Stop This Bill
This letter to the editor, by Laurie Harmon appeared in the Hudson Star Observer on June 5, 2025.
The “Big Beautiful Bill” has uncovered the ugly truth that, under the guise of promoting Christian values, our leaders care more about worshipping money, power, and greed than they do about protecting poor, struggling, and forgotten Americans.
Christ’s gospel promoted love. When asked which commandments were the greatest, his response was first to love God, then to love your neighbor as yourself. He never promoted condemnation or hatred; LOVE was his command.
The few times Jesus did come close to admonishing those around him, he directed his corrective words to the people pointing fingers, the people positioning for power and money, and the religious leaders of his day. I’ve been a Christian my entire life, and have fallen into that trap myself. Now, however, I refuse to accept any doctrine that preaches exclusion, hatred, and bigotry.
Years ago, people would wear “What Would Jesus Do” (WWJD) bracelets. Today, many Christians have traded their bracelets for MAGA hats and are following the opposite doctrine. Instead of love, they choose dominance over and disregard for the weak; hatred of anyone different from themselves; the pursuit of greed and power, and disrespect for the earth.
The Reverend William Barber calls budgets “moral documents” and suggests that budgets reveal the soul of a nation. The budget currently in Congress does not represent the values touted by today’s most vocal Christians. Taking aid away from the poor (SNAP, Medicaid, Medicare, etc.) and giving it to the rich and privileged is immoral. Abandoning our most vulnerable to line the pockets of the ultra wealthy is unconscionable.
One former president, Lyndon B. Johnson, saw the budget as a way to further his vision of creating a “Great Society,” a society that uses its prosperity to “enrich and elevate our national life.” He called for an end to poverty and racial injustice. His budget was uplifting, compassionate, and loving.
The “Big Beautiful Bill” represents a turning point for our country. Will our budget uplift people and represent our morals, or will it reveal the greed and hatred that Christ warned against? Please, call your congressman; stop this bill.