Voting largely along party lines, Republicans have pushed through a bill to cut $40 billion from food stamps over the next 10 years.
There is a time to discuss the politics of this bill. However, here I want to invite us to ponder the morality of this.
Many of the same Republicans who support this bill have opposed same-sex marriage rights based on a narrow and literal reading of the Bible.
I wonder about the selective reading of the Bible. If they are going to read the Bible literally when it comes to marriage/sexuality issues, I wonder why they do not read the bible literally when it comes to poverty issues. I wonder why they do not read the bible literally when it comes to justice issues.
What part of the Gospel according to St. Matthew did they miss, when Christ says:
25:41 “Then He will also say to those on the left hand,
‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:
25:42 for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink;
25:43 I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’
25:44 “Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’
25:45 Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.
