In the Vice Presidential debate last Thursday, Congressman Paul Ryan discussed the role of Catholicism in his life, saying, “My faith informs me about how to take care of the vulnerable, of how to make sure that people have a chance in life.” Indeed, many Republicans attribute Christianity as a defining part of their political beliefs and policies as evidenced by their party platform which referenced God more than 10 times.
In recent years, this overwhelmingly Christian party has made its mark in the public sphere, fueling the resurgence of issues like contraception and generating anti-Muslim sentiment throughout the U.S. And while I can agree that most social views held by Republicans do in fact reflect Christian beliefs, their economic policy, on the contrary, is a far cry from the most basic and foundational Christian values.
Let me be clear. I wholeheartedly disagree with Republicans on social issues, but I can at least grasp some of their Christian-influenced reasoning in their policies. On the issue of abortion, for example, Republicans maintain that life begins at conception which many argue is a tenet supported by Christianity. Whether or not Republicans should be forcing their Christian-based beliefs on abortion onto the rest of America is another story, but I can at least understand their position.
Moreover, on the issue of science, some Republicans, including Rick Santorum, are very keen to dismiss it entirely, specifically evolution. They reason that evolution must be false because it conflicts with God’s creation of the earth according to the Bible. Now, this blatant refusal to accept and come to terms with scientific evidence is completely preposterous, but again, I can at least understand where they are coming from.
When it comes to economic policy, however, the Republicans have it all wrong, that is, if you’re considering this from a purely Christian perspective. For example, Paul Ryan’s recent budgetary proposal, which Ryan claims to be influenced by his Catholic faith, makes deep cuts to income security programs which largely benefit lower income Americans, including housing assistance, food stamps and earned-income tax credit.
In addition, the budget also scales back programs like Medicare and makes significantly deeper cuts to Medicaid, which provides health insurance for the poor. Ryan defends these cuts, saying these are fiscally responsible things to do in order to reduce our deficit and get our finances in order. However, Ryan fails to mention the fact that in addition to cutting programs that affect low-income Americans, his budget also gives tax cuts to the top 1 percent of Americans. Thus, his budget not only punishes the poor, but also puts more money in the pockets of the wealthy, or as Ryan would say, “job creators.”
Now, I’m not a biblical scholar, but I can say with absolute certainty that the Bible never promotes the idea of taking money and programs from the poor while giving benefits to the rich. In fact, Jesus said the exact opposite, saying “sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.” Not surprisingly, Ryan’s budget has received criticism from Christian leaders, including priests and nuns, who condemn Ryan’s budget as “immoral” and the “height of hypocrisy.”
But it’s not only Ryan’s budget where Republicans oppose government funds for the poor. Republicans like Romney are often quick to criticize the welfare system in America, asserting that it discourages self-reliance and allows people to make a living without actually working. In reality, however, a large majority of Americans on welfare do in fact have jobs and only stay on public assistance for a few years.
But that’s beside the point. The point is that many Republicans often attribute their Christian faith as a defining part of their life and political policies yet they blatantly oppose government programs that provide funding for the well-being of poor people, which itself is one of the most basic Christian ideals.
If the Republican Party truly wants to be the party of God—as some have called it—it cannot continue to believe that Jesus was a proponent of a system in which only the rich prosper. Or Republicans will have to acknowledge the fact that the Bible tells us to help the poor and then admit that its economic policy fails to fulfill this foundational Christian principle.
Do you think that the Republican Party tends to venture away from their Christian beliefs when it comes to economic policy? Send us your own opinion in a letter to the editor by emailing opinion@dailycardinal.com.
