"With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water."
How did American conservatives become so hate-filled, so intolerant? These are the people who identify most strongly with the Bible in our political circles and yet they act as though they have never read the Bible. Where are their Christian examples of the Beatitudes?
“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."
America is the land of the free but it calls for those who have no hope to come here and restore hope for their futures. Where did we abandon our loving virtues and our care for our fellow man?
What disappoints me the most in the Republican Party is that they blame Latin American immigrants for our economic problems but the jobs that were lost in the Great Recession were not taken away by illegal immigrants. They were destroyed by the Wall Street investment fund managers and mortgage bankers who rewarded CEOs for depriving people of their jobs.
We need to create jobs not turn people away at the border. Turning immigrants away won't create jobs. It will just drive a deeper wedge between us and our neighbors.
As long as our political leaders preach the language of intolerance and economic destruction they cannot preach the language of acceptance and economic growth. We must embrace the policies that reward everyone in our society with greater prosperity and yes that does include raising taxes on the wealthiest families because they too prosper when tax rates are high.
