The Prophetic Voice of the Church: Questioning Budget Cuts to Programs that Help the Poor

An editorial from Grand Rapids Press Religion Editor Charles Honey:

"Do we really want the church to get between the president and the Pentagon?

How about between the governor and the cash-starved cities?

The first instinct may be, let’s not. But then, prophets rarely make people comfortable.

For some Christian leaders, now is the time to get prophetic about the effects of budget cuts on those Jesus called us to protect: the poor, marginalized and hungry.

“A budget is a moral document,” read a recent ad in Politico. “Our budget should not be balanced on the backs of poor and vulnerable people. We ask our legislators to consider ‘What would Jesus cut?’”

At this point, Jesus might cut off his name from all future slogans. Be that as it may, the point was made by 28 religious leaders who signed the ad: child health and nutrition, education and humanitarian aid are gospel issues, not budget-trimming options.

It’s worth highlighting their concerns as Congress and President Obama tangle over how to reduce the budget deficit from dinosaur dimensions to mere elephant-size (that would be the Republican plan).

There are far too many zeroes in this year’s projected $1.6 trillion deficit — let alone Obama’s proposed $3.7 trillion budget — for me to comprehend. But cuts to education, home-heating aid and child nutrition programs — those pretty much anyone can understand.

That’s where faith leaders are stepping in to stand up for the “least of these” Jesus instructed his followers to care for, urging Obama and Congress not to start balancing their checkbook at the expense of the poor. "

www.mlive.com/living/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2011/03/charley_honey_religious_voices.html#incart_hbx