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James Martin, S.J.August 20, 2009

To build on Michael Sean Winter's post immediately below, here is David Gibson on what he calls "Obama's Altar Call for Health Care Reform" on PoliticsDaily.

Obama was clearly ramping up his rhetoric in an effort to counter the strident attacks. He punctuated each claim from opponents -- about insuring illegal aliens, a government takeover of health care, taxpayer funding of abortion, and so-called "death panels" -- with a firm rejoinder: "Not true."

The liberal evangelical leader and longtime Obama backer, Jim Wallis, opened the call-in with a vow that over the next 40 days "the nation will hear a steady moral drumbeat from the faith community about God's desire for the health and healing of our nation" and for "truth-telling" in the debate. Wallis said believers "are in danger of losing the moral core" of the health care debate.

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15 years 3 months ago
It is incredible that people approach this question without a faith framework.How can a christian be content to live in a country where children could be denied medical assistance because their parents  lacked the funds?Do people not realise that these are the very things the Lord promised he will be checking up on?Regardless of his positions in other areas surely it is the duty of every christian to pray that the President can improve the system which serves the young and old and all of those in pain.How can one have an authentic vision of the Cross if those who are in pain in your own country are considered  collateral damage in a culture war?I would say that apart from the urge to do something the most noble thing a christian could feel in that position is guilt.It could be a sign that there is still some movement in you yet,no matter how overcome you are with partisan politics. Those who content themselves with pragmatism surely forfeit paradise.This situation is biblical and you can almost see Christ looking at the young rich man again with sadness in his eyes for his reaction .   
15 years 3 months ago
We should clog the switchboards in Washington at 202-224-3121, with our
anger and frustration, as this is the only thing our legislators seem
to understand. Hundreds and thousands, perhaps millions have already
bombarded the politicians who are pandering only to corporate welfare
and not the 9.5 percent of jobless American workers. E-verify has
literary risen from the grave because we have pressured the morons in
the Capitol. We must neither let them weaken the NO-MATCH-LETTER or
police enforcement 287 G, not whittle away at the lightening raids of
ICE. However, we should adjoin rescinding the misinterpreted birthright
citizenships or anchor babies. law.American workers have a significant
roll to play in contacting ICE if they hear or see illegal activity in
the workplace.



Read many undisclosed facts at the HERITAGE FOUNDATION
AND NUMBERSUSA.  I anticipate this is a ominous beginning to set the
American people up for another AMNESTY? The 1986 didn't work and was
subject to massive corruption and fraud. What makes them think in 
Congress, that this will not turn into a irreversible travesty. Illegal
immigrants already receive free health care in emergency hospitals, so
they are not going to participate in a public option. We must remove
the illegal immigrants from the workplace methodically and leave our
nation, so American jobless can step into that niche?
15 years 3 months ago
But Obama himself has not been honest is his comments.  He himself is guilty of, in his words, bearing false witness.  As David Brooks has pointed out, he has consistently downplayed the cost and impact of his health care overhaul.  If this conference call was simply a pep rally of religious liberals for Obamacare, then its as disgusting a conservative religious pep rallies for Bush's policies.  He wants reform but defined only as what he wants; any other alternative is dismissed.  Instead of just mimicking the right, religious liberals should be forging a new path - creating real true dialogue where BOTH sides can offer criticism.  Otherwise our denominations will continue to be simple shills for the repsective political parties.
Did anyone ask what impact trillion dollar deficits will have on the poor in this country? What about the middle class, whom I assume Liberals think God loves as well?  What about the abortion funding provisions?

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