“When he talks about solutions to the problems of poverty, Kuyper explicitly rejected state-administered welfare programs. We “should not seek salvation in monetary help from the State.” That “weakens our national strength,” he says. “The help the State must give is better legislation.” This legislation should aim at strengthening the patterns of work in various spheres, including giving an effective voice to organized labor. And the motivation to assist the poor must come from within those other spheres, with a special obligation for “deeds of love” from the Christian community.”
Abraham Kuyper (1837-1920), Theologian and Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 1901-1905, in Abraham Kuyper: A Short and Personal Introduction by Richard J. Mouw (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2011) 36; cf. Kuyper, Abraham, Christianity and the Class Struggle, 57-62.