... because they can't be on Earth.
Dig this headline: Christians Debate: Was Jesus For Small Government? The article has a picture of Paul Ryan, architect of the House Budget, the only real one out there and the only existing plan to get the debt under control. I'm a big fan of Paul Ryan and have listened to his interviews and speeches many times. I've never heard any religious overtones. It's all about the math.
You can always tell when a writer lives in a progressive cocoon. They explain conservatives' motivations by combining stereotypes in ways that aren't common at all to the people themselves. It's a lot like the ignorant, cowardly dimwits who visited the San Diego Tea Party folks, bringing their own Confederate flags.
I've been a debt crank for years now. I'm also a Catholic crank. I've marinated in both topics for quite some time. Religion just doesn't play a significant role in this at all, except when latte-headed progressives try to make the connections.
I'd go on and quote the article from Barbara Hagerty, but it's just exhausting to read the thing. The debt synapses and Catholic neurons in my noggin are spread so far apart that it will drain all of the mental energy I've got for the day just to slog my way through the whole thing. You're free to take a whack at it.
Before you go, here's Paul Ryan discussing the debt. I guess this short video was too much for Babs to bother watching. Pathetic.
I'm not sure why you are so down on NPR about this, it looks to me like they are just reporting on something that actually happened: Paul Ryan actually was interviewed on the Christian Broadcasting Network, and he really did talk about how his Catholic faith was reflected in his budget plan. And a number of other people then claimed religious reasons for either agreeing with him, or disagreeing with him.
ReplyDeleteThis may not be particularly earthshaking news, or really relevant to Ryan's very good point that Medicare/Medicaid spending needs to be completely overhauled if we don't want to go broke. But it sure looks to me that this is a simple case of Ryan picking up a shoe that he found and loudly announcing that it fits. Presumably because he thinks wearing that shoe will will win over more people to his position than it will lose.
Quick answer: The article is lazy, slovenly and ignorant. The Ryan budget leaves government spending at the post-Great Society level of 20%. That's hardly small. Small government is not what's being argued except as the terms are defined by progressives. The moral question Ryan asks over and over again is, "If you know a crisis is coming, why not do something about it?" That question doesn't show up anywhere in her article.
ReplyDeleteInstead, she plays to the conservative stereotype in her head. It's a wonder she didn't include references to NASCAR and guns.
With respect to Jesus and public policy, my stance is heavily informed by Jeaus and his first public appearance: turning water into wine at a party/wedding reception.
ReplyDeleteI've seen a bumper sticker a few times. "Jesus was a Liberal". And I immediately think, that what I know from the bible was that he was apolitical. Carefully not taking sides. I don't remember Jesus ever talk about raising taxes so the goverenment could take care of the poor. I believe he says we all should take care of the poor.
ReplyDeleteMN, I've seen that one also quite a bit but never a "Jesus was a conservative" which makes the separation of church and state debate that much more interesting.
ReplyDeleteDean, it's all a ruse. Everyone knows conservatives are Bible-thumping theocrats.
ReplyDelete