Why do I keep reading Sojourners? Every week I get the email, every week I read, and every week I get mad. Two weeks ago they referenced the Scripture in Matthew to beware of false prophets, and they interpreted these false prophets to be Bush, Cheney, Rush Limbaugh, Rumsfeld, etc. I just don't think this is what Jesus was referring to...

Now this week I have to read that the true scandal of Christmas is not whether the clerks at stores say "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays" (which I agree with) but that our nation's budget is not moral and that we have to move further to one of overcoming poverty. Three things strike me, first I would be very interested to read the amount our nation spends on fighting poverty, both domestically and internationally. Second, as I have written previously, Sachs writes that extreme poverty does not exist in America, his book and solution in no way even mention America in a way other than how we can help. As far as he is concerned, no extreme poverty exists domestically. Finally, I have never claimed to be a political science genius, but I don't recall where the Consitution calls on the government as the primary provider for the poor. That needs to come from individuals and communities such as local churches, when the government gets involved, there is inevitably money wasted on beaurocracy and red tape.