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Gibson writes: "Even conservative Christian students at the university where Rick Perry made his remarks about leading by a Christian example agree that it's 'un-Christian' to deny life-saving medical care to the uninsured. And plenty of Christian leaders are still calling for an end to brutal budget cuts that kill jobs and force more working families into poverty."

Texas Gov. Rick Perry speaks to the first general session of the 2010 Republican Party of Texas Convention in Dallas. (photo: LM Otero/AP)
Texas Gov. Rick Perry speaks to the first general session of the 2010 Republican Party of Texas Convention in Dallas. (photo: LM Otero/AP)



Texas Republicans Should Read the Bible

By Carl Gibson, Reader Supported News

19 September 11


Reader Supported News | Perspective

 

exas Gov. Rick Perry recently said America should be guided by "the Christian values that this country was based upon." Even though Article 11 of the John Adams-endorsed Treaty of Tripoli states "the Government of the United States of America, is not in any sense, founded on the Christian religion," I'm sure it warmed the hearts of Christian voters in the room. However, Rick Perry is the absolute worst model of a Christian leader.

The scriptures are clear about the necessity of helping the sick and the poor. Proverbs 3:27 instructs those to not withhold good from the deserving when it's in their power to do so. Jesus defined the Christian's role of aiding the needy in Matthew 25: 35-41, adding that those who deny the needy the help they need do it to him also. Jesus also warns, speak out against religious hypocrites in Matthew 23. The idea of wealth redistribution isn't new - Luke the Apostle actually advocated for it in Acts 4, in a passage called "Believers Share Their Possessions."

Yet, Rick Perry instead chose to deny public healthcare to tens of thousands of his fellow Texans with reckless cuts to Medicaid. 4.6 million Texans are living in poverty, with a poverty rate three percentage points higher than the national average. After Governor Perry cut millions from volunteer firefighter and forest service budgets, Texas' wildfires are raging to this day.

Instead of redistributing wealth, Perry's friends in the capitol denied help to struggling people in his state in the midst of a $27 billion revenue shortfall, and chose to reward owners of $250,000 yachts with a generous tax break. Perry, who constantly criticizes federal entitlement programs like Social Security and Medicare as "unconstitutional," apparently feels entitled to $600,000 in taxpayer money to spruce up his rented mansion.

Not to be outdone, Ron Paul recently hinted during the CNN-Tea Party debate that allowing the uninsured to die was "what freedom is all about," before finally relenting and saying churches and charity could likely pay for life-saving healthcare for a hypothetical uninsured patient in intensive care.

This is a pretty callous statement coming from Paul, considering his 2008 campaign manager Kent Snyder lacked health insurance and died of pneumonia two weeks after Paul's campaign concession. Snyder's mother is unable to pay the $400,000 cost of her son's medical bills, despite help from churches, charities and a website set up by his friends.

Even conservative Christian students at the university where Rick Perry made his remarks about leading by a Christian example agree that it's "un-Christian" to deny life-saving medical care to the uninsured. And plenty of Christian leaders are still calling for an end to brutal budget cuts that kill jobs and force more working families into poverty.

If America is to truly be guided by Christian values, Christians would do well to vote for those who actually practice what they preach. While Perry and Paul demand cuts to public programs and healthcare for the uninsured, President Obama is finding his inner Luke and asking the richest Americans to share their possessions to help lessen the burden of deficit reduction already on the shoulders of working families. The Tea Party's favorite candidates should take a cue from the president and truly embrace the Christian values they speak about.


Carl Gibson, 24, of Lexington, Kentucky, is a spokesman and organizer for US Uncut, a nonviolent, creative direct-action movement to stop budget cuts by getting corporations to pay their fair share of taxes. He graduated from Morehead State University in 2009 with a B.A. in Journalism before starting the first US Uncut group in Jackson, Mississippi, in February of 2011. Since then, over 20,000 US Uncut activists have carried out more than 300 actions in over 100 cities nationwide. You may contact Carl at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Reader Supported News is the Publication of Origin for this work. Permission to republish is freely granted with credit and a link back to Reader Supported News.

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