It's time for spiritual escalation. The extreme budget cuts proposed to critical programs that save the lives, dignity and future of poor and vulnerable people have crossed the line. They aren't just bad policy decisions; they are a sign of moral failure. But the devastating consequences of what has been proposed has united people of faith and conscience. And you can join us.
This is about ideology, not fiscal responsibility. The budget cutters are not going to where the real money is; they're going to where poor and vulnerable people are -- people who don't have the voice and clout to fight back. But many of us have decided that we will.
Over the past few weeks, I have personally felt in my heart a call to fast and pray about these issues during Lent, and to turn to God for wisdom, help and direction. As I talked to other leaders, I found that I am not the only one. Former Ambassador Tony Hall called and told me that fasting and prayer had been on his heart, too. In 1993, he fasted for 22 days in response to similar cuts. Now, almost 20 years later, with the stakes even higher and more lives at risk, a broad circle of faith-based and secular organizations have organized to form a "circle of protection" around vulnerable people. So I am joining Ambassador Tony Hall, David Beckmann of Bread for the World, ONE, American Jewish World Service, Meals on Wheels, Islamic Relief and a broad coalition of many others to fast, pray and act.
While following this budget debate, you might be wondering: What happened? How did we get here? First, we saw the proposed budget cuts to many critical programs that directly impact the lives and survival of the poorest people -- both at home and around the world. Life-saving and life-changing initiatives that previously had bipartisan support and were proven to be cost-effective successes are now on the chopping block. But enormous military expenditures, corporate subsidies, tax breaks and loopholes have all been left alone. No attention has been paid to the long-term challenges of Medicare and Medicaid. It was not spending on poor people that created this deficit, and these cruel cuts in programs that help poor people will do little to get us out of our deficit.
Now the budget debate continues to get worse. Plans are underway to single out programs for low-income people and cut them the most. The Republican Study Committee wants to radically scale back all programs for hungry and poor people, cap the programs and prevent their expansion. Congressman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), the premier Republican budget cutter, claims that the safety net has become a "hammock." So those who are already hurting will now hurt even more. We are moving from neglecting the poor to targeting the poor. Theologically, this is an assault against the very people God specifically instructs us to protect, and whose well-being is the biblical test of a nation's righteousness.
Our nation and its leaders need to do some soul searching. All of us need to do some soul searching. The attacks coming out of Congress on programs that help poor and vulnerable people are unprecedented in my lifetime. Now, more than ever, people of faith need to speak and act. Statements of concern about the poor in the budget and deficit debate have now been released by the United States Council of Catholic Bishops, Catholic Relief Services, World Vision, the National Association of Evangelicals and the National Council of Churches. Collectively, they represent or are supported by more than 140 million Christians across the country. We need to turn to God for such a time as this, and seek God's wisdom and power, which is far beyond politics. Christians, Muslims, Jews and other people of concern have decided to fast. I hope you will join us in your own way, so we can act together during this important time. Perhaps our prayer, fasting and actions will remind the politicians that God judges nations by how they treat the most vulnerable.
Jim Wallis is the author of Rediscovering Values: A Guide for Economic and Moral Recovery and CEO of Sojourners. He blogs at www.godspolitics.com. Follow Jim on Twitter @JimWallis.
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Ambassador Tony Hall: Fasting, Budget Cuts and National Humiliation
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David Beckmann: Fast, Pray and Protect Hungry People
liberal christians guilty of revisionism by pretending to be peaceful,
compassionate and tolerant even though actual factual history books dont
support the ideology of peaceful tolerant christians?
You are party to various organizations, the United States Council of Catholic Bishops, Catholic Relief Services, World Vision, the National Association of Evangelicals and the National Council of Churches - that represent over 140 million Christians, and the best you guys can do for the poor and hungry is pray and fast to protest how GOVERNMENT is failing to care for them?
Do you also complain that the Highway Patrol doesn't fix potholes on the streets?
I hate to be the one to break it to you, Jim, but the federal government's purpose isn't the same as the mission of religion. Government's purpose, the great experiment, is to secure the rights bestowed by God onto individual men, so that they are free to pursue a mission according to the dictates of their own conscience, and not according to the dictates of their own government. The founder's had faith that a good and moral people would choose the mission of their religion without compulsion from government. When you and your organizations seek to co-opt the government to force people to serve religion's mission at the point of a sword, you diminish the rights of everyone else to freely choose it - or not.
Perhaps I am wrong but it sure looks like the United States as a nation has chosen to worship money in the place of God and for that choice there are clear and frightening consequences mentioned in the Bible. These choices have led to all the sad policies that you have brought up in this article; we are now a country that takes from the poor and gives to the rich, that uses power and the military to steal from other nations, that supports cruel dictators when it is in our corporations interests.
“Perhaps our prayer, fasting and actions will remind the politicians that God judges nations by how they treat the most vulnerable.”
Maybe this will work out but I really have my doubts, if our politicians had even the slightest regard for God they would not be doing the things they do in the first place. I am more inclined to think that we will only begin to see reality after experiencing the calamities that our actions have brought upon us.
14 Now you arrogant leaders who rule here in Jerusalem (Washington) over this people, listen to what the Lord is saying.
Hailstorms will sweep away all the lies you depend on, and floods will destroy your security.18 The treaty you have made with death will be abolished, and your agreement with the world of the dead will be canceled. When disaster sweeps down, you will be overcome.19 It will strike you again and again, morning after morning. You will have to bear it day and night. Each new message from God will bring new terror!
22 Don't laugh at the warning I am giving you! If you do, it will be even harder for you to escape. I have heard the Lord Almighty's decision to destroy the whole country.
Isaiah 29
13 The Lord said,
These people claim to worship me, but their words are meaningless, and their hearts are somewhere else. Their religion is nothing but human rules and traditions, which they have simply memorized.14 So I will startle them with one unexpected blow after another. Those who are wise will turn out to be fools, and all their cleverness will be useless.
Science has conclusively shown that we do not live on a planet governed by invisible spirits. There are no powers for us to manipulate by magical thinking.
We depend on God for every breath whether we are aware of it or not.
God is not remote or hard to get in touch with. God abides within us, yes, in everyone, but, unaware of God's presence within, many worship money and power, yet, that money and power cannot buy them another breath.
God is already within us, always ready to act with us, through us, as us.
Our actions must to be characterized by divine love. "Whatever you do to one of these, the least of my brethren to do to Me. "
We really are all One. Those who feel alone don't know Who They Really Are!
Love casts out fear.
Our paths are similar. I'll repeat here a post I did to a story that set off an intense left/right debate, lost in duality -
There is an indestructible essence inside each of us that aspires to something greater than riches, fame or power. Something that is not self centered. We bring this essence into focus as we come to recognize our heart, our soul. Most people in the West lost contact with their soul when they left childhood, if not before. Yet it remains. It is indestructible. It is free of ego. It is not owned by some religion or ideology, or thought process. It is within, not without. We want to return to it. We want to go home.
MLK was a Christian...
I'm from this faith. http://www.urantia.org/en/home