Washington Post Shines Light on UnBiblical Religious Right

It’s good to see a mainstream news source like the Washington Post calling attention to hypocrisy among right-wing religious extremists:

Why in recent years have conservative Christians asserted their influence on efforts to relieve Third World debt, AIDS in Africa, strife in Sudan and international sex trafficking — but remained on the sidelines while liberal Christians protest domestic spending cuts?

The answer: religious leaders on the extreme right are making deals with the devils in the Republican Party leadership.

Such conservative religious leaders "have agreed to support cutting food stamps for poor people if Republicans support them on judicial nominees," [Jim Wallis] said. "They are trading the lives of poor people for their agenda. They’re being, and this is the worst insult, unbiblical."

Religious values aren’t promoted by reducing taxes for the wealthy while cutting services to the poor and virtually ignoring Katrina victims.

To mainline Protestant groups and some evangelical activists, the twin measures are an affront, especially during the Christmas season. Leaders of five denominations — the United Methodist Church, Episcopal Church, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Presbyterian Church USA and United Church of Christ — issued a joint statement last week calling on Congress to go back to the drawing board and come up with a budget that brings "good news to the poor."

Around 300 religious activists have vowed to kneel in prayer this morning at the Cannon House Office Building and remain there until they are arrested. Wallis said that as they are led off, they will chant a phrase from Isaiah: "Woe to you legislators of infamous laws . . . who refuse justice to the unfortunate, who cheat the poor among my people of their rights, who make widows their prey and rob the orphan."