Suppose you owned a restaurant. Would you want the government telling you that you couldn’t give something to your customers? Would you want it to ban you from giving away a toy to children if your “Kids Meal” had slightly less calories than two pieces of pizza? Well, that’s exactly what the San Francisco Board of Supervisors has done to McDonalds, according to the New York Times. The “Happy Meal” must have less than 600 calories, fewer than 640 milligrams of sodium, and less than 35% of calories from fat (unless the item that pushes the meal past the limit is deemed healthy — like nuts). If those standards are not met, McDonalds will be banned from giving away a toy.

Of course, the issue is childhood obesity. But, if we’re going to jump on the “ban-wagon,” why not ban video-games that create couch-potatoes? Better yet, let’s ban couches. When we get on this track, it’s a slippery slope that can spiral down rather quickly. Further, not all kids have that problem. Should everyone suffer because some are struggling?

Here are some other questions that come to mind: What if customers like the “Happy Meal” and the toy? What if the reason some kids like the “Happy Meal” includes those high fat French fries? Wouldn’t people go somewhere else if they wanted nuts? Does the government have a right to tell a restaurant it can’t give something away? Does it have a right to restrict my freedom in this way? Is it the role of government to micro-manage our lives? Don’t I have the right to pursue happiness? What if giving away toys makes me happy? What if a super sized order of fries makes me happy? Don’t you have the right to pursue life, liberty, and the “Happy Meal?” Should the government systematically force you to eat what some bureaucrat thinks you ought to eat or ban you from eating what he thinks you shouldn’t eat? Should the government limit your calorie intake per day? Some days I do pretty well; some days I don’t. Should I be forced to eat nuts instead of fries by the government? Sometimes I feel like a nut; sometimes I don’t.

Here’s a question: is there any way to determine a universal answer to the above questions? Yes, there is. Because God is the Creator of all things, He is the one who determines how human beings ought to interact with one another in civil society. Inherent in the definition of civil society is civility. That’s why there must be laws against harming others. Human beings often harm others because it’s in our nature to do so. Government should promote law and order to keep people from doing that. But, because God has given human beings no right to violate the consciences of others, it is not the role of government to determine how individuals should pursue happiness. The “Happy Meal” makes some people happy! It’s unwise to eat too much fat. But it’s for me to decide how much is too much for me, not the government.

The truth is that government is power; it’s force. On the other hand, promoting the ways of God (the gospel) is not by force but by persuasion. So, God’s way to promote His way in the world is through persuasion, not force. God doesn’t want His people forcing Christianity on others; neither does he want others forcing their views on Christians. Therefore, government should limit itself to protecting the rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. For government to ban McDonalds from giving away a toy is to overstep the bounds God has set for it. That’s universal.

And yet, my point here is not that we should grumble, complain, or rebel. Those things dishonor God as well. The point is that Christians should understand these things and add their voice to the ongoing national conversation about what’s happening with American government. But more than that, they should add their voice with a view toward opening the door for further dialog about Christ. People need Christ more than they need good government. When they get Christ, they get true happiness and can handle difficulties in life, including government intrusion. Of course, when people get Christ, they begin to think more biblically about government. And then, when people begin do that, the less talk of banning “Happy Meals” we’ll have.
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Author Bio: Dr. Paul Dean invites you to discover more about the role of Government, the role of the church, and the role of the market . . . and develop a Christian worldview. Dr. Dean is a pastor, cultural commentator, and author. Please visit http://www.governmentcurrentevents.com

Category: Politics
Keywords: christian government, current events, government guide, conservative government, christians and gove