Do the Lord's Work, Mr. Rangel?

Rep. Rangel recently held a press conference in which he highlighted the entitlement programs for the poor and vulnerable members of society. Mr. Rangel opined that the question of raising the debt ceiling is a moral issue, and he suggested that the Congress should "do the Lord's Work." He also asks pastors and leaders from all faiths to consider "What would Jesus do?, or Moses, or Allah, or anyone else?" From a diehard liberal member of the party bent on importing the Socialist maxim of Separation of Church and State, that is a curious if not totally hypocritical position. Especially from a Congressman who wants to increase debt and taxes, but cheats on taxes himself.

As an aside, I must say that I am aware of Jefferson's letter to the Danbury Baptist Church. The U.S. Supreme Court decision which inverted the language of that letter to mean not that the church was protected from the state, but that the state was protected from the church came centuries after that letter was written. No early court ever considered Jefferson's letter to mean protection for the state from the church; that interpretation comes from the Soviet Constitution.

So is Mr. Rangel correct? In a religion such as Islam, where the government is clearly subject to and controlled by the religious leaders, then yes.

America, however, is historically not Muslim, but Christian. Of course, it is the obligation of the government to make fair and moral laws, but If Mr. Rangel is referring to the care of the poor and vulnerable, the answer of both the Christian and the traditional American is clearly no, this is not the job of the government. Liberals and unbelievers will loudly proclaim that this shows a hypocritical and uncaring attitude, but that is, I suggest, a deliberate lie. The Bible teaches that it has always been the obligation of believers to care for the poor and vulnerable through the church; it is not a government function.

Mr. Rangel and his liberal ilk cannot recognize the legitimate functions of American government, and that explains why our "fearless leaders" (public servants) have so much trouble making laws which are fair and moral rather than power-grabbing and self-enriching. Remember, Mr. Rangel, in the words of our Second President, John Adams, "Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other."

As for the debt, Mr. Rangel would be well advised to remember his Hamlet: "Neither a borrower nor a lender be."