A Budget is a Moral Document
Submitted by Roy Temple on Wed, 03/16/2005 - 10:57am.
Read this thoughtful op ed piece in the Springfield News Leader by Pastor Roger Ray, of the National Avenue Christian Church, in Springfield, MO.
Here's a sample:
Gov. Matt Blunt's proposed budget tells us that we need to throw 120,000 Missourians overboard. We are not talking about fixing the abuse. We are not talking about clamping down on the outrageous profits made by the health care industry. We are talking about asking the elderly, the ill, the insane and the disabled to figure out how to make it on their own.
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Your State Budget, Courtesy of GOPJesus
I'm afraid Blunt & Co. are merely following the Gospel According to GOPJesus (with apologies to Matthew 5-8):
GOPJesus saith:
"If your son asks for bread, give him a stone and tell him to work for his bread. If he asks for a fish, give him a snake. That'll teach him to ask for stuff for free."
"It may look like a good tree to you, but it can still bear bad fruit...and if the wrong kind of people eat the bad fruit it might make them hungry for better fruit for free, so better you should cut the tree down. That way you don't have to worry about cultivating good fruit."
"Store up your treasures on earth and guard against thieves. Because you are righteous, you deserve plenty of food and good clothes like Solomon, because the pagans will be jealous over them. Worry about tomorrow; it could be a real mess if they take all this from you."
"When you pray, make sure it is loud, in public, and under the auspices of the Government because, yea, we are a Godly Christian Nation, and the more words we say aloud in front of the pagans, the more likely they will feel the need to turn to our path."
"When you give, announce it with trumpets, to be honored with all men and be recognized as a Faith-Based Initiative. Make sure the left hand knows what the right hand is doing, so thou can be recognized by the IRS for thy reward."
"You have heard it said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.' Well, they're right. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to the Federal Sentencing Guidelines as outlined by thy holy servant, John Ashcroft. If someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, counter-sue them. If someone forces you to go one mile, put the burden on thy state or federal credit card and let thy grandchildren pay for it. Turn away from the one who wants to borrow from YOU, however, and trust the bankruptcy laws to smite them when they cannot pay their debtors."
"Oh, and one other thing: You poor in spirit, you who mourn, you meek, you hungry and thirsty ones, you merciful, you pure in heart, you peacemakers, and you who are persecuted because of righteousness...you're on your own."
Happy Easter!
"My favorite animal is the mule. He has more horse sense than a horse. He knows when to stop eating. And he knows when to stop working." --Harry Truman
Medicaid Cuts
National Association of Evangelicals on the Poor
The National Association of Evangelicals late last year published For the Health of the Nation: An Evangelical Call to Civic Responsibility. It is a really interesting document. It strongly opposes abortion and same sex marriage; it also comes out for more efforts to help the poor and protect the environment. Here's some introductory language concerning the poor:
We seek justice and compassion for the poor and vulnerable
Jesus summed up God’s law by commanding us to love God with all that we are and to love our neighbors as ourselves (Matt. 22:35-40). By deed and parable, he taught us that anyone in need is our neighbor (Luke 10:29-37). Because all people are created in the image of God, we owe each other help in time of need. God identifies with the poor (Ps. 146:5-9), and says that those who “are kind to the poor lend to the Lord” (Prov. 19:17), while those who oppress the poor “show contempt for their Maker” (Prov. 14:31). Jesus said that those who do not care for the needy and the imprisoned will depart eternally from the living God (Matt. 25:31-46). The vulnerable may include not only the poor, but women, children, the aged, persons with disabilities, immigrants, refugees, minorities, the persecuted, and prisoners. God measures societies by how they treat the people at the bottom. God’s prophets call his people to create just and righteous societies (Isa. 10:1-4, 58:3-12; Jer. 5:26-29, 22:13-19; Amos 2:6-7; Amos 4:1-3, 5:10-15). The prophetic teaching insists on both a fair legal system (which does not favor either the rich or the poor) and a fair economic system (which does not tolerate perpetual poverty). Though the Bible does not call for economic equality, it condemns gross disparities in opportunity and outcome that cause suffering and perpetuate poverty, and it calls us to work toward equality of opportunity. God wants every person and family to have access to productive resources so that if they act responsibly they can care for their economic needs and be dignified members of their community. Christians reach out to help others in various ways: through personal charity, effective faith-based ministries, and other nongovernmental associations, and by advocating for effective government programs and structural changes.A Budget Is A Moral Document
What ever happened to the seperation of church and state?