An Array of Churches Oppose Donald Trump's Cuts to Foreign Aid

The signatories, ranging from back-to-basics evangelicals to churches using ancient rites, certainly speak for some churchgoers but probably not for all of them. Back in 2011, Pew Research, a polling agency, took a detailed look at the kinds of state expenditure approved by various religious and ideological groups in the United States. It found that evangelical Christians wanted to slash spending on just about everything except defence, but “aid to the world's poor” was the area where the highest proportion (56%) favoured cuts. Not all these respondents were simply mean old skinflints; many believe that aid to the poor should never be “legislated” or “socialised” because voluntary efforts are always better.