{"id":1354,"date":"2012-08-19T19:56:12","date_gmt":"2012-08-20T01:56:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/faithfuldemocrats\/?p=1354"},"modified":"2012-09-17T13:54:42","modified_gmt":"2012-09-17T19:54:42","slug":"a-guide-to-scripture-politics-the-budget-part-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/faithfuldemocrats\/2012\/08\/a-guide-to-scripture-politics-the-budget-part-1\/","title":{"rendered":"A Guide to Scripture, Politics, & the Budget–Part 1"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Mitt Romney\u2019s selection of Paul Ryan as his Vice Presidential running mate creates a perfect opportunity for Faithful Democrats to highlight how far Republican principles have strayed from Biblical ones.\u00a0 For years, there has been an unholy alliance within the Republican Party between the Christian Right, the Libertarians, and Big Business, which agree on very little other than the importance of power.\u00a0 For decades, the Christian Right was the dominant group in that triad, but the rise of the libertarian Tea Party has changed that power dynamic.\u00a0 \u201cCompassionate conservatism\u201d is dead and has been replaced by a Republican Party now openly worshiping at Ayn Rand\u2019s altar to selfishness.<\/p>\n

Republicans are still trying to have it both ways\u2013claiming the mantel of faith and citing Scripture on a few hot button issues\u2014and then putting away their Bibles and turning to Darwinian social and economic theories to support their primary policy positions<\/em><\/strong>. \u00a0Republicans have largely been getting away with it because we don\u2019t call them on their hypocrisy.<\/p>\n

My underlying assumption in writing this Guide is that Democrats should not cede the prophetic language of Scripture and its ability to inspire and frame issues in a moral context to the other side.\u00a0 Many traditional Democratic positions are rooted in the teachings of scripture, and it is time Democrats stopped losing on the Bible.<\/p>\n

The Bible is neither Democrat nor Republican.\u00a0 But the language of Scripture calls people to turn their attention away from selfish desire and personal gain and to focus instead on serving God and their neighbors.\u00a0 Furthermore, it is a language that speaks with moral clarity and purpose.\u00a0 Therefore it speaks with authority to the policy debates currently underway in our country.\u00a0 In short, it is a language Democrats cannot afford to ignore.<\/p>\n

As Paul Ryan\u2019s budget becomes a central issue in the upcoming election \u201cfaithful Democrats\u201d must be willing to discuss budget and tax policies from a moral perspective and to challenge Republicans to apply the same moral codes to kitchen table issues that they so eagerly embrace on bedroom issues.<\/p>\n

Over the next week at Faithfuldemocrats.com, we\u2019ll publish a series looking at what Scripture has to say about:<\/p>\n