How Would Jesus Re-shape Our National Budget?

I am currently completing Eric Bonhoeffer by Eric Metaxas. This newest
Bonhoeffer book challenges me to renewed spirituality. I am fascinated with Bonhoeffer’s exemplary resistance to Adolph Hitler and the German Socialist Party of the broken cross (Swastika).

Bonhoeffer, Niemiller, et al led the confessing church after Hitler high-jacked the institutional German Lutheran Church. He deepened his own spirituality in that the Bible became his word from God as revealed through Jesus, a faith by which he obeyed the teachings of Jesus 24/7 365 days a year. As Hitler took his institutional ministry from him, he practiced his faith subversively, supporting the confessing church and the pastors he trained.

He even became involved in the German Resistance that assisted via espionage, which leads me to believe that we must do more than talk about our religious convictions; we must act upon them. So, when I learn that Congress will be voting on a 9% budget cut in discretionary domestic funds, while increasing military spending by 2%, I join Jim Wallis in asking the question, “What would Jesus cut?”

The question is a valid question, especially in view of the fact that Military related spending encompasses 57-59% of our national budget and we far outspend the rest of the world for military armaments that do not increase our national security one iota.

Therefore, am sending the following letter to our Michigan Congressional delegates (Levin, Stabenow, Walberg) and requesting them to vote in a manner compatible to what Jesus would do.

As a person of faith, I believe that the moral test of any society is how it treats its poor and most vulnerable. Our federal budget should reflect our best national values and priorities, so in regard to your upcoming budget vote I ask myself, "What would Jesus cut?"

Moreover, I am asking my Michigan Congressional delegates (Levin, Stabenow, Walberg) to vote in a way that would express the teachings of Jesus … as follows:

As a person of faith, I live by the moral code of Jesus that tests society by how it treats its poor and most vulnerable. Therefore, as your constituent, I ask you to oppose any and all budget proposals that increase military spending while cutting domestic and international programs that benefit the poor, especially children.

Programs we need to invest in during these tough economic times include:

1. Critical child health and family nutrition programs
2. Proven work and income supports that lift families out of poverty
3. Support for education, especially in low-income communities
4. International aid that directly and literally save lives

In Great Britain, Prime Minister Cameron made the choice to delay a costly nuclear submarine program, while also increasing life-saving funding for international aid. The U.S. Congress should not only follow this example but it should greatly reduce our total military spending that equals the total of the next 23 nations.

We are a military economy and must return to an industrial society producing peaceful products rather than instruments of violence, war, and mass murder (italics added).

We need to join forces, stop bickering over big government, socialism, anti-Obamania and begin behaving as if we took seriously the words and teachings of Jesus. That is the only way we can exalt Him and His Word, for He is the Word (John 1:1...)

From Warner’s World,
walkingwithwarner.blogspot.com