So there is a discussion (debate?) going on at fMh right now about abortion and welfare and someone posted this and I think it makes an excellent point so I figured I'd repost it here. The original thought is from a post by A Liberal Mormon.

There needs to be help for people, regardless of what people “deserve” because of their bad choices.

“Some of the poor who qualify for government aid do become complacent and neglect to take any responsibility for their condition. So what? Jesus didn’t tell the rich young man to give all he had to the poor who would commit to finding gainful employment within the next six months or could prove that their poverty was the result of extenuating circumstances beyond their control, or who demonstrated a realistic plan to become self-sufficient. Our Savior, whose atonement is offered to us whether or not we “deserve” it, said simply ‘give to the poor (Matt 19:21).’ And the Lord does indeed command that the poor should take responsible for their situation as best they can, to labor to the best of their ability to overcome their situation (D&C 56:17). But that is his admonition to them. He does not call on us to enforce that command. Rather, to the rest of us, the community at large, the Lord commands that we give to those in need without condition. On the other side of the coin, the Lord also warns us against condemning, disparaging, or making light of the poor in their plight, as the statements by those who stand for conservativism seem to do. In the restored Gospel, we have an even more explicit admonition against the exact sort of rationalizations we hear from conservatives regarding the poor. We are told in King Benjamin’s sermon—perhaps the greatest sermon on social justice of all time: Perhaps thou shalt say: The man has brought upon himself his misery; therefore I will stay my hand, and will not give unto him of my food, nor impart unto him of my substance that he may not suffer, for his punishments are just—But I say unto you, O man, whosoever doeth this the same hath great cause to repent; and except he repenteth of that which he hath done he perisheth forever, and hath no interest in the kingdom of God (Mosiah 4:16-18).”

You can read his full post here