Read. Now.
My friend M wrote this. It's a must-read.
Sanctity of Life and The Health Care Pissing Match.
I was going to hold off on this one. This is the busiest summer of my life and I haven't been keeping up on the issues like I would under the normal run. I can't keep my mouth shut, however, when the church takes a political position that utterly runs backwards to it's creed.
Let me begin by saying that I am unquestionably in favor of health care for every human being. While I haven't had time to read any of the bills being passed around on the Hill, I can also say that I am okay with 'health care reform' or 'universal health care' or 'socialized medicine' or whatever term the PC crowd is throwing around this week. I find flaws with some of the major points in the bills, but for the most part, I am down for Americans taking care of Americans.
A couple weeks ago, several state level Christian organizations released statements to their members. They were urging these Christians to attend townhall meetings and cause a ruckus. The kind of ruckus that they bitched about when the lefties did it for 8 years. One was quoted as saying, "Go to your local meeting and read your congressperson the riot act..... in Christian in love, of course." What in the fuck does that even mean? The only riot act that I recall Jesus ever reading was to the fat-cats in the Temple who were making money off the broken backs of commoners. The urge to be militant at townhalls doesn't really fit into the 'Christ-likeness' that the Bible asks of followers.
This isn't the problem. I don't take issue with anyone standing at a public event and screaming at the wind. That is a harmless action and is based in the freedoms of speech and assembly. These rights are exercised by few so I appreciate it, even when it is done by someone with whom I don't agree. My problem is when supposed Christians rail against one person wanting to care for another, the basis of our religion.
The term 'pro-life' is a bit of a misnomer as it relates to the Christian right in this country. Most of you know that I am not a big fan of abortion, but not to the extent that it needs a government intervention. I have trouble swallowing the fact that every American who now needs health care was once an embryo and a baby. So, I ask my right-wing brothers and sisters in Christ, when did this human's worth decrease? Was it while he or she was a toddler? Was it when they turned 18? Is that when this former baby became not worth fighting for anymore? When you ask, 'What would Jesus do?', you need only to look at my boy Matt's book, written a long time ago... chapter 25, v35-43, it runs as follows:
"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'
"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'
"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
The LEAST of these brothers. Human beings with less, in Biblespeak. This passage is Jesus telling his followers: Feed hungry people. Give water to thirsty people. House the homeless people. GIVE CARE TO SICK PEOPLE. Visit those who have committed crimes.
Things I haven't read in the Bible: Don't care about circumstances, just make sure the baby is born. As soon as the baby is born, it's no longer your problem. Science doesn't help anyone, it's Satan's plaything. Make sure you don't have to chip in for public health, because why should you have to? If someone commits a violent crime, just kill him.... screw 'turning the other cheek'.
I will always end with a plea. First, don't use the words 'sanctity of life' if you are standing up for denying health care to those who need it. Or if you believe that human life is sacred only until birth. Don't talk about pro-life when you are unwilling to feed a woman wrapped in a dirty blanket on the street, but are more than happy to feed a woman in a dirty blanket in a Hospice Care facility only after you heard about her on the nightly news. Don't talk about life issues when you support state instituted execution programs. Why? It brings me to my second plea. Read The Doctrine. All of it. Remember that your faith, Christianity, contains the name of the Man who saved your ass from yourself. If you have already forgotten what He asked you to do down here, please read again paragraph 6 and on. If you are going to continue thumping folks with your Bible.... I fully expect you to know what that Bible says.
When Right To Life says, "Health care is not a right", stand your ass up and ask how there can be life without health. Then ask them to call Jesus in Washington to ask His opinion.
Sanctity of Life and The Health Care Pissing Match.
I was going to hold off on this one. This is the busiest summer of my life and I haven't been keeping up on the issues like I would under the normal run. I can't keep my mouth shut, however, when the church takes a political position that utterly runs backwards to it's creed.
Let me begin by saying that I am unquestionably in favor of health care for every human being. While I haven't had time to read any of the bills being passed around on the Hill, I can also say that I am okay with 'health care reform' or 'universal health care' or 'socialized medicine' or whatever term the PC crowd is throwing around this week. I find flaws with some of the major points in the bills, but for the most part, I am down for Americans taking care of Americans.
A couple weeks ago, several state level Christian organizations released statements to their members. They were urging these Christians to attend townhall meetings and cause a ruckus. The kind of ruckus that they bitched about when the lefties did it for 8 years. One was quoted as saying, "Go to your local meeting and read your congressperson the riot act..... in Christian in love, of course." What in the fuck does that even mean? The only riot act that I recall Jesus ever reading was to the fat-cats in the Temple who were making money off the broken backs of commoners. The urge to be militant at townhalls doesn't really fit into the 'Christ-likeness' that the Bible asks of followers.
This isn't the problem. I don't take issue with anyone standing at a public event and screaming at the wind. That is a harmless action and is based in the freedoms of speech and assembly. These rights are exercised by few so I appreciate it, even when it is done by someone with whom I don't agree. My problem is when supposed Christians rail against one person wanting to care for another, the basis of our religion.
The term 'pro-life' is a bit of a misnomer as it relates to the Christian right in this country. Most of you know that I am not a big fan of abortion, but not to the extent that it needs a government intervention. I have trouble swallowing the fact that every American who now needs health care was once an embryo and a baby. So, I ask my right-wing brothers and sisters in Christ, when did this human's worth decrease? Was it while he or she was a toddler? Was it when they turned 18? Is that when this former baby became not worth fighting for anymore? When you ask, 'What would Jesus do?', you need only to look at my boy Matt's book, written a long time ago... chapter 25, v35-43, it runs as follows:
"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'
"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'
"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
The LEAST of these brothers. Human beings with less, in Biblespeak. This passage is Jesus telling his followers: Feed hungry people. Give water to thirsty people. House the homeless people. GIVE CARE TO SICK PEOPLE. Visit those who have committed crimes.
Things I haven't read in the Bible: Don't care about circumstances, just make sure the baby is born. As soon as the baby is born, it's no longer your problem. Science doesn't help anyone, it's Satan's plaything. Make sure you don't have to chip in for public health, because why should you have to? If someone commits a violent crime, just kill him.... screw 'turning the other cheek'.
I will always end with a plea. First, don't use the words 'sanctity of life' if you are standing up for denying health care to those who need it. Or if you believe that human life is sacred only until birth. Don't talk about pro-life when you are unwilling to feed a woman wrapped in a dirty blanket on the street, but are more than happy to feed a woman in a dirty blanket in a Hospice Care facility only after you heard about her on the nightly news. Don't talk about life issues when you support state instituted execution programs. Why? It brings me to my second plea. Read The Doctrine. All of it. Remember that your faith, Christianity, contains the name of the Man who saved your ass from yourself. If you have already forgotten what He asked you to do down here, please read again paragraph 6 and on. If you are going to continue thumping folks with your Bible.... I fully expect you to know what that Bible says.
When Right To Life says, "Health care is not a right", stand your ass up and ask how there can be life without health. Then ask them to call Jesus in Washington to ask His opinion.