Why are Republicans waging a war on the Church?

Jesus

Ever since boy genius Rep. Paul Ryan invoked his "Catholic faith" to justify his budget—you know, the one all the Republicans, including Mitt Romney, think is super awesome because it lets the rich get richer and the poor get poorer—he's been getting a lot of criticism for trying to hide behind Jesus. He got spanked by the Conference of Catholic Bishops, who said the proposed cuts in Ryan's budget are "unacceptable" and "unjustified and wrong," and his whole budget "fails to meet these moral criteria." Ryan told them to get bent, though, because he "respectfully disagrees" withthe bishops, because apparently, you can do that as long as you're not talking about vaginas, in which case, if you don't do what the bishops say, you're going to hell and you hate America, sinner.

Now Catholic scholars from Georgetown University are also taking Ryan to the woodshed with their own sternly worded letter signed by a dozen Georgetown Jesuit priests and members of several departments:



“Our problem with Representative Ryan is that he claims his budget is based on Catholic social teaching,” said Jesuit Father Thomas J. Reese, one of the organizers of the letter. “This is nonsense. As scholars, we want to join the Catholic bishops in pointing out that his budget has a devastating impact on programs for the poor.” [...] “I am afraid that Chairman Ryan’s budget reflects the values of his favorite philosopher Ayn Rand rather than the gospel of Jesus Christ,” said Father Reese. “Survival of the fittest may be okay for Social Darwinists but not for followers of the gospel of compassion and love.”

The signatories of the letter even gave a homework assignment: Ryan and his fellow Republicans must read the Vatican's The Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church

Better do your reading on what Jesus really said about caring for the poor, Rep. Ryan, because I hear it will be on the final exam.

Tell Paul Ryan to do his homework.