Preacher: God Wanted His People To Have Access To Affordable Health Care

A recent dialogue about how Obama held a conference call with religious leaders about health care was held on the program "Tell Me More". Reverend CYNTHIA HALE (Senior Pastor, Ray of Hope Christian Church, Decatur) said:

Rev. HALE: Thank you, Michel. That's a good question because for the last five to seven years actually the Ray of Hope Christian Church has been doing health clinics in impoverished areas of our state. And we've had a grave concern because many people cannot afford health care. And we believe that it is God's will that all people would prosper and be in good health and, of course, to have affordable quality health care.

To many of you these words are reasonable. They are the words of a community leader seeking to look out for the best interests of her flock.

As I listened to these words, however, I heard a carefully crafted "prayer" that was not directed at "God" but instead was a rhetorical pronouncement made to give direction to the mortal human beings that were listening in.

Continuing on my assumption that people have the right to their opinions and that I cannot force anyone to believe anything they are disinclined to want to believe I thought of a different angle to analyze this statement that troubled me so.

My assumption is that "God" is no respecter of principalities and man made systems. Instead we were created in God's image. We were made with a certain set of capabilities that God wills us to make use of.

Upon listening to Rev Hale's words I could not help but to conclude that she was not tapping upon the God given capabilities of her flock in Decatur Georgia - a majority Black "first ring" city outside of Atlanta. Instead she was channeling a message to her congregation for them to use their God given voice to advocate for government provide health care for those of her constituents who need it.

I did not hear anything about God's people and their ability to rise to the occasion, adopting a mission to provide healthy outcomes for their flock of "God's people". There was no tie-in to the need for them to educate their people to be amongst the "medical service providers" delivering these needed services to their own people - all in an affordable manner. She said nothing about what her people needed to do "away from the ball". What can they do in the way of "Healthy Lifestyles" per their behaviors framed inside of a culture that produces more favorable outcomes?

PACKAGE HER VIEWS AND MOVE THEM TO A PLACE IN THE WORLD WITHOUT GOVERNMENT

As I listened to Rev Hales words I imagined her with a flock inside of Haiti or Chad or Guatemala. Clearly without a resource rich government - some thing more than mere "God's will" would be necessary to translate the need for "quality, affordable health care" into a reality.

If this is the case absent a strong, wealthy central government - how is this any different in a nation like ours that is wealthy on the surface but which is also the greatest debtor nation in the history of the world?

Clearly her God was a God with some dependence upon America.


CONSERVATIVES AND ABORTION

I was stunned by the words of David Brody as well. He framed the conservative opposition to so called "Health Care Reform" as one of opposition to government sponsored abortion. This is what frustrates me the most about some who call themselves "conservatives". Upon listening to his prioritization it is clear that he is out of line with the key messages that are on display with those who oppose this clear power grab by the federal government.

They sound like automatons in their incessant opposition over abortion. This makes them easily dismissed as it paints them as one dimensional. Whereas I understand their concern about government funded abortions the truth is that we conservatives have problems with this proposal that goes much deeper and broader than just the question of abortion.

The "Bearing False Whiteness" is not exclusively the province of those who stand opposed to these measures. The mother of all lies is the claim that these proposals will be "Deficit Neutral".

From the Medicare program from the mid-1960's that was more than 8 times more expensive in the year 2000 than what they had projected the expenditures would be when 2000 came to the examples of the present Medicaid program and the reforms in the state of Mass. which ballooned to be cost burdens far greater than was promised at the time of signing of the legislation - THIS IS THE LIE that must be confronted.

Those who suggest that they have "God on their side" need to have God's people focused on the two cliffs that are ahead of them. The first cliff is the year 2020 when the Medicare system will be out of money. The second is the year 2035 when benefits from Social Security will be directly drawn from the "current accounts" because the trust fund will not be able to pay for the demands upon the system.

What rational, God fearing people would dare seek to load another burden upon this system that is already $12,000 billion in debt? If $12 billion in insurance company profits is a "sin" what do you call an entity that is $1,300 billion in the hole per the annual budget? How does one HATE PROFIT BUT ARE SILENT ON MASSIVE DEBT SPENDING? Would you rather have your house built on "profitable land" or the sinking sands of a debt that is exponentially larger?

God please help them see the way.