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Health-care reform: Can I get a witness?
2009-08-18
As health-care reform continues to embroil the masses, a thread of religious opinionators has, in recent days, woven themselves into the tapestry of debate, begging the question: What would Jesus do about health care? It seems that Obama is interested in that answer too. Or at least interested in winning over those who want to know the answer.
According to USA Today's "Faith and Reason" blog, Obama will be joining a conference call Wednesday afternoon organized by Sojourners (an evangelical social-justice group), Faith in Public Life, Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good, PICO National Network (a group dedicated to "faith-based community organizing"), and two dozen other religious organizations.
According to the Sojourners' website, the 40-minute, one-way call, will include: "...stories from faith activists who are struggling within our current system; a question-and-answer session with a White House staff member; and a concluding address from the president." The call-in, open to anyone who RSVPs, is part of a broader campaign called "40 Days for Health Reform," launched recently by faith groups in favor of health-care reform, and also includes a national television advertisement, a "sermon weekend," and prayer meetings. The group stresses that health care reform is a moral issue, not a political one. Rev. Jim Wallis, one of the sponsors of the campaign told CNN: "Healing and health are fundamental religious issues...You're going to hear the moral drumbeat of the faith community." Debating health care as a moral issue seems to be the topic du jour, but it appears that no one can quite agree on the moral standard. Last week, MSNBC commentator Ed Shultz commanded evangelical bigwigs Rick Warren, Joel Osteen, Franklin Graham and James Dobson to support universal health care and public option because it is the "Christian" thing to do. "When Jesus walked the face of the earth, he was feeding the hungry, he was clothing the poor and healing the sick. He didn't ask anybody for their health insurance card, and he didn't heal anybody for profit." Fox News this morning fired back with Bishop Harry Jackson and a Chiron reading "What Would Jesus Do?/Jackson: Universal Healthcare Amoral." Jackson, a cancer survivor told "Fox and Friends" that he would not have survived cancer under universal health care.
Obama has always been aware of the role faith groups play in this country. Back in July 2008, the not-yet president told Eastside Community Ministry in Zanesville, Ohio: "I believe that change comes not from the top down but from the bottom up, and few are closer to the people than our churches, synagogues, temples, and mosques." So, it comes as no surprise that he would want to join in on the discussions. But as to what Jesus would do on the topic of health care, Mike Huckabee, may have said it best. When asked what Jesus would do about the death penalty back in 2007 the former Baptist minister replied: "Jesus was too smart to ever run for public office. That's what Jesus would do." - Allison Louie-Garcia Yahoo! News bloggers compile the best news content from our providers and scour the Web for the most interesting news stories so you don't have to.
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