot abandon efforts to help those in need around the world. Nor can I faithfully satisfy that obligation by blindly trusting politicians or administrators without holding them accountable. This requires generosity, curiousity, courage, wisdom, and effort. Which is to say, honoring the imperative to help others is difficult. But that something democracy and Christianity have in common: neither of them are easy.

NOTES:

1. https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1886307316804263979?s=46

2. https://www.usaspending.gov/agency/agency-for-international-development?fy=2024&section=award-spending . For a great primer on USAID, see the Pew Research study here: https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/02/06/what-the-data-says-about-us-foreign-aid/false

3. https://2012-2017.usaid.gov/who-we-are/usaid-history (This link it to an internet archive, as the actual USAID.gov website has been taken offline)

4. Matthew 25:35-40,45 NLT

5. Ezekiel 16:49 NLT

6. Psalms 72:11-14, 16-17 CEV

7. Luke 16:10 CEV

8. Proverbs 11:1 AMP