Thursday, July 28, 2011

Speaking of politics and faith

Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's unless Caesar isn't getting enough revenue in which case break the law to encourage Caesar to force rich people to render more.” And they marveled at him. (Mark 12:17 Social Justice Remix)
Yikes.

Eleven arrested after Capitol sit-in against budget cuts

So much for Romans 13: 1-7. The members of an "Interfaith Coalition" made a bold political statement by sitting down in the rotunda of the U.S. Capitiol as a protest against budget cuts.

The interfaith coalition is “frustrated that their pleas to the administration and Congress to protect funding for the nation’s most vulnerable are being ignored,” the release said.

“Congress is paralyzed by toxic partisan politics while people suffer,” wrote the Rev. Michael Livingston, a past president of the National Council of the Churches of Christ (USA). “Our elected officials are protecting corporations and wealthy individuals while shredding the safety net for millions of the most vulnerable people in our nation and abroad. Our faith won't allow us to passively watch this travesty unfold.”
...
“We've written letters, talked with and prayed for our elected officials, and prayed together daily in inter-religious community,” Livingston added. “Today, we ‘offer our bodies as a living sacrifice’ to say to Congress, ‘Raise revenue, protect the vulnerable and those living in poverty.’
Gag. Melodramatic much? "Raise revenue" of course is a new favorite catch phrase of the political left that means "raise taxes on someone who isn't me". What the good "Reverend" seems to miss is that many of these representatives were elected by people who don't want them to raise taxes or incur more debt. They are not just "your" elected representatives, they are also "our" elected representatives and I have been quite happy with the stance of my Congressman.
What do you think? Should we break the law to make a political point? I wonder if this "Interfaith Coalition" would look favorably on someone getting arrested because they were blocking the door to an abortion clinic?

No comments: