Critic says letter unlikely to ‘shift public opinion’
A group of over 100 Christian pastors and social justice activists have signed an open letter denouncing the Trump administration’s cuts to welfare programs, foreign aid and large-scale deportations of immigrants in the country illegally.
Titled “Returning To Jesus: Practicing Lent In Our Time,” the letter was the result of meetings among faith organization leaders in January, with the Center on Faith and Justice at Georgetown University, headed by longtime Evangelical progressive activist Jim Wallis, helping organize signatures and other logistics.
The letter does not mention President Donald Trump by name, though it does take issue with the current efforts of his administration to cut foreign aid and other anti-poverty programs.
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“The massive cutting of foreign aid to those most in need, and from many faith-based organizations supplying it is a gospel issue for us that we must speak to, despite dishonest, personal, and unprecedented government attacks now coming against faith-based service providers,” the letter reads.
“We must defend lifesaving international aid and humanitarian assistance that prevents hungry people from starving, keeps those in ill health from dying, and defends children and families lives from being destroyed.”
The letter argues that “deficit reduction should never be at the expense of low-income families, while benefits are disproportionately given to the wealthy, calling it a “moral tradeoff” that is “unacceptable.”
“As Christians on both sides of the political aisle, we must call on our local, state, and federal elected officials to oppose massive cuts in funding to programs like Medicaid that provide vital healthcare to the poor, and like SNAP, WIC, and other efforts to sustain food for the hungry,” the letter reads.
The statement is centered on the liturgical season of Lent, a time of spiritual preparation for Easter Sunday that began on Wednesday and often involves participants giving things up.
“This year we celebrate Lent amidst a growing crisis in America, driven by the political accumulation of wealth, power, and control. This crisis already threatens the rule of law and the checks and balances of our constitutional democracy,” reads the letter in part.
“In the deluge and whirlwind of this administration’s initial actions we see the brutal abandonment and targeting of the people Jesus commands his followers to serve and protect. Defending the vulnerable and opposing unjust decisions are faith-rooted commitments we must examine during Lent.”
The letter cites and quotes from Matthew 25, where Jesus is described as standing in judgment over the sheep and goats, with Jesus saying in verse 40, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”
The website where the letter was published also offers resources, including efforts to organize vigils during March and a petition calling for the administration to prohibit immigration raids on houses of worship.
Center on Faith and Justice Faculty Director Wallis is best known as the founder of the Evangelical progressive magazine and social justice organization Sojourners.
He said in a statement emailed to The Christian Post that the letter “draws on the biblical story of Jesus in the desert resisting Satan’s temptations of money, wealth, and power as well as Jesus’ final teachings in Matthew about how, in the end, we will be judged by how we treat the hungry, thirsty, naked, sick, stranger, and imprisoned.”
“If people read this and think it’s political and especially if they feel like it directly confronts their own politics — then they need to reexamine their politics,” Wallis contends.
Signatories include several notable left-leaning and progressive Christian leaders, including Shane Claiborne of Red Letter Christians, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) General Minister Rev. Teresa Hord Owens, Rev. Adam Hamilton of the mutli-campus United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in the Greater Kansas City area, Sojourners President Adam Taylor as well as Bishop Claude Alexander of The Park Church in North Carolina, a prominent figure in the Evangelicals for Harris campaign.
The open letter is not without its critics, among them David Closson, director of the Center for Biblical Worldview at the Christian conservative advocacy group the Family Research Council.
Closson told CP in emailed comments that he commends “any group or denomination that prioritizes prayer” and that “Christians should take the admonition of Matthew 25 seriously.”
“However, as reflected in the list of signatories, this letter represents yet another attempt by the theological left to reframe political issues through a progressive lens,” he said.
“While it does not explicitly mention President Trump, it clearly criticizes his administration’s efforts to eliminate certain controversial programs and reduce waste, fraud, and abuse — issues that have often been obscured under the umbrella of foreign aid.”
Patrick Carolan of the activist organization Catholics Vote Common Good, who formerly served as executive director of the Franciscan Action Network, was also one of the signatories.
Carolan told CP that he signed the letter because he believes “that our Christian faith teaches us to care for the stranger, welcome the stranger, care for the poor.”
“In our Christian faith, the one prayer that we’re taught to pray all the time is the ‘Our Father,’ it’s the one prayer that Jesus actually taught us. And in the Lord’s Prayer, it says ‘Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven,'” he said.
“I often ask people, ‘do you think in Heaven there’s going to be children living in garbage dumps and starving while other people are living in mansions? And if God wouldn’t find that acceptable in Heaven, why do you think God would find that acceptable on earth?'”
Carolan said, “The words of Jesus are obvious, to welcome the stranger, to care for the poor and the hungry,” adding, “Jesus didn’t beat around the bush about that.”
“The one sin that Jesus talks most about in the Gospels, is the sin of hypocrisy,” he continued. “It’s kind of hypocritical to say you’re following the message of Jesus while you want to cut out programs that care for the poor and the hungry.”
Closson disputed the letter’s claims, telling CP, “It is inaccurate to claim that the administration is engaging in unbiblical policies.”
“On the contrary, when it comes to issues concerning creation order — such as abortion and transgenderism — this administration has demonstrated a strong commitment to policies that align with a biblical worldview,” Closson continued.
“Since returning to office, President Trump has issued a series of executive orders that uphold these values, including measures to protect women’s sports, reinstate the Mexico City Policy (which prevents taxpayer dollars from funding abortion overseas), and prohibit gender-related medical interventions on minors. These and other actions reflect a commitment to biblical principles rather than a departure from them.”
The Rev. Nancy Neal of the anti-hunger charity Bread for the World was another signatory, telling CP that “as a cradle rock Presbyterian, I was taught that caring for our neighbors is at the heart of our response to God’s saving grace demonstrated in the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
“Historically, programs grounded in caring for the most vulnerable in our communities and world have had bipartisan support. And I have dedicated my life and ministry for the last 14 years to working in an organization that is distinctly nonpartisan,” she said.
“At Bread for the World we seek to build bridges across political and theological divides, locking arms to advocate for a world without hunger. For 50 years, Bread has been guided by our Christian faith and rooted in scripture to lead the Church in addressing one of the most pressing issues of our time.”
Regarding what impact the Lenten letter may have on society, Closson responded that he does not “believe this letter will significantly influence the broader public discourse.”
“The signatories represent a familiar group of individuals aligned with the theological left, and their positions on these issues are well known,” he continued.
“Those who follow religious and political discussions are already aware of the perspectives these leaders hold, making it unlikely that this letter will shift public opinion in any meaningful way.”
