Timothy J. Parker’s loose interpretation of the Gospel, The Citizen, April 26, was a classic example of Biblical “fake news.”
Equally ludicrous was his excoriating of Cal Beverly, Evangelicals and his veiled pejorative swipe at Republicans for being “your brother’s keeper” and war mongers.
I’ll try not to confuse Parker with the facts; however, Jesus did say, “For you have the poor with you always, and ‘whenever you will, you may do them good.’” Mark 14:7 (Source: American King James Version). There are more than 25 Bible versions of this passage.
While I am not a theologian, I do believe that Jesus was also referring to all forms of “poverty” including: spiritual poverty, moral bankruptcy and intellectual laziness, which theologians call vincible ignorance (refusing to seek the truth aka “facts”).
So, here we have good examples of a combination of spiritual poverty and vincible ignorance. If we take the time to cut through Mr. Parker’s fake news you will find that individual Americans (not government) are the most generous “brother’s keepers” on the planet.
Individual charitable giving exceeds $200 billion (with a “B”) annually, on average $2,000 annually per American family, much of which is directed to meet the needs of the “poor.” This does not include religious organizations’ efforts, gifts-in-kind and volunteer sweat equity. Contrast this with Democrats Joe Biden and Al Gore’s charitable giving of $350 each; Republican Mitt Romney $3 million (source: their income tax returns).
President Trump, $20 million (source: anti-Trumper Rachel Maddow). Not to mention Donald Trump paid $38 million income taxes, even a higher percentage than Warren Buffet’s secretary.
The Clintons lined their pockets with more than 94 percent of the donation revenues of their Clinton Foundation, and left the “poor” in Haiti twisting in the wind. Chelsea Clinton’s annual salary was $600,000, as head of the foundation. Her “part time” job was another $300,000 (Source: Charity Watch). “Charity begins at home”? Oh, I almost forgot, the Clintons did take a tax deduction for a generous donation of their used underwear to the poor.
The Trumps earned no financial benefit or incomes from the Donald J. Trump Foundation. In fact the Trump children kicked in $100,000 to meet donation goals.
Total Trump Foundation revenues were less than Chelsea’s annual salary (source: FactCheck.org).
Healthcare is often rationed, “death with dignity” is the law of the land and government death tribunals are common. Anyone need help packing your bags?
Adjusted for inflation, the War on Poverty spent three times the cost of all military wars since the American Revolution.
So much for the credibility of Parker’s, “I find it hard to believe … you are happy as clams to use whatever public funds your leaders (dog-whistle code for Republicans) demanded, in order to buy the capability to kill your fellow man.”
Don’t let Mr. Parker and his cohort confuse facts with their symbolism over substance.
Michael Velsmid
Peachtree City, Ga.
