wfn.org | Religious leaders say federal budget shows 'callous

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Religious leaders say federal budget shows 'callous indifference'

Eds: for high-resphotographs of the budget rally see 
http://www.ncccusa.org/Granberg-Michaelson.html; 
<http://bruno.ncccusa.org/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.ncccusa.org/Gr
anberg-Michaelson.html;> 
and http://www.ncccusa.org/Thomas.html 
<http://bruno.ncccusa.org/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.ncccusa.org/Th
omas.html> 

Washington, December 14, 2005 -- Denominational heads and other religious 
leaders gathered in Washington today to declare the fiscal year 2006 
Federal Budget a "moral disgrace" and to compare congressional 
representatives who support it to the evil biblical King Herod.

Among the leaders who gathered on Capitol Hill were the Rev. Dr. Bob Edgar, 
General Secretary of the National Council of Churches USA; the Rev. John H. 
Thomas, General Minister and President of the United Church of Christ; the 
Rev. Wesley Granberg-Michaelson, General Secretary of the United Church of 
Christ; and Phil Jones, Director of Witness and the Washington Office for 
the Church of the Brethren.

The leaders braved cold temperatures to protest the budget that Congress is 
to vote on this week. The demonstration, which was organized by the 
evangelical Christian group Call to Renewal, ended with more than 110 
protesters being arrested when they knelt in prayer in the Cannon House 
Office Building to decry a budget they believe is immoral.

Thomas spoke of the upcoming celebration of Christmas and the parallels 
between the birth of Christ and a vote on the budget.

"More than the candlelight services we attend or the carols we sing, this 
federal budget will reveal whether we and our leaders are like the Magi 
coming to adore the child or like Herod who, whether through intent or 
indifference, allows the innocents to be slaughtered," said Thomas.

Granberg-Michaelson called the proposed budget a "moral disgrace" and urged 
Members of Congress to vote against it.

If passed, the proposed budget would cut more than $50 billion in social 
programs that help the poor while giving tax cuts to the wealthiest 
Americans. Religious leaders have been protesting the proposed budget since 
it was first introduced by President Bush in January.

At the protest, Edgar reminded members of Congress that one vote can make a 
difference in defeating this budget.

In a letter sent to members of Congress today, Edgar said that he and 
millions of persons of faith "are appalled at the callous indifference to 
children, the elderly, veterans and low-income families that this budget 
reflects."

The proposed budget, Edgar said, "is immoral, unjust and it hurts the very 
people it should be helping."

He reminded members of Congress of an earlier appeal by persons of faith to 
restore provisions that help the poor. (See below.) "Since January we have 
been writing and calling, pleading and begging you to defeat this budget 
that bestows tax cuts to the wealthiest among us while ruthlessly 
debilitating programs that help those most in need."

On Wednesday (Dec. 14), some persons of faith will risk arrest . . . while 
demonstrating "their moral conviction that this is an immoral budget," 
Edgar said.

The full text of Edgar's letter is below. Also below is a copy of an 
October 25, 2005 statement by religious leaders on the budget, and a report 
of the grassroots opposition to the budget by more than 8,000 people who 
signed a statement from the NCC's FaithfulAmerica.

December 14, 2005

Dear Member of Congress:

It is with profound grief and extraordinary urgency that I send this appeal 
to you today on behalf of the National Council of Churches USA as you work 
toward final passage of the 2006 fiscal year budget. We speak with the 
authority given to us as those who have been empowered with the Holy Spirit 
and with the rights bestowed upon us as citizens of the United States of 
America. We are appalled at the callous indifference to children, the 
elderly, Veterans and low-income families that this budget reflects. This 
budget is immoral, unjust and it hurts the very people that it should be 
helping! We call on you to vote against this budget.

This is not our first appeal to you (see below). Since January we have been 
writing and calling, pleading and begging you to defeat this budget that 
bestows tax cuts to the wealthiest among us while ruthlessly debilitating 
programs that help those who are most in need. Our faith has demanded that 
we urge you not to go down this destructive path. We have prayed. We have 
rallied. We have met with Members of Congress and their staff. And, today 
some of our colleagues in ministry and other people of faith may face 
arrest out of their moral conviction that this is an immoral budget.

Now it is up to you. Now you are in a position to make an immediate 
difference in the lives of millions of people. For the families who 
struggle to make ends meet; for the senior adult who depends on Medicaid to 
stay one step ahead of an ailing body; for the Veteran who sacrificed that 
we might live in freedom; and, for the child who may have to go to school 
hungry and ill-prepared to learn; voting against this budget will make a 
real and tangible difference. These are people in our congregations who we 
greet before and after services on Sunday morning -- or who stop by the 
church during the week asking for our help. And although we do the best 
that we can to help them and will continue to do so, churches cannot nor 
should they attempt to take the place of the government!

It is not too late. During this season of Advent when we celebrate the 
birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, we are profoundly aware of the 
power of one. One person can turn the world upside down! One person can 
bring hope to the hopeless and exchange beauty for ashes and joy for 
mourning. One person can cast a vote that will make a difference! We call 
on you to be the one to cast that vote. This moment requires courage. This 
moment requires resolve. We pray that you will have the courage to make a 
difference and the resolve to stand on the side of righteousness and 
justice because ". . . what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, 
and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God?" (Micah 6:8)

Sincerely,

Rev. Dr. Robert W. Edgar
General Secretary
National Council of Churches USA

***

October 25, 2005

Statement by Religious Leaders on the Budget

As leaders of America's major faith communities, we write to you at a 
moment of great moral urgency for our nation when hundreds of thousands of 
our most vulnerable citizens are at risk.   We urge you to put aside 
partisan politics and pass a federal budget that reflects the moral 
priorities of the wide majority of Americans.  We urge you to work for, not 
against, the common good of all of America's citizens and not just a 
privileged few.

This is a grave time in our nation. We are in the midst of a tremendous 
social and economic crisis, thrust vividly into public view by the recent 
natural disasters along the Gulf Coast.  The times demand profound changes 
if the quality of life is to improve for millions of families. The United 
States budget is a reflection of who we are and what our priorities are as 
a nation. It is inconceivable -- in the wake of the devastating impact of 
the recent natural disasters -- that Congress would propose $50 billion in 
cuts for child care benefits, Medicaid, Temporary Assistance to Needy 
Families, Head Start, student loans, and other vital services for people in 
need.  In the aftermath of these disasters, such catastrophic cuts can only 
deepen the pain and suffering and dramatically increase the number of 
people living in poverty in this nation.

We watched as members of Congress vowed to help rebuild the Gulf Coast. We 
heard our representatives promise to make helping those affected by 
hurricanes Katrina and Rita a national priority. Yet despite those pledges, 
members of Congress now stand ready to cut $50 billion in essential 
programs that help those in need, while maintaining excessive tax cuts that 
help only the wealthy. The hurricanes were a natural disaster. But this 
proposed budget reconciliation would be a moral disaster of monumental 
proportion-and it is one that can be avoided.

The role of government is to protect its people and work for the common 
good. This is not the time for the budget reconciliation process to create 
greater hardships for those who are already experiencing great suffering. 
To do so is not only unjust; it is a sin.  It violates all the fundamental 
Christian principles of loving thy neighbor, caring for the poor, and 
showing mercy. As religious leaders, this violation is unacceptable to us. 
How is it that we show mercy for oil millionaires and not hurricane 
survivors?  We urge you to change this destructive course of action for the 
sake of our nation and for generations to come.

The outrage expressed by Americans across the country to the images of 
injustice following Hurricane Katrina -- and the subsequent outpouring of 
generosity from these same citizens -- is a  message from the grassroots 
that our government's priorities and budget must reflect American values by 
helping those most in need at their time of need.  Please call a halt to 
budget reconciliation negotiations that are detrimental and direct your 
attention to healing rather than harming our society.

Respectfully submitted,
Signed (as of October 19, 2005)

Bishop Thomas Hoyt, Jr.
National Council of Churches USA

Rev. Dr. Robert W. Edgar
National Council of Churches USA

The Rev. Dr. Stan Hastey
Alliance of Baptists

His Grace Bishop Vicken Aykazian
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America

The Rev. Mark S. Hanson
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Friend Retha McCutchen
Friends United Meeting

Friend Thomas H. Jeavons
Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends

His Eminence Bishop Dimitrios
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America

Rev. Michael E. Livingston
International Council of Community Churches

His Grace Metropolitan Zachariah Nicholovos
Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church

The Rev. David L. Wickmann
Moravian Church in America

Rev. William Shaw
National Baptist Convention USA

Dr. Melvin Wade
National Missionary Baptist Convention of America

The Most Reverend Robert M. Nemkovich
Polish National Catholic Church of America

The Rev. Dr. Clifton Kirkpatrick
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

The Rev. Dr. Major L. Jemison
Progressive National Baptist Convention

Rev. Tyrone Pitts
Progressive National Baptist Convention

Ms. Christine Laintner
Swedenborgian Church

The Rev. John H. Thomas
United Church of Christ

Mr. James Winkler
United Methodist General Board of Church and Society

Alert sent out on FaithfulAmerica.org, the National Council of Churches' 
electronic advocacy program. More than 8,000 people of faith signed this 
letter.

November 3, 2005

America's Poor are Under Siege

A $50 BILLION hole is about to be blown in our national safety net for the 
poor, including:

*	$9.5 billion CUT in Medicaid $5 Billion CUT in Child Support 
Enforcement .
*	$844 Million CUT in food stamps
*	$5 Billion in Child Support Enforcement
It has been called the cruelest, most immoral budget ever to reach the 
floor.	We must speak up.  Let your elected officials know that our 
nation's federal budget must not punish the poorest among us.

Take action HERE!

Sample Letter:

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,
I am a person of conscience and faith and I write to urge you to oppose the 
billions in cuts to Medicaid, Food Stamps and other vital services, and to 
resist any attempt to reconcile our federal budget on the backs of the 
poorest in our nation. I believe this budget, as proposed, is immoral. [in 
my judgment]. It does not [must] reflect our highest priorities as a nation.

Our identity as Americans and our responsibility as citizens has long been 
to protect people from sickness and hardship, invest in housing, jobs, and 
other services that grow and support American families. This budget favors 
the wealthiest among us at the expense of those most in need.

Jesus once said, "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the 
least of these brothers of mine, you did for me." (Matt 25:40) It is in 
that spirit that I ask you to oppose the current budget and all attempts to 
advance a more divided America.

Sincerely,

Contact NCC News: Leslie Tune, 202-544-2350; or Philip E. Jenks, 212-870-2252