From a Christian perspective, the proposed budget cuts are about as sinful as it gets. How else do you explain cutting funds for the poor and needy, the children who need educating, and vital services for the meek, at
Christmas to boot, while simultaneously negotiating a cut in the capital gains tax, a.k.a. Wall Street tax cut.
So, it's only natural that churches, even normally neutral churches that believe the mixing of religion and politics threatens both religion and politics, would get up in arms about a direct assault to those we as Christians are charged to protect.
Well, the Christian LEFT is up in arms, at least:
When hundreds of religious activists try to get arrested [yesterday] to protest cutting programs for the poor, prominent conservatives such as James Dobson, Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell will not be among them.
...Why in recent years have conservative Christians asserted their influence on efforts to relieve Third World debt, AIDS in Africa, strife in Sudan and international sex trafficking -- but remained on the sidelines while liberal Christians protest domestic spending cuts?
Conservative Christian groups such as Focus on the Family say it is a matter of priorities, and their priorities are abortion, same-sex marriage and seating judges who will back their position against those practices.
(snip)......
To mainline Protestant groups and some evangelical activists, the twin measures are an affront, especially during the Christmas season. Leaders of five denominations -- the United Methodist Church, Episcopal Church, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Presbyterian Church USA and United Church of Christ -- issued a joint statement last week calling on Congress to go back to the drawing board and come up with a budget that brings "good news to the poor."
Around 300 religious activists have vowed to kneel in prayer this morning at the Cannon House Office Building and remain there until they are arrested. Wallis said that as they are led off, they will chant a phrase from Isaiah: "Woe to you legislators of infamous laws . . . who refuse justice to the unfortunate, who cheat the poor among my people of their rights, who make widows their prey and rob the orphan."
As a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, I am proud of my church right now. These budget cuts are atrocious, and the most infuriating thing about them is that they are a clear and present example of how, if Democrats were in charge, certain things wouldn't happen. You can argue that Bush would nominate whomever he is going to nominate, pleasure of the president, etc. You can argue that terrorist attacks and natural disasters happen, no matter who is in charge. You can argue that Iraq is not going away. Fine. Do that. But what you can't argue is the reaction. If Democrats were in charge, Katrina would not have been a wake up call to reassert meanspirited tax cuts at anti-poverty programs, but a call to fund the welfare state and raise people from their position of poverty. Awareness of class differences and the brutal poverty facing our brothers and sisters should increase our desire to end poverty. And I doubt there's a single person here who thinks that we have anything less than an utter obligation to do so.
But GAY MARRIAGE is more important? Listen, I am not going to debate whether or not the Bible specifically condemns or condones gay marriage. I frankly am a member of a Church that has taught before all else judge not lest ye be judged, so frankly, I've never considered it either my business or terribly important, but I will tell you that the Bible is pretty clear-cut when it comes to poverty.
In fact, here is Matthew 25: 32-45, if you've forgotten:
Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'
"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'
"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'
"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'
The Christian Left might have a meekness that the Christian Right lacks. I know that we do not have an organization that is willing to concern itself more with politics than with God. And in my effort not to judge, I do think about the work the Christian Right has done on Dafur, but this is so clear-cut. If you cannot fight for the poor, than what do you fight for? If you care more about judges and gay marriage than protecting the rights of the poor and the meek...
If ever there was a time to take a Christian aside and explain to them how Democrats can help them out despite differences on abortion and gay marriage, now is that time. These tax cuts, they are an affront to all that I believe. And I'm proud of my church for standing up to them. I wish there were more churches like mine.
[Update]: Also check out barbinmd's excellent diary and reahti's
[Update]: Also, it has been pointed out that technically, the Paris Hilton tax cut is the death tax. However, she also stands to be the primary beneficiary of a capital gains tax....but to not be misleading, I will change it to "Wall Street", which is not as clever.