John Boehner:Like Governor Chrisie,Their Policies Violate Basic Catholic Teachings

John Boehner and Chris Christie are Catholics in the world of American politics.They were taught to value the poor first and provide for their needs with action. In every religious lesson, they were instructed by representatives of the religion to be concerned with the hopelessness and desperation of the lower class and give compassion, love,and material resources to meet their needs.Christ was an enthusiastic leader who demonstrated his love for the poor by living, helping and praying for them in their communities with their numerable hardships and anxieties.

More than seventy-five Catholic professors from Catholic University,Xavier,Dayton,Fordham,Marquette, Notre Dame and Santa Clara have signed a letter expressing concerns about budget cuts in programs that aid the poor. The letter writers criticize Mr. Boehner’s support for a budget that cut financing for Medicare, Medicaid and the Women, Infants and Children nutrition program, while granting tax cuts to the wealthy and corporations. They call such policies “anti-life,” a particularly biting reference because the phrase is usually applied to politicians and others who support the right to abortion.The letter to Mr. Boehner stated that the Republican-supported budget he shepherded through the House will hurt the poor, the elderly and the vulnerable, and that he therefore has failed to uphold basic Catholic moral teachings.


 The professors wrote that his voting record is at variance from one of the church’s most ancient moral teachings. The letter also stated “From the apostles to the present, the magisterium of the church has insisted that those in power are morally obliged to preference the needs of the poor. Your record in support of legislation to address the desperate needs of the poor is among the worst in Congress. This fundamental concern should have great urgency for Catholic policy makers. Yet, even now, you work in opposition to it.”

I have been making similar observations about the Republican platform for some time.The vast majority of their members are affiliated with churches and religious organizations that have the poor as the focus of individual and community action to fulfill the requirements of the given religion....aid the poor.The Republicans claim they want to help the poor but don't want the government to use revenues to accomplish the task.They believe that donations from the populace will be enough to eradicate the income inequality in America.They also believe the marketplace(without government interference) will provide the needed jobs and earnings to alleviate poverty.This is a malfunctioned approach that increases hopelessness because they continue to ignore the statistics presented by the government they represent.They would rather represent the citizens(upper income) that fund their campaigns rather than the poor who need assistance at every turn.The Republican platform has turned it's back on the religions they participate in.They might give donations at their local churches but these educated souls are misleading the public and undermining the values of the churches they belong to.The Catholic professors should be admired and respected for their insistence that Christie and Boehner follow the basic values of the religion they follow and cherish.