Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Religious Left Gets Active on Healthcare

Reuters reports that leaders of the religious left (somehow Jim Wallis is never mentioned, but he probably vacations in August) are getting active in supporting the President's initiatives on healthcare. The reasons: (a) this issue has a moral dimension; (b) leaders of the religious right are behind a lot of the opposition.

Sisters and brothers of the left, please note that this religious conservative (a) agrees that this issue has a moral dimension; (b) cares as little for leaders of the religious right as you do.

But this religious conservative takes a different view of this issue precisely because we believe that the reasoning and evidence is overwhelming that the proposed reforms will provide worse healthcare, not better, and serve fewer people, not more.

So please: stop posturing morally and engage the issue at the level evidence and reasoning. You can't out-compassion someone just because someone who superficially agrees with that someone is a stupid-sounding televangelist.

3 comments:

Christian said...

Have you reported yourself each time you write one of these posts? Either way, would you like others to report you as well? :)

Christine said...

The religious left (like the secular left) does not appear to care if universal health care will really give more people better care. The larger issue is that of "justice." For those on the left, religious or not, justice means that no one gets anything better than anybody else (except of course for certain oppressed groups that deserve more)even if that means everybody gets less. At least that way it's "fair."

caress said...

I hate that compassion has become partisan. It's ridiculous that one or another party or ideology can have sole claim to compassion, justice, etc. etc. etc.