Not letting a crisis go to waste, interest groups see an open door to increased federal funding and reduced resistance to enacting favored programs as Congress prepares to pass a stimulus package. A flurry of lobbying activity has taken shape amidst an expected economic downturn brought about by Coronavirus-related restrictions and business closures.
Religious Left lobby offices are among those generating a steady drumbeat of exploitative political appeals for ensuring “critical” programs get a big boost of cash from the stimulus. It is a rare opportunity to enact policy changes that would have a much higher bar to clear in a normal legislative year.
Many of these denominational offices are headquartered directly across from the U.S. Capitol within the United Methodist Building, constructed with the original aim of fighting substance abuse, gambling and other social ills. Today, those former priorities rank lower, behind legislative efforts advocating for an expansive welfare state and government redistribution of wealth.
Congress typically no longer enacts laws “School House Rock”-style, with individual bills introduced in committee and then passed by each house. Instead, significant changes in policy and spending are often attached to “must-pass” appropriations bills that fund government discretionary spending. Larger “omnibus” bills sometimes combine multiple funding bills and are now regularly used to avert government shutdowns. These bills become what are known as “Christmas Trees” that key lawmakers can hang projects on to — project funding that would likely not pass if it was presented within its own individual bill or a smaller legislative package.
Omnibus spending bills also provide less time for review by lawmakers after they are finalized by negotiators, minimizing the scrutiny their legislative language might otherwise face.
Professional advocacy organizations that view federal spending bills as essentially a limitless cornucopia of Federal largesse are primed and ready as pressure builds to pass economic stimulus in expectation of a likely economic recession. Many are long-term policy goals that have little to do with directly mitigating the effects of Coronavirus.
Many church lobby offices don’t seek to have the government reduce barriers to their own congregations addressing social needs. Instead, they want Caesar to offer the assistance. The Episcopal Church Office of Government Relations seeks “temporary” immunity from immigration enforcement, increased funding for prison programs, indigenous communities, schools, elderly care facilities and a host of other social programs.
Evangelical Left group Sojourners sees an opportunity to increase Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, commonly known as food stamps, asking readers to prompt their legislators to increase funding.
Abortion-on-demand ranks high on a Religious Left legislative wish-list. Insisting that “Abortion IS essential healthcare,” the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice (RCRC) is pushing for states to undo their modest abortion restrictions such as waiting periods or requirements that only doctors may perform abortions. Instead, RCRC advocates to lift bans on “telemed” abortions and end state requirements that patients be provided ultrasounds. The lobby group also wants abortion pills delivered by mail rather than through a physician and urges the Food and Drug Administration to end restrictions on prescribing the abortion drug RU-486.
RCRC exists to provide a thin veneer of religious support for unrestricted abortion, claiming a list of Mainline Protestant agencies and caucus groups that lend their name. Funding for this advocacy largely originates from secular philanthropies.
Comment by JR on March 25, 2020 at 4:59 pm
So only the religious left does this?
Comment by Brian Pate on March 25, 2020 at 10:39 pm
Jeff, we have an elderly ACNA brother who isn’t receiving SNAP benefits this month- was told there is a moratorium on food stamps (we called). Naturally, our church is buying him groceries as he lives off of $650/month. Caesar needs to do MORE. Christians need to do MORE. You couldn’t possibly tell me that your effective tax rate is impacted so much by SNAP that it is a roadblock to almsgiving?
Comment by JR on March 26, 2020 at 3:19 pm
I appreciate your church stepping up when things come to a head. It’s frustrating that they have to do so.
I wonder how many others in your community, not affiliated with your church, are going without food.
Comment by Jeffrey Walton on March 27, 2020 at 2:04 pm
Thanks so much for commenting, Brian. My concern is that Caesar doesn’t generate money out of the ether — money the government spends now indebits future generations. We need to weigh both our collective obligation now with our legacy. Everyone is happy to spend someone else’s money (I know that I am!) May I ask which congregation you are at? What you describe is exactly what the church should be doing to support those in your community — it reminds me of the deacons tasked in Acts chapter 6.
Comment by Loren J Golden on March 26, 2020 at 11:44 pm
“Don’t Waste a Crisis.”
I agree with this statement, but not with the squandering of the opportunity that those who pretend to it are actually doing with it.
“Thus says the LORD: Behold, what I have built I am breaking down, and what I have planted I am plucking up—that is, the whole land. And do you seek great things for yourself? Seek them not, for behold, I am bringing great disaster upon all flesh, declares the LORD. But I will give you your life as a prize of war in all paces to which you may go.” (Jer. 45.4-5)
The Church of Jesus Christ is called to be about His business, to do as He calls us to do, not to do as we think best. In this time of crisis, many people are frightened for their very lives. Thoughts of one’s mortality naturally lead to questioning what lies beyond the grave. There are a great many ideas that spring up in the human mind about what might be there, but none of these can truly satisfy, for they are speculations at best and self-delusions at worst. For the soul that truly seeks to know for certain, they offer no solace.
When one turns to the pages of Scripture, their analysis of the human condition is bleak:
“None is righteous, no, not one;
no one understands;
no one seeks for God.
All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
no one does good,
not even on.
Their throat is an open grave;
they use their tongues to deceive.
The venom of asps is under their lips.
Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.
Their feet are swift to shed blood;
in their paths are ruin and misery;
and the way of peace they have not known.
There is no fear of God before their eyes.” (Rom. 3.10-18)
All stand condemned before the Judgment Seat of God: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (Rom. 3.23) and “the wages of sin is death,” (Rom. 6.23a) which is eternal punishment and eternal separation from the blessings of God (Rev. 21.8, 22.15). This is the harsh reality of the human condition this side of Eden.
But it need not be so for everyone. “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom. 6.23) “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” (Rom. 3.23-26)
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but who ever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his deeds have been carried out by God.” (Jn. 3.16-21)
Many false prophets tell of ways to God, but only One delivers on His promises—Jesus the Christ, the Son of the Living God. “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4.12) Or as He Himself said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (Jn. 14.6) “All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (II Cor. 5.18-21)
Did you catch that, dear reader? We who are in Christ are entrusted with “the ministry of reconciliation”, we are called to go forth and proclaim this Good News to the unbelieving world, that “though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.” (Is. 1.18) The world needs to hear this, and it needs to hear it from you and me.
“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.” (I Cor. 15.3-4) “Christ died for our sins.” What does this mean except, “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (II Cor. 5.21) Or as the Prophet Isaiah wrote,
“Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.
But he was wounded for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned every one to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.” (Is. 53.4-6)
Christ bore the penalty for our sin—death—so that we might be freed from its penalty and power, in order to make us fit to enter the Kingdom of God and enjoy all His benefits. “Our great God and Savior Jesus Christ…gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.” (Tit. 2.14) And chief among these “good works” is to proclaim this Good News to people who don’t know Him—people like our unbelieving family, friends, neighbors, and coworkers, who fear for their lives because of the COVID-19 pandemic. And they fear for their lives, because their lives are not hid in Christ (Col. 3.3).
So then, let us not “waste this crisis,” but to see it for what it is—a tremendous opportunity to bring lost souls home to God. I pray that God would first and foremost be glorified through this crisis, whatever the outcome. And I pray that He would be glorified by the multitudes of men and women turning from their wicked, sinful, selfish, godless ways to put their trust in Christ alone for salvation from sin and death, and to learn obedience from Him who said, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Mt. 11.28-30)
Comment by Douglas E Ehrhardt on March 27, 2020 at 4:47 am
Thank you Loren, humanism has so infected the church that the world and the church are one.