The Strib did a nice job last Sunday in their Op-Ex section on immigrants.
Some views from both sides, including some of their own pieces and the obligatory screed from the Center of the American Experiment. (Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be a link to the series, so you’ll have to dig the section out of the recycling pile if you want to reread it.)
Included in the section was a very short sidebar written by two religious leaders: Evangelical pastor H. Gene Follis from Rochester and Catholic Bishop Harry Flynn from St. Paul.
You should read it yourselves and make your own judgments about which iteration of Christianity attracts you, but I want to comment on one thing Follis said. He argues that big government, and its taxes, hinder his brand of Christians’ ability to give to the poor. The government, he says, is taking too much of the money that Christians would otherwise willingly turn over to their less fortunate brothers.
He goes on to say, “America’s founding fathers predicted that a democracy without a strongly biblical/moral foundation will spawn a growing percentage of the people voting in favor of their own maintenance…”
Now aside from this putting anyone who’s in favor of using tax money to help the poor firmly in the not biblical/moral camp, he now also seems to shove those who vote in favor of their own interest over there, too.
So, keep that in mind the next time you vote. You can vote for the candidate who promises to lower your taxes, but only if you promise to give every penny of what you get back to people in need. Otherwise, I guess we’ll be seeing you in hell along with Bishop Flynn and all the other Democrats.
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