Getty Images
The US Conference of Catholic Bishops has seen the GOP budget plan -- and they don't like it.
The House Republican budget plan is simply brutal towards the poor, with most of its budget cuts targeting programs that benefit struggling families. Funding for food stamps, health care, housing assistance, and education would all face severe cuts.
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, a group Republican leaders like to consider an ally, is not at all impressed with the plan (via Dan Nejfelt at Faith in Public Life).
In a letter sent to the House Agriculture Committee on Monday, the bishops say the budget fails to meet certain "moral criteria" by disproportionately cutting programs that "serve poor and vulnerable people."
A second letter sent Tuesday to the Ways and Means Committee criticizes a provision that makes it more difficult for illegal immigrants to claim child tax credits. The bishops called the credit "one of the most effective antipoverty programs in our nation."
"Major reductions at this time of economic turmoil and rising poverty will hurt hungry, poor and vulnerable people in our nation and around the world," the Rev. Stephen Blaire, bishop of Stockton, Calif., and the Rev. Richard E. Pates, bishop of Des Moines, wrote for the conference. "A just spending bill cannot rely on disproportionate cuts in essential services to the poor and vulnerable persons."
I'll look forward to Allen West explaining why the bishops are part of a larger communist plot.
The criticism is politically problematic for GOP leaders, and not just because it's unhelpful for religious leaders to criticize Republicans for trying to punish poor families during difficult economic times. There's also the context of recent events -- Republicans just got finished arguing that those who disagree with the bishops on contraception are guilty of waging a war on faith.
Are those who disagree with the bishops on food stamps, immigration, health care, education, and housing assistance equally anti-religion? And isn't this especially problematic for House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) who is both Catholic and the one who said his faith helped shape his budget plan?
House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), who is also Catholic, is aware of the bishops' concerns, and has come up with a response: they just don't understand.
Brian Beutler reported yesterday:
At his weekly Capitol press availability, Boehner cast the GOP's budget as a plan to preserve key federal support programs, which he said are growing unsustainable and will cease to exist without far-reaching reforms.
"What's more of a concern to me is the fact that if we don't begin to make some decisions about getting our fiscal house in order, there won't be a safety net, there won't be these programs," Boehner said.
Hmm. So as far as John Boehner is concerned, he has to cut food stamps while giving tax breaks to millionaires because, without these steps, there won't be any more food stamps.
It's unlikely the bishops will be persuaded by such nonsense, and Jonathan Cohn explained why: "As Boehner surely knows ... the only reasons the programs can't survive under Republican budgets is that Republicans insist on using some of the money to finance tax cuts for the wealthy -- and because Republicans keep opposing attempts to control health care spending by reforming the system itself, rather than simply reducing support for the sick and elderly."
Leave a Comment:
And people wonder why I believe that "the only 'good Republicans' are pushing up daisies."
Allen West should turn his attention to that Ultimate Communist- you know, the one born of a virgin birth, then grew up, causing trouble by saying outrageous stuff. ( you could look it up; I hear there's a book full of his pronouncements. (And, no, it is NOT a "little red book". . .)
I've been wondering when the Bishops and the GOP would find themselves at odds over "good works".
The timing of this article is a little strange for me; the letters, which I found here, are dated March 6th of this year. I'm glad the letters exist... agree with their content to a large degree... but I don't understand why it's news today.
I don not believe that the Jesus I knew would ever treat people so poorly.
I've been wondering when those that supposedly "speak for Jesus" (religious people) would find a voice and speak against all of these attacks on US! I also don't recall reading anything that said Jesus said "keep the women barefoot, pregnant, and poor" - but hey what do I know.
May I, once again, refer you to a book that is destined to become a cultural phenomenon: Pope Annalisa by Peter Canova? A Spiritual Thriller, it addresses the majority of issues we, that is all of humanity, are facing in today's global climate. Peter Canova is a deeply caring man whose extensive study and spiritual connection bring forth a story that provides a range of solutions, without dogma or rigid restrictions. www.popeannalisa.com
Oh for crying out loud we all know the Pope is the anti-Christ. Sheesh. Then there is the story of Jesus who picked corn on the Sabbath and threatened the power of the church which set about to have him crucified. I mean really, a man prancing through the garden with other men and no women allowed. Telling people to turn the other cheek? Danged commie even claimed he was the woman at the door and the man on the road?Feeding the masses?
Oh yeah then there was his "give to Ceaser what is Ceasers" approach to taxes, gawd imagine that!
Religion and politics do not belong together and that is why our founders created a wall of separation between them. Sure these Bishops are championing a cause I agree with but they need to shut up or pay taxes on their "contributions" since they are politicking rather than sticking to church affairs!
I agree Paul, but if the GOP keep trotting them out to keep us all righteous then turnabout is fair play. The GOP don't get to say that the bishops are all opposed to contraception and it's is a war against religion to suggest otherwise and then get to ignore it when the bishops don't like the ideas they come up with.
Basically the GOP was using the bible to thump us over the head. So either they are waging a war on religion or they need to change the budget. That is according to THEM.
You obviously have a good point which I would love to dissect but then it would still be a good point so I'll just nod and go away.
"What's more of a concern to me is the fact that if we don't begin to make some decisions about getting our fiscal house in order, there won't be a safety net, there won't be these programs," Boehner said.
"I have altered the deal, pray I don't alter it further," Vader said.
To-may-to, to-mah-to...except Vader cries less.
But he does cry, so he must care!
As unfortunate as this is, I hope the Catholic Church realizes that they should really stop getting into bed with the Republicans. Because it's starting to look like the Republicans ONE-NIGHTED the Church to manufacture The Great Contraception Non-Contraversy earlier this year. Well, Bishops, the GOP enjoyed your company while it lasted. Don't hate the player, hate the game...
But that's easier said than done when the Republicans continually act like 6th-grade boys.
Oops - did I say that out loud?
As he stands there atop a pile of rubble, a neighbor approaches:
Neighbor: "Hey John, what are you doing?!"
Boehner: "I tore down my house..." /smiles with a sense of grand accomplishment
Neighbor: "Why in the world would you do that?"
Boehner: "Why Steve, haven't you heard? Termites can cause thousands of dollars of damage-- no way I'm letting them get the best of me!"
annnnnnd scene.
What the Republican party lacks in respect for the poor it makes up for in its disregard for the working class and its total disrespect for women.
No, wait a minute...
No honor amongst thieves, I guess. You'd think after the Bishops allowed themselves to be used as a foil in the Republican War on Vagina, the Rep leadership would pay em back by not cutting off the tax money spigot that keeps them powerful & able to influence the Rep party. Eye-magine that! It's almost like the Council of Bishops sold their souls for the illusion of future consideration of it's Interest in what the government funnels towards "anti-poverty" charities....un-possible!
Typical Republican response - when you can't refute someone else's valid points, just tell them their points aren't valid because they don't understand.
One of the more frustrating things about the GOP - the evangelical component in particular - is that they portray themselves as the true believers in Christ, followers of the Bible, etc. But practically NOTHING they actually do supports that portrayal. I've said it before - if Jesus himself came back and began walking through the bible belt, he'd be killed because of his dark (Middle-East) skin, his foreign language (Hebrew), his unselfish help of the poor and sick, his acceptance of all people, and his indifference toward money and wealth.
Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
Duh, I wonder who he could possibly be talking about. Obviously his professed followers. Obviously those who are pretty smug about their relationship.
Amen. I was raised Catholic, but stopped the traditional practicing years ago. An important part of that decision was the realization that those who make the biggest production of attending on Sunday (dressed to the hilt, most vocal, sitting in the most prominent locations, etc.) were often those who should be spending the most time in the confessional.
I believe Matthew said it well in 6:5-7. "5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words."
"Babbling like pagans" = today's GOP.
Actually Jesus spoke Aramaic, but it doesn't affect your point.
DavidNOE - thanks for the correction. All I know is he didn't speak Suth'n' Yocal like Bubba and Memaw do.
Yeah, by that time Hebrew hadn't been spoken in centuries. Aramaic, a related language, would have been the daily language, but Jesus was unlikely to have been monolingual, not even if you assume he was only a man. For instance, in the synoptics there is a pericope in which he reads from Isaiah in a synagogue. It could have been a Targum, but it could also have been the original Hebrew. So, Jesus may have been able to read Hebrew. And since he grew up in Galilee, he could have had at least some Greek. He made a trip into a Greek-speaking region according to the synoptics, and it's not out of the question that he could have communicated with the locals in their own language. Jesus the man probably had no formal education, but that's not the same as ignorant, which frequently cannot be said of his loudly self-proclaimed 'followers'. (And that was a long trip for such a short piece of snark.)
MM
Would you contend then when speaking to Pilot he may have had a smattering of Latin as well? I don't contend that Yeshua didn't exist, I just don't see him as divine. Considering the many cultures that traded within Judea (as it was called then) an average person would have picked up a bit of many languages. OTOH I don't see Pilot learning Aramaic. That would have been most un-Roman. ;-)
As to Yeshua having no formal education he had a Bar Mitzah just like any other Jewish male. That requires reading from the Torah and that requires formal education of some sort.
Contrary to popular belief, about the only thing that the Catholic church and Republicans share is their opposition to abortion and birth control. The Church generally does like things like food stamps, Social Security, and Medicare, and opposes increasing military spending.
Opposition to gay rights is another thing.
Must watch the entire video-it is a tongue in cheek riot.
"Men's sexual freedom under attack by the Supreme Forum"
The ball is in your court Republicans. Let's hear your usual rhetoric. Call the Bishops lazy Communist leeches who just want something for nothing and want to punish success because they're jealous and they're too lazy to work for their money so they resort to government-controlled theft from hard-working Patriots.
Come on, I dare you!
The church needs to stay out of all politics and they should not be involved with any group that participates in political activity, directly or indirect. They have aided the anti-abortion movement, the Republicans and the evangelicals by their political statements and money. Ultimately, they will side with Republicans and evangelicals because of the abortion issue. It is odd that they would place a greater value on an unborn life than those already born particularly since the numbers weigh in favor of the latter. The number of abortions has been trending down for a long time. They are getting more entangled with politics and they should step away from it. Bishops should talk about moral positions on all issues and not try to emphasize abortion over all the other.
And then one might ask, what is the Christian thing to do?
So let me get this straight:
Mandating that health insurance companies cover contraception as part of their preventative health care package = a violation of the 1st Amendment because it offends Catholics
Cutting services to the poor while giving massive tax breaks to the wealthy = liberty for all, even though it offends Catholics
Did I miss something here?
No, the Republicans are missing something though.
The churches have stepped into a trap, along with many of their devout followers. The Vatican especially is its own entity, with banks and I question the authority of what is a free country, not a Catholic or Baptist country. I really think the Bishops asserting themselves is a huge mistake, while I respect their right to beliefs, I would not want any church to claim authority or priority in this country. It is one of the MAIN reasons the colonists came to America, to escape the Anglican Church having major conflicts with their beliefs.
There needs to be some deep personal reflection into the platform of the Republican Party, which divides people and would seem to attempt to sway people of faith to go against some teachings on many issues in order to lure people into trusting government officials to make mandates in order to eliminate sin from everyones' lives.
To me, this is extremely conflicting. I've said for years, it is a huge mistake to mingle religion and politics. Some causes would be influencing folks to pick and choose which practices are "OK to overlook" in order to crusade for something they are vehemently pushing. They just don't mix.
This is a prime example of why church and state needs a wall between them, as Thomas Jefferson, among others wrote. The SCOTUS says court may use his writings as an authority over matters of First Amendment.
http://atheism.about.com/od/churchstatemyths/a/DanburyBaptistsLetter.htm
Those that would come to defense of wealthy at the expense of sick and the poor must reconcile their beliefs and examine how to be true to deeply rooted convictions of compassion for poor, sick and widows. The doctrine of individualism is inconsistent with the major religions' teachings. Many people do look for any comfort to rationalize doing this, while they go about trying to enforce religious doctrine that conflicts with the tenet of freedom of religion we say we espouse. They find a verse such as teaching a man to fish is better than giving him a fish. Soothing consciences with that reasoning, I'd say.
The Churches, etc. would do much more good with their money to feed and clothe, find jobs, train people to fish than trying to make people behave as they say. To me, until there are no more poor people, the various churches are wasting valuable resources on preventing gay marriage and such political donations and ads.
Out of curiousity, where IS that verse about giving/teaching a man to fish? I'm no Bible scholar, but I don't think it's in there. Correct me, please.
I doubt anyone can correct you with any credibility, Pauly.
Many falsely believe and even answer (with no book, chapter or verse) it is from the Bible. But it isn't. According to my research, I see it is a Chinese Proverb. Yahoo Answers also cites Chinese Proverb, several names. But one person put the answer was "in the Bible", but if it were, they should say WHERE, right?
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Where_does_the_bible_say_teach_a_man_to_fish
There are a lot of quotes attributed to the Bible. The fish quote is one.
That's the problem with Bible-thumpers: they're too busy beating up on the book to actually read it. And, of course, most people treat the Bible as though it were Bartlet's Quotations, each verse it's own independent unit, and so any short and vaguely moralistic aphorism gets mislabeled as biblical.
That's the part that makes me the most annoyed. Context matters. But then again w/ the extent they've gone to manipulate PBO's statements. Like they have videos circulating on YouTube of PBO stating that he still thinks legally the US Constitution is a good document despite the fact that it has provisions for slavery in it. What do the RW's do? They take him out of context and just play the part of him saying "well I think that's the one unfortunate thing about the US Constitution" and then stop the tape. Then, of course, this is EVIDENCE that PBO doesn't care about the constitution. It's just amazing.
And yes I realize this rant was completely off topic. =P
I'm waiting for the Bishops to call on the local priests to deny Boehner and Ryan communion the way they did for Kerry.
Beat me to it.