The Gospel according to John

Letter reprinted from the Brunswick Beacon, 09.04.25

In his Aug. 28 column, John Hood wrote about charity. He didn’t write: “Give to everyone who begs from you,” as Jesus taught in Luke 6:30, or, “go sell your possessions, give everything to the poor,” as Jesus taught in Matthew 19:21, or, “giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity. Stinginess impoverishes,” as Jesus taught in Mark 4:24-25. Instead, Hood wrote, “Don’t give cash to street panhandlers.”

I thought perhaps Hood was ignorant of Jesus’ teachings, until he wrote: “Professionals or trained volunteers who minister to the poor are doing the Lord’s work. What we should not do is hand cash to beggars in medians or streets.”

I realized then that Hood knew all about Jesus’ teachings. He just thinks they don’t apply to modern life. Hood reports “routinely see[ing] panhandlers approach idling cars at traffic lights and stop signs to beg motorists for cash.” Obviously, Jesus never saw that, so Hood rejects originalism when interpreting the Bible.

Hood reserves originalism for the Constitution. Except, of course, when judges interpret it in a way he disagrees with, as in the Leandro school funding decision.

In “Judges cannot amend the constitution,” Hood concedes that NC’s Constitution guarantees every child the right to a “sound, basic education.” However, Hood says it’s an unenforceable right because, although courts found that NC’s Republican-controlled legislature “failed to live up to its constitutional duties,” courts cannot require law-breaking legislators to adequately fund public schools. Hood writes: “Originalism isn’t about what kind of government we ought to have, or what policies ought to be adopted. It’s about who gets to decide these questions, and how.”

Whether the question involves what Jesus taught about charity, or how adequately our children are taught in public schools, Hood conveniently believes that the person who gets to decide is Hood. The only consistent principle Hood applies is that Hood’s decisions conveniently keep Hood’s money in Hood’s pocket.

Arthur Hill

Southport