If the Christians are protesting against this bill, then one can only speculate what made them switch sides. Other issues in the recent past had as much effect on low-income Americans as this food stamp bill - the bankruptcy bill, the Medicare changes, etc - and yet they went along with the GOP on those issues.
No matter what brought about this change, can one be sure that it will last beyond the Christmas holidays?
Posted by pessimist at December 14, 2005 05:40 PMSteve,
Are you a fan of Jim Wallis? He sent out a bunch of emails about holding protests w/r/t having a "moral budget." Do you know if this a picture from one of his protests?
There are and have always been quite a few Christians in the liberal camp; any idea to what 'bleeding heart liberal' refers?
Posted by raisin at December 14, 2005 06:57 PMFinally someone, has basically said that helping the poor..is a Christian value. And doesn't the GOP just glow with that warm Christmas hue by taking food out of the mouths of the poor.
Posted by americanforliberty at December 14, 2005 07:33 PMYesterday a hotel housing many people from NOLA burned down just outside of Houston. People who had just been trying to get back up off the deck got smacked down again. They were helped to find another place to "live" but is it really living? Houston is trying to house as many people as possible, but has to fight FEMA every inch of the way.
I seem to remember that the house voted themselves a several thousand dollar a year pay raise not so very long ago. I also seem to remember that LA didn't get the money they wanted because their representatives asked for too much. Does that make any sense? Punishing a large number of people for the supposed "mistake" of a few?
As for DeLay, for the first time in years, he has Republicans already filed to challenge him. I think that might just be enough (if DeLay is not in the Harris County Hotel before then) to make Lampson a sure thing.
Posted by dorita at December 14, 2005 08:00 PMI am relieved to see something of good value stay in the budget. Thank you, liberal and progressive Christians, for raising hell.
...word choice might have been better there, perhaps.
Posted by DukeRevolution at December 14, 2005 08:17 PMHlpng th pr t smn ls's mny hs nvr bn Chrstn vl. Th rlgs lft cld srly d bttr thn dmndng pvrty prmtng dssptn.
[Editor: ignore=off]Bendickhead,
Love of money is not a Christian value, I think that is - what was that - oh, yeah, love of money is the root of all evil. I think that anyone can see all of the evil that has taken root in our capitol.
I've said it once and I'll say it again, God is a verb, not a noun.
The true measure of one's Spiritual nature is their actions, not their proclamations.
Christians prayed in the rotunda before passage of the last spending cuts and they sent letters to the congress signed by leaders from many major churches.
The only churches that are not into helping the poor are the mega-ones run by Falwell and Dobson and the other evil drones who also benefit from this administration's money giving whore outs.
Dobson and Falwell care about big money, big tax cuts and the continued hatred of gays and abortion. They can keep pumping the hate talk and the cruel and vengeful god talk, but it is bullshit as well.
To hate a living thing is to hate God because every living thing has the light of God within it; even you Dickhead - somewhere - maybe.
A Loving value is a Christian value and a Muslim value and a Buddhist value, etc, etc.
Karmic law is still the greatest law - the one that you help Bendickhead, may just be the person who helps you one day when you are down on your luck.
Posted by Anjha at December 14, 2005 09:48 PMIt is time to get rid of all those phony politicians who are telling us they are doing the people works, while driving us into the ground. The republicans have never had the control that they have today, probably by stolen elections for the last 3. They always complain before of the run away government! They are incapable to care for us. They all thing is caring for their pockets. Look at Frist! No investigation of their own if they are in trouble, but secret laws past??? They makes he mafias looks like poster boys in the catholic Church.
They are changing there tunes because of next years elections and are trying to show that they care! That is crap. For the Democrats some should be replace, but with whom? We have to get rid of the Delays and the other crooks that are under investigations of wrong doing.
What is a terrorist? By Free Speech TV, all shows more than 100,000 innocents have died for bushes lies. He is sick. For his glory, or stupidity he went after a nation that was dying under the sanctions that was imposed under his father. I guess he was more upset that his father lost a second turn and had his WPO’s records plugged.
Steve Clemons is back from a multi-country travels and seems to have a good one on our great ambassador to the UN!
John Bolton Actively Sabotaging Condoleezza Rice: Finally Shows Real Stripes
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Thanks Bendito; I knew you weren't a true Christian all along.
Posted by Steve Soto at December 14, 2005 10:33 PMIt may be a sign of deficient character, I don't care, but I think Bendickhead is funny as hell.
Jesus was a radical who called upon his followers to transform their lives, to give up cherished beliefs and habits in embracing very strange life tactics.
I am not giving up all that I have to follow this dude; I suppose one could classify me as a poor christian for being such a wary realist. But I can say that I have always tried to help, and I have never, not once, voted for these nauseous republican fasciti who so despoil the life of jesus with their actions every day.
One wonders what jesus would say about this slow cruelty of hunger for the humans among us, and then reliazes what his reaction would be when his gaze turned to the Iraq war.
I don't know why those filthy fundamentalists and republicans worry about hell so much. Huh, I guess the dumbasses never realized hell could fabircated quite easily here.
"could be fabricated" ; sorry.
Posted by paradox at December 15, 2005 05:06 AMHr's t th sclst hypcrts tht cpt rlgn t srv Mrx, tht cnfsct rthr thn gv f thr wn, tht rgl thmslvs fr lvng thr nghbr whl plndrng thr thr nghbr, nd n th ltmt hypcrsy dfrdng sprtn f chrch nd stt by mpsng thr dvnt mckp f Chrstnty nt gvrnmnt plcy.
[Editor: ignore=off]Helping the poor to someone else's money has never been a Christian value.
LOL. These people want to shove religion into government from every angle except for helping others which is the very basis of Christianity.
"Blessed are the poor...."
Posted by ann at December 15, 2005 05:39 AMYou know you've angered the monster when Bendito comments twice in the same thread. As much as it annoys me to even grace the generalizing, it must be said.
"that confiscate rather than give of their own"
I give until it hurts, and I'm a godless heathen. How about you? And I'm not talking about giving from your plenty, which is specifically denounced in the Epistles.
"and in the ultimate hypocrisy defrauding separation of church and state by imposing their deviant mockup of Christianity onto government policy."
THAT'S the ultimate hypocrisy? Turning socially conscious actions into government policy? Have you forgotten the history of this government's dealing of death and destruction while the President plays his fiddle of compassion? That is a far more devastating action than food stamps.
Let's do a little math. There are 290 million Americans. Let's assume 250 of them pay taxes. At a 1.8 billion dollar bill, each person pays about $7.20 per year. Feel the thievery. Oh, the plight of the poor, beleagured rich folks. Really, I shed countless tears for these souls.
Benny, I'm guessing that you, as a member of the "Christian" Right, have not based your politics on your religion, as is proper, but have conveniently carved out a nook for it to rest alongside your preexisting hatred of fellow man.
Posted by DukeRevolution at December 15, 2005 05:50 AMBundicko has to be a Calvinist of some extraction, for he seems to believe in the idea that the Godly are blessed with material wealth. If you ain't got the gold, then you are out of God's favor.
I'll bet he misses Reverend Ike!
Posted by pessimist at December 15, 2005 05:52 AMIf you ain't got the gold, then you are out of God's favor.
He must follow "prosperity theology." God wants him to be rich.
Posted by ann at December 15, 2005 06:00 AM"Helping the poor to someone else's money has never been a Christian value."
Of course you are mistaken; Jesus did just this all the time and asked us to do the same. Hope these will help you in your quest to further understand Christianity and what Jesus asks of Christians.
"Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack," he said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me. At this the man's face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth." (John 10:22-23)
"No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had...There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales 35and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need." (Acts 4:32-35)
"'You cannot serve both God and Money.' The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus." (Luke 16:13)
"Sell your possessions and give to the poor." (Luke 12:33)
"Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you." (Matthew 5:42)
Posted by holly at December 15, 2005 06:04 AMmgn tht, lftwng thcrcy mvmnt! Nw fnd m vrs whr Jss cmmnds smn t cnfsct thr nghbr's blngngs, thrws knwn s vltng th shlt nt stl.
[Editor: ignore=off]Quick Benny, which did Jesus say:
1. It's your money, don't pay taxes.
2. Give unto Caesar what belongs to Caesar.
Imagine that, a leftwing theocracy movement! Now find me a verse where Jesus commands someone to confiscate their neighbor's belongings, otherwise known as violating thou shalt not steal.
Bendito, you are making the logically indefensible leap that presumes that taxation and theft are the same thing.
With no government, one may own only the property one can keep by force of arms. With a government, the rich have enforcement of their property rights. In return, they pay what the State takes from them in taxes. This is not theft.
Posted by dj moonbat at December 15, 2005 07:13 AMAnd I've just gotta say, Bendito, you are abosolutely the worst sort of rightwinger: You're willing to pretend that your abortion stance derives from Christianity, but utterly willing to ignore the massive redistributive streak in Christian doctrine when it gets in the way of your selfishness.
You are a bad person. You would be a profoundly bad person, except that I think you lack the depth for that.
Repent, sinner.
Posted by dj moonbat at December 15, 2005 07:17 AMlooks like someone is imitating bendito..that last one doesn't sound like him...
Posted by headxray at December 15, 2005 07:19 AMI think the Democrats thought they had a chance in Orange County recently, too.
Redistricting Boondoggles.
Learn it, live it, love it.
Posted by muckdog at December 15, 2005 07:27 AMI, for one, pay taxes willingly and do not mind paying taxes because I am a true American.
I believe that there are certain things that are for the commons (all of us): roads, railroads, parks, research, education, public health, emergency programs, programs for the elderly and the poor, infrastructure...
I do not mind paying for these things. I enjoy many of these things.
At one time I trusted my elected officials to manage this treasure well - I no longer trust them. My taxes have been squandered on an illegal war, no-bid contracts, mismanagement, propaganda and tax cuts for the wealthy.
Even so, I have faith that this will be repaired.
Make no mistake, no matter who is elected in 06 and 08 and 10 and 12 and for the next 50 years - everyone will have to pay more tax in order to fix that damage done in this last five years.
Posted by Anjha at December 15, 2005 07:31 AMGive onto Caesar what is Caesar's give on to God what is God's
Posted by Goose1 at December 15, 2005 07:43 AMConfiscate? You sound so angry during this blessed season. I wish you peace.
You are free to object to taxation if you wish but most conservatives, liberals and independents support it for obvious reasons; where we disagree is on what that money should be spent. Not presidential yachts, but programs for rural firefighters. Not on a giant military/industrial complex but programs to feed, educate and provide medicine to its citizens.
Liberals believe in fiscal responsibility versus the out of control borrowing and spending of the GOP-controlled Congress and WH. Liberals believe government should be of, by and for the people. And liberals believe budgets are moral documents.
If it is Bendito he has clearly got himself unhinged trying to reconcile all his contradictory "core beliefs".
It is rather amusing to watch.
Posted by snark at December 15, 2005 08:39 AMsnark,
As you may remember, we regular readers noticed another troll mentally melt down about a month ago. He took what they told him as "the real truth." I think having "core" beliefs that change with the latest party line would really drive one mad if they really believed what they were told.
Of course, the fact that Rove et. al. haven't melted down yet may suggest something about how much they really believe their own tripe.
Posted by rlp at December 15, 2005 09:01 AM