Let's just consider this: Compassion? Christian?

I am a bit churlish today. Stressed to the gills and annoyed with this administration. I continue to be stunned that people who wouldn't hang out with, respect, or support a man as arrogant and ruthless as GWB for PTA, continue to support and defend him as President.

But the thing that disappoints the most is the disconnect between what is supposedly moral and christian and what this administration does. This administration talks about being Christian, but doesn't act it. Consider this story about that budget. Jim Wallis is right, budgets are moral documents and this one is immoral.

We are cutting benefits for disabled poor people while increasing support for abstinence only programs that don't work and making tax cuts for already wealthy people permanent. Could someone please fill me in on the Christian morality here? Is there a verse that I am missing about teaching the disabled to beg while rewarding the wealthy? Is this really what Jesus would do?

The New York Times > New York Region > Bush Budget Proposes Halt in Housing Aid for Disabled: "With little fanfare, the Bush administration is proposing to stop financing the construction of new housing for the mentally ill and physically handicapped as part of a 50 percent cut in its housing budget for people with disabilities.

The proposal, which has been overshadowed by the administration's plans to shrink its community development programs, affects what is known as the Section 811 program. Since 1998, Section 811 has helped nonprofit developers produce more than 11,000 units of housing for low-income people with disabilities, including more than 700 in New York State."

And like I said the other day, I am expecting my conservative friends to speak out on this stuff. I don't expect you to become a liberal, but you should ask your representatives or President to act in ways that represent this faith. And this faith isn't to bolster the rich, is it? If it is, I am not interested.

But I don't think it is. This faith calls us all to make a difference in our world and that means reaching out like the Samaritan--not passing up the poor and needy. There is no passage that says "God helps those who help themselves," but there apparently is one that says "Let us help the Rich and leave the poor to their own misery."

This is wrong, and I think you all know it. if you want me to respect this faith, you have to show at least some concern for the poor--at least a portion of what you will show for Roy Moore's ridiculous 10 commandments idol or the "under god" phrase in the pledge. Those are all trivial items. The poor are not. We can disagree about my gay friends, and we can disagree about the best way to reduce abortions. But how do we, as the wealthiest country in the world, turn our backs on the poor?

And what is more troubling. We are doing that even as Christian talk is used in the highest offices in the land. I would prefer to be led by compassionate and thoughtful athiests any day than having to follow compassionless Christians.