"In a choice between higher taxes and President Obama, Jim Wallis and the Evangelical Left revealingly chose higher taxes." -- Mark Tooley, IRD President
Contact: Jeff Walton, Institute on Religion and Democracy, 202-682-4131, 202-413-5639 cell, jwalton@TheIRD.org
WASHINGTON, Dec. 10, 2010 /Christian Newswire/ -- Evangelical left voice Jim Wallis has strongly criticized President Barack Obama's proposed compromise with Senate Republicans allowing the Bush tax cuts to continue for all income brackets, at least for 2 years. The Evangelical Left activist accused Obama of working with a "broken system" and claimed continued tax rate reductions would only empower "fat cats" who caused the financial melt-down.
Wallis joined in a call for higher tax rates in a pronouncement amusingly called "Faithful Americans for Fiscal Strength," joined by Ron Sider of Evangelicals for Social Action, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) President Sharon Watkins, Florida megachurch Pastor Joel Hunter and other Mainline Protestants and liberal evangelicals
Describing the continuation of tax cuts as "fundamentally immoral," Wallis complained "they haven't listened" when referring to the Obama Administration's response to his fiscal advice.
The criticism echoed Wallis' condemnation of then President Bill Clinton for supporting the 1996 welfare reform legislation.
IRD President Mark Tooley commented:
"In a choice between higher taxes and President Obama, the Evangelical Left revealingly chose higher taxes.
"Seemingly, for Wallis and many on the Evangelical and Religious Left, any concession to the middle is morally outrageous, any detour from a rigid politically liberal orthodoxy unacceptable to the Gospel.
"Wallis keeps dressing up his pro-Big Government, pro-high tax politics as the supposed fruit of the Gospel. Expanding the size and power of government is an inflexible doctrine for him and the Religious Left. They might reconsider whether higher taxes and more government really help the poor whose plight they always cite. And they might reexamine whether the Scriptures really provide the detailed political and economic guidance they routinely claim."
The Institute on Religion & Democracy works to reaffirm the church's biblical and historical teachings, strengthen and reform its role in public life, protect religious freedom, and renew democracy at home and abroad.
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