Some Relevant Bible Quotes

He who has ears, let him hear. "To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others: " 'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.' For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon.' The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and "sinners." ' But wisdom is proved right by her actions."
-- Jesus, speaking of the Pharisees, as recorded in Matthew's Gospel

I've pretty much given up on expecting any sort of words or actions with even the slightest bit of integrity from anyone in the Republican party. Today President Obama released a second, longer version of his birth certificate. So what was the response from people like Donald Trump and Mitt Romney and the RNC Chairman? "What President Obama should really be releasing is a jobs plan." For the past year these folks have been constantly raising questions as to the legitimacy of Obama's citizenship and demanding he give better proof that he fulfills the constitutional requirements for holding the office of president. So when he does they complain that he's wasting time on unimportant things.

I have plenty of issues with the Democrats as well, and find most of them cynically manipulative in their campaigning. And individually there are plenty who are corrupt. Senator Dodd from my state got caught with his hand in the cookie jar, as did Rep. Rangel of NY. But I don't find the policy positions and political philosophy of the Democrats to be morally bankrupt and biblically corrupt. But the party that tries to wrap itself in the mantle of Jesus has become exactly that. Consider this short excerpt from God's Politics, the blog of Jim Wallis and Sojourners

Doom to you who legislate evil, who make laws that make victims — laws that make misery for the poor, that rob my destitute people of dignity, exploiting defenseless widows, taking advantage of homeless children. What will you have to say on Judgment Day, when Doomsday arrives out of the blue? Who will you get to help you? What good will your money do you? (Isaiah 10:1-3, The Message)

Ryan’s budget seems to follow, almost line by line, the “oppressive statues” Isaiah rails against.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here's what Wallis says in the blog post in the paragraphs that lead to the above quote:

It is reported that Congressman Paul Ryan makes every member of his staff read philosopher Ayn Rand, the shameless promoter of the gospel of aggressive self-interest. This makes sense to me as I read Congressman Ryan’s new budget proposal. I wish he had his staff reading the Bible instead.

While widely lauded by conservatives, Congressman Ryan’s budget isn’t really about deficit reduction. It’s about choices — choices that will determine what kind of a country we become. And Paul Ryan has made the choice to hurt people who don’t have the political clout to defend themselves. Two-thirds of the long-term budget cuts that Ryan proposed are directed at modest and low-income people, as well as the poorest of the poor at home and abroad. At the same time, he proposed tax cuts up to 30 percent for some of our country’s wealthiest corporations. Let me say that again: Two-thirds of the cuts come at the expense of already struggling people and families, while corporations posting record profits get tax breaks. In short, the most vulnerable members of society are being attacked by Ryan and his supporters. This makes them bullies.

In dramatic contrast, Ryan has chosen to help the people who need help the least. Wealthy individuals and companies reap a windfall of benefits in Ryan’s plan — with tax cuts and breaks, continued subsidies and loopholes for every powerful special interest, and increased corporate welfare payments from the government. Congressman Ryan and his supporters have carefully and faithfully rewarded the rich people who make their campaign contributions, and, in most cases, have also rewarded themselves as rich people. This makes them corrupt.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I struggle with the way that Wallis at times is a liberal left version of Jerry Falwell, et al. At times he infers that only those who agree with his politics are faithfully following Jesus. Imagine that! From Falwell to Dobson to Colson to Huckabee we've heard this over and over again from the Republican wing of the American church. Seems like now some Democrats have adopted the same playbook.

BUT one cannot just dismiss out of hand the ways that the very things for which Israel was judged by God are EXACTLY the things that are the policies promoted by the latest conservatives while at the same time they promote themselves as the defenders of Christian America.

I don't believe that Jesus has a preference for any political party, or that any one philosophy of government is THE biblically correct system of government. But I do believe that there are some very specific things God desires from government and business and community leaders. And that there are some very specific things that God condemns. Promoting greed at the expense of the vulnerable is one of them.