In reading a new report conducted by MSNBC and Matt Black on poverty in America, I feel the need to ask the question: where is the moral and spiritual outrage?! In the midst of many Christians in America being so focused on same-sex marriage and “religious freedom” controversies, we have an epidemic of poverty and staggering statistics of economic inequality. These numbers should be the outrage of every person of faith who follows the teachings of the Bible.

Just this statement from the article should be enough to make all believers wake up to the injustices we face. Not every Democrat is on the side of the poor either, however there is a stark difference in policy for these issues – this statement is another good example of why we are Christian Democrats: “Obama noted his own failed effort to raise taxes on hedge fund managers as an example of the refusal by lawmakers to help the poor. He noted that the top 25 hedge fund managers haul in more income than all of the nation’s kindergarten teachers combined.”

And to further illustrate the difference, President Obama just issued a new proposal to change the rules on overtime pay, that will result in a raise for 5 million. “Without Congress, I’m very hard-pressed to think of a policy change that would potentially reach more middle class earners than this one,” said Jared Bernstein, a former economic adviser to Vice President Joe Biden who’s now a senior fellow at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (Read more here). Because a Republican Congress will not work with the President in creating broader policy to alleviate poverty in America, the President and Democrats are coming up with policies that can be done without Congress that will change lives of millions. Yes, that’s why we are Christian Democrats.

– Christina Forrester, Founder/Director Christian Democrats of America

Geography of Poverty

The most vulnerable Americans are being crushed by the grip of poverty, from the deserts of the Southwest through the black belt in the South, to the post-industrial, rusting factory towns that dot the Midwest and Northeast.

From border to border, high-poverty rates have crippled entire communities, leaving bellies burning with hunger and hope of better days dwindling. Income inequality has widened in recent decades while upward mobility has declined. A tiny percentage of high income Americans hold the majority of the wealth in this country.

Quite plainly, the rich have grown richer and if you’re born poor here you’re likely to die poor. The slight declines in the national poverty rate have done little to allay the day-to-day plight of so many who are just scraping by, largely invisibly and along the margins.

The poverty rate for African Americans and Hispanics is particularly stark, with 27% and 23.5% respectively falling below the poverty line.

Read the full story at: http://www.msnbc.com/interactives/geography-of-poverty/index.html.