My name is Curt Anderson. I am the Senior Minister at First Congregational United Church of Christ in Madison, Wisconsin; and I am on the Board of the Interfaith Coalition for Worker Justice of South Central Wisconsin.
There is one theme that is constant throughout the Bible. In Deuteronomy, we read: "You shall not withhold the wages of poor and needy laborers, whether your own people or aliens who reside in your land."
In Jeremiah: "Woe to him who makes his neighbors work and does not give them their wages."
And in the book of James: "The wages of the laborers, which you kept back by fraud, cry out; and the cries ... reached the ears of the Lord of hosts."
This is a common theme throughout Jewish and Christian scriptures: God's advocacy and concern for laborers and workers. In the Bible, it is the responsibility of those in power to make sure that all workers (indeed all people) are treated fairly. And today, a logical extension of that concern is that it is the right and responsibility of workers to organize and advocate for fair rights and living wages.
There is nothing fair about the governor of Wisconsin's proposal to virtually eliminate collective bargaining for public workers and unilaterally force public employees to start paying for health insurance and contributing to their pensions. This has been proposed without consultation, without bargaining, without even any concept of shared sacrifice.
There are no provisions to close tax loopholes that benefit corporations. There are no proposals to consider even minor tax increases for the wealthiest members of our state. There are no proposals to restructure Wisconsin's income tax system, where the wealthiest sometimes pay a lower percentage of their income in taxes than middle-class working families.
The governor is not doing this to fix our state budget deficit. This is no more about a budget deficit than the invasion of Iraq was about those imaginary weapons of mass destruction.
The governor is doing this to destroy unions and intimidate state workers, and to reward his rich friends who helped him get elected. Those rich friends and corporations are not being asked to sacrifice at all. Only those who will struggle financially are being asked (told!) to sacrifice. I would remind everyone that Jesus said of the rich: "It will be harder for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of Heaven than for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle." Jesus understood the dangers of riches; and that is why, in his time, he always took the side of the oppressed and marginalized.
In 1997, the United Church of Christ took a position that is in line with God's compassion for workers and with Jesus' care for the marginalized and oppressed. The UCC General Synod affirmed: just, democratic, participatory and inclusive economic policies in both public and private sectors, including... the responsibility of workers to organize for collective bargaining with employers regarding wages, benefits and working conditions, and the responsibility of employers to respect not only worker rights but also workers' dignity, and to create and maintain a climate conducive to the workers' autonomous decision to organize... (and) the responsibility of governments at all levels to foster a more democratic system by seeking balance among the rights and interests of citizens, workers, and corporations.
The governor of Wisconsin's proposal, which he calls the Budget Repair Bill, fails just about every criterion I have mentioned. And it certainly fails this last one, which Jesus told us we are all to follow: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
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Retaliation? Of course.
So who does Walker work for? The citizens of Wisconsin or someone else?
Could it be the Koch Brothers? Who are the Koch Brothers?
Answer: The secretive billionaire brothers are David and Charles Koch, each worth an estimated $21 billion. They own Koch Industries, an oil and chemical giant, that stands as the second largest privately owned company in the U.S with many operations in Wisconsin. They also throw big parties for Scalia and Thomas and Cantor and Boehner.
How much they pay in taxes is top secret, but their political contributions are public knowledge.
$1,837,664 campaign contributions in 2010 with 91% to GOP
$10,703,936 to campaigns since 1990 with 87% to GOP
$22,650 to Eric Cantor
$20,000 to John Boehner
$40,000 to Scott Walker
When Walker and the GOP talk, be aware of who is making their jaws move.
Using passages from the bible to support workers is comical because you can use the same bible to support slavery. Anyone see the contradiction in that?
What the Church should do for the American people. Instead of using the bible and opinion on things they should not be commenting on. They should lobby Local, State and Federal Governments to start collecting taxes from the church. IF you look at it. State budgets gaps would close much faster then taxing the richest 2 percent in the area.
Taxpayers are facing difficult times. Unions are being broken, attacks are being made on the minimum wage, the wealthy are gaining more by huge Federal and State tax breaks and so on.
To alleviate the suffering of the people, would you support a property tax on property held by all churches in the USA. Recent estimates put the value of this untaxed property at $1.3 trillion.
This contribution by the churches plus the reduction in our military spending would go a long way to help the poor, the vulnerable and the middle class in general.
What say you?
There was a similar issue in France back in 1789.
How can you resolve these issues by selectively quoting what you want to use as justification for your argument?
Thank you for posting this and sharing the official teaching of the UCC. As a Christian, for me it is ultimately about compassion and justice. Compassion tells us to love one another as Jesus loves us (without condition, freely, generously). Justices tells us that the needs of all need to be met. The challenge is that needs are NOT the same as wants. Our econonic connundrums are due in a large part to our preference to our wants, without regard for our neighbor's needs. Stealing from the poor (teachers, laborers, public workers) to give to the rich (those you already mentioned), is not the solution. My prayers are with our lawmakers that they may see the greater need and take their time to come to a fair and just solution that meets the needs of ALL!
Lauri Lumby
Authentic Freedom Ministries
Oshkosh, WI
http://yourspiritualtruth.com
Shame on you for being so disingenuous and willing to perpetuate the message of jealousy and envy of the union bosses.
Nothing is being stolen, yet you're willing to propagate that lie. The rich aren't all evil, yet you are willing to demonize an entire group of people you've never even met with an ugly and unfair stereotype.
Perhaps your "social justice" perspective would be helped by the reading "The Parable or the Workers in Vineyard" (Matthew 20:1–16) , that is, if those pages are still in the Bibles you use.
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2020:1-16&version=NASB
The individual worker is powerless against the owner and management. History has shown time and time again that the powerful are not benevolent. Organized labor is the counterbalance. It may be bothersome to those in power that they cannot just dictate their will.
Read the Prophets, it is all about reminding Kings and leaders about Justice and that without Justice their religious services are meaningless.
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2020:1-16&version=NASB
I'd also have to ignore the fact that, at its core, His ministry was directed to and about the individual. Even when referring to a group like the poor, it was still in the context of an INDIVIDUAL call for compassion and service.
I can see, by your question, that this may be a different perspective. And whether or not you choose to incorporate it when forming opinions about similar issues in the future, I appreciate your having been sincere in your questioning.
What about shared sacrifice as a nation?
When do the rich get their opportunity to share in the sacrifice?