I voted YES, but if we could get Bill Gates to fund it that would be even better. But yes, given the choice between funding PEPFAR with tax dollars and people dying of AIDS, I pick funding PEPFAR.

@nathanwei Demanding that Bill Gates do your duty will get you no closer to Heaven. All of us bear our responsibility.

I don't even need to know what PEPFAR is to answer this.

@skibidist :-/

@skibidist because you're against all centralised government right?

@TheAllMemeingEye Initially, yes... Having now learned what it is though, not sure why it is US government's duty to take care of the public health in "50 countries around the world". In many of which people seem to chant 'death to America' whenever they can.

@skibidist a few relevant Uncle Ben / Peter Parker quotes in order of increasing verbosity

With great power comes great responsibility

If you have the power to help others, then you have a moral obligation to do so

If you can stop bad things happening, but you don't, then it's kinda like those bad things happened because of you

@TheAllMemeingEye I mean, anyone who cares about this stuff is free to associate with others who care about this stuff and found a charity for it. But there is nothing moral about forcing others who may or may not care about this stuff to contribute, especially not under the threat of violence via taxes.

"Every dollar we spend will be aligned with the national interest of the United States. USAID has a history of ignoring that and deciding that they're a global charity. These are not donor dollars, these are taxpayer dollars."

@skibidist The US Secretary of State shares my view.

@skibidist Forcing people to give money to save other people's lives is totally moral, based, and good.

Your most high principle is protecting your wallet. My most high principle is saving people's lives. Jesus Christ says that one of those principles leads to eternal life, the other to eternal death.

Repent.

@TiredCliche On the ethical aspect, just follow Vice-President Vance's advice and Google 'ordo amoris'.

Otherwise, if it's OK for you to marshal everyone's resources for causes you feel strongly about, is it OK for me to take your resources to spend on causes I feel strongly about? Who decides which causes are worth pooling everybody's resources for? The one with the most political clout? If so, are you onboard with the MAGA agenda?

@skibidist On the ethical aspect of ordo amoris, I know much more than you. You are not a Catholic and not a Thomist. Aquinas affirms that moral law calls us to extend our concern beyond borders, recognizing the universal dignity of all people. Love, properly ordered, does not isolate but radiates outward, embracing both local and global responsibilities.

Google Summa Theologica I-II, q. 94, a. 2.

@skibidist "is it OK for me to take your resources to spend on causes I feel strongly about?" Depends.

"Who decides which causes are worth pooling everybody's resources for?" God.

Repent.

This is all explained very clearly in Matthew 25.

@TiredCliche I mean, I agree with your conclusion, but not so much your reasoning, even if we assume the Christian God is real, how do we objectively determine what God's will is on questions that aren't explicitly answered in the Bible?

@TheAllMemeingEye Then it's much harder, I agree! There are many questions on which I think that reasonable and moral people may disagree profoundly.

This is just not one of them.

@TiredCliche fair enough, in retrospect I think I misunderstood the point you were making previously.

It's fine if you don't feel like discussing it since it's kinda off topic, but which branch of Christianity do you believe in, and what is your reasoning for believing in that branch / Christianity in general?

Do you mean relative to what the US would likely otherwise spend it on IRL or relative to what we would ideally spend it on?

@TheAllMemeingEye Former.