Bush Rant
Disclaimer: this is going to be a Bush rant.
I know how Bush is supposed to be so religious, and I believe that he honestly believes that he is. However, his actions are exactly the opposite. I am not even going to get into the war with Iraq business, I am going to bring up an example that is much clearer IMHO -- taxes. Now, I am no expert on Christianity, but what little I know points, I think, to Christ wanting to help the poor and the needy. Bush, however, is hell bent on doing everything to help the rich. The poor rich in this country pay too much taxes, so we will just help them out by, say, eliminating the Estate Tax and the Divident Tax. And, as our expenses are sky rocketing because of the war (which I am not saying is not legitimate), we will just let the poor pick up the slack. Now granted, we won't raise taxes on them, but we will just cut the programs that help them -- hey, the poor don't need the help! In Massachusetts, we now have almost 2000 families living in homeless shelters and motels rented by the state for this purpose (up from 17 families in 1998); in many of those families people are working, but just cannot afford the rent since the minimum wage has never kept up with inflation. But I guess it is more important to cut the Divident tax for the rich than it is to help the states help those who cannot survive without that help.
In Judaism, there is a tradition of praying for G-d to grant our leaders the wisdom to do what is right. So, I guess if you still have faith, both in the divine and and eartly leaders... In a recent New Yorker, there was a suggestion to include the following in Bush's daily Bible reading:
Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much. And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: For all of them did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.
Mark 12:41-44
I think it would not hurt him to read it.
P.S. Doris, I like your post a lot.
