Coffee & Writing

(SHORT VERSION)

I realized as I wrote and researched for my first “Pro-Life?” blog entry it was a bit long, so I decided to create a semi-shorter version. I do encourage you to take time to read the long version. This may not be as clear and certainly not as thorough because I will mainly just be including links.

With the recent passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), there were some cuts in there that seemed regressive to me. This blog is not meant to be a political argument, just a statement of curiosity.

Due to the creation of a White House Faith Office that 47 started in February, there will be many Biblical references because the OBBBA seems in stark contrast with the Bible.

It seems like we have been conditioned to believe that pro-life only refers to the abortion issue. However, in chapter ten, verse ten of the Book of John, it’s written:

A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy; I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly. (John 10:10)

By Jesus saying that he came for people to “have life and have it more abundantly,” isn’t that expanding the definition of pro-life to more than just abortion?

I am going to focus on three topics: Medicaid, food stamps, and free school lunches.

You can find the new restrictions the OBBBA has put forth with Medicaid at the Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy in the article “One Big Beautiful Bill Act: Winners and Losers in the Medicaid Provisions“.

The White House also noted, “The One Big Beautiful Bill removes illegal aliens.”

Because the OBBBA affects so many immigrants, legal and illegal, I came across something from Leviticus that seemed very pertinent.

When an alien resides with you in your land, do not mistreat such a one.

You shall treat the alien who resides with you no differently than the natives born among you; you shall love the alien as yourself; for you too were once aliens in the land of Egypt. I, the LORD, am your God. (Leviticus 19:33-34)

Aren’t we all descendents of aliens, some legal, most not, in the United States?

Moving on to SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), well, Axios news put it quite succinctly in their summary, Where SNAP cuts in Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” could hit Americans hardest“.

One of the things that the article specifically mentions from the OBBBA is, “in order to keep their benefits under the Senate-passed version of the bill, parents of children aged 14 or older would have to meet work requirements. The bill also bumps the work requirement age up to 64.”

So, now the government is asking people to sing for their supper?

What about free education to have a better chance at a good job in a competitive job market? People could also work with a case manager or a social worker to help find a job or find a better job or create a resumé where they don’t need to be on food stamps.

When the government invests in a person’s education, they actually come out the winner. The person will pay more taxes, they don’t have to rely on government assistance programs. Fields like medicine and research mean bringing more resources to people and advances in research that come out of the U.S., which means more respect and accolades for the country, if you’re the kind of person who likes to keep score. We could have more teachers, nurses, computer AI techs, plumbers, sales representatives, etc.

Free school breakfasts and lunches hold a special place in my heart because I volunteered at a poor school where many of the kids were on free breakfasts and lunches.

Here’s a question for you, how do you, personally, get through a day of work or school without eating properly?

The School Nutrition Association was not exactly thrilled by what was in the OBBBA. You can read what they had to say by following the link.

Not getting children the proper nutrition 24/7/365, can be summed up very simply in the book of Matthew.

Which one of you would hand his son a stone when he asks for a loaf of bread

or a snake when he asks for a fish?

If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children… (Matthew 7:9-11)

I’m going to alter the ending of that verse, “If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, [then why don’t you]?”

This is the actual end of that trio of verses:

If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask him. (Matthew 7:11)

I think it’s important to examine 47’s stance on pro-life because he is very much in favor of capital punishment. The White House even put out a press release outlining the laws of capital punishment, called “Restoring the Death Penalty and Protecting Public Safety“.

If you are pro-life, it doesn’t make sense that you can be pro-capital punishment. At one point the people on death row were in the womb and if you are pro-life you would have protected them at that time. However, you are now cheering on their death? That makes no sense to me.

In the long version, there is a very important piece about the January 6th riots and the connection with 47 being pro-life.

To end this, I would like to comment that many tax payers make the valid argument of when is it that they or the government have given enough for assistance. People may feel like they are being bled dry. These are all valid and totally understandable concerns.

It’s up to you, how much you want to help the poor and needy; obviously you don’t have a choice with taxes, but I will leave you with some quotes from the Bible that may make you feel better or want to help more.

The poor you will always have with you; but you will not always have me. (Matthew 26:11)

Those who oppress the poor revile their Maker, but those who are kind to the needy honor him. (Proverbs 14:31)

If someone who has worldly means sees a brother in need and refuses him compassion, how can the love of God remain in him? Children, let us love not in word or speech but in deed and truth. (1 John 3:17-18)

Miriam Kavanagh