When President Obama asserted that Jesus Christ would back him on his push to tax the wealthy more by quoting Luke 12: 48, he reached a new low in the mixing of religion and politics. The verse reads, "Of everyone to whom much is given, much will be required."
Here, Jesus is speaking of the individual. All of us have been given gifts and talents that we are to use for the betterment of mankind and for the bringing of the Kingdom of Heaven closer to us. Christ was not speaking about governments. He was not saying that the government has the right to take more from those who are more privileged monetarily speaking. That is absurd. That notion, that the wealthy owe it to the rest who have less and, in many cases, far less, is simply not just. It is not fair for the government to take more money away from the individual who has worked very hard all their life and has achieved a measure of success and give it to those who have not had the same good fortunes. Jesus would not approve of such a thing because this action is not just and it was justice that Christ came to renew.
Obama and his administration always remind us about the separation of church and state. Where is that idea here, Mr. President? Are you now claiming that God has given the green light to tax those whom He has greatly blessed just because it, in your mind it is fair? And how did this president, a chief executive who has seldom been to church during the course of his administration, come to hear the word of God and interpret it this way to suit his own agenda?
It also seems strange that the president would make an appearance at a prayer breakfast only days after the Catholic bishops of the United States began standing up against the administration's policy regarding contraceptive services. How stupid does this man think we are? Is it not clearly evident that the president is politicizing the Word of God? I know he is far from the first politician to do so. This practice has a long and not so proud history. But this president, especially, seems to have crossed the line into absurdity with this assertion. If you believe that the tax hike on the rich is fair and just and the right thing to do, Mr. President, then just say so and let it be at that. Don't claim the Redeemer would approve of this based on a verse from the Gospel, a verse that has no application to the government confiscating more money from the private sector to give to the government to spend in ways that no one really knows. I guess the president is in favor of separation of church and state only when it benefits him but is more than in favor when he can make a pronouncement of colossal ignorance such as this!
