A Message from the Ohio Bishops
March 13, 2011
As bishops of the Episcopal Dioceses in Ohio, we give our wholehearted support to the four principles enumerated by the Coalition for the Common Good:
- Serve the Common Good
- Do No Harm
- Share Sacrifices
- Show Civility
We are at a critical time in the history of our state because revenue is decreasing and needs are increasing. The coalition rightly claims that the budget of our state is a moral document. How we spend our money reflects our deepest values and our faith and hope for humanity. We need a budget that is just, respecting the rights of all while protecting the most vulnerable of our society. We cannot allow the needs of the hungry, the children, the elderly, and the mental ill to be cast aside. It is important that our government find ways to create sufficient revenue streams that can support a just society. While all need to share the sacrifice, those with greater ability may need to share a heavier burden.
Compassion for those who are most vulnerable is at the heart of the Abrahamic faiths: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
In the parable of the sheep and the goats in Christian scripture, Jesus tells us that when we care for the hungry, the naked, and those in prison, we care for him.
We encourage our legislature to consider their moral obligation to create a just society through a budget that does not discontinue or sharply curtail those programs that provide protection to the most vulnerable. Thank you.
The Rt. Rev. Thomas E. Breidenthal, Bishop of Southern Ohio
The Rt. Rev. Mark Hollingsworth, Jr., Bishop of Ohio
