Rev. William Barber: Religion is being used as the cover for greed

Rev. William Barber's "Poor People's Campaign" has called for a national movement for genuine morality that ends poverty, homelessness, hunger and punishes greed.

In a New York Times Magazine profile, Rev. Barber questioned the motives of right-wing evangelicals who purport to oppose things like LGBTQ marriage and abortion but have spent over four decades failing to deliver.

"If you think about it, white evangelicals say they're against abortion, but they vote for candidates who've never undone Roe v. Wade. They say they're against gay people, and they've lost on their battle against gay people's rights," the piece said. "But what do their preferred candidates always win on when they get elected? Helping corporations. So we've got an unholy connection: Religion is being used as the cover for greed."

Nothing could prove the point more than the Paycheck Protection Program funds sent to churches that have millions in assets already. Pastor Joe Osteen, for example, has a net worth of about $100 million, but he scored $4.4 million in federal bailout loans. He isn't the only one, nearly 50 Texas churches scored $1 million or more in PPP funds. Oklahoma's Life Church got between $5 - $10 million in PPP funding.

A Newsweek report revealed Missouri's Joyce Meyer MinistriesJoyce Meyer Ministries megachurch, "that was the target of a 2007-2011 Senate finance investigation, was also approved for the $5 million to $10 million government loan."

A LifeWay survey revealed that large houses of worship with substantial endowments asked for the SBA loans while smaller congregations didn't, NPR News reported.

It isn't surprising that Rev. Barber sees the term ''evangelical'' being "hijacked in favor of corporate interests."

"You have to stand up and say that systemic racism, systemic poverty, ecological devastation, denial of health care, the war economy and the false moral narrative of religious nationalism are interlocking injustices that require us as people of faith to challenge them," he explained.

Rev. Barber recalled a challenge he issued to Jerry Falwell Jr. and Franklin Graham, asking them to debate. Both were too afraid.

"I mean, Jesus is very clear," he explained. "That's the problem for people like Graham and Falwell. They can't debate us publicly because there's no way they can say, 'We're against guaranteed health care for all because Jesus was against guaranteed health care for all.' Jesus never charged a leper a co-pay!"

Meanwhile, Republicans in the House and Senate are working to stop additional direct payments to Americans struggling to make it through the COVID-19 crisis.

Read the full profile on Rev. Barber at New York Times Magazine.