The Bible and the Candidates

This Sunday’s New York Times provided a summary of the positions taken by the current candidates for president on a number of issues. As I read the positions of the Republican candidates, I kept finding verses of the Bible coming to mind – appropriate for a party that has made a big issue of faith and values. But I wasn’t sure they had read it and thought about it. Not all of their views, of course, are insupportable, after all it’s become proverbial that “the devil can cite Scripture for his purpose.” (Merchant of Venice 1:3) So here we will simply provide the texts and let you decide how to apply them.

Huckabee on immigrants: Give illegal immigrants 120 days to register and leave; create system to verify legal status. Finish border fence; deploy 23,000 more patrol agents.
The Bible on foreigners: You shall not wrong or oppress a resident alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt. Exodus 22:21

Guliani on the use of torture: If I knew there was going to be an attack and these people knew about it, I would tell the people who had to do the interrogation to use every method they could think of.
The Bible on torture: In everything do to others as you would have them do to you. St. Matthew 7:12

Romney on Guantanamo: Supports keeping Guantanamo open and has said “we ought to double it.”
The Bible on people in prison: Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was . . . in prison and you did not visit me.’ St. Matthew 25:41-42

Giuliani on taxes: Make the Bush tax cuts permanent. eliminate estate tax, lower corporate tax rates.
The Bible on wealth: For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.

Thompson on global warming: conduct research on ways to reduce emissions
The Bible on the weather: for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. St. Matthew 5: 45

All Republican candidates on health care: oppose requiring everyone to have insurance.
The Bible on sickness: Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?’ Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”