Thread: Love thy health care enemy, pastors say

Love thy health care enemy, pastors say

STOP SCREAMING! Or should that be "Stop Screaming!" ?

That's the gospel message from pastors trying, in their best church voices, to shut down the shout-down scenes playing out in townhall meetings this summer. The call to Christians addresses everyone regardless of their denominational flag.

The Beatitudes Society, director, the Rev. Anne S. Howard, writes:

I've attended a series of meetings this summer, filled with Christians of all kinds--progressive, evangelical, emergent, conservative, moderate, etc--and the mike-grabber in the room has often been the bully. The bully lobs his torpedoes, his agenda, into the center of the room, and his crescendoing verbiage reduces the others to silence. A few parking-lot whispered regrets follow the bully's outbursts, but nobody else steps up to the proverbial plate, or the mike.

"They will know we are Christians by our... silence?"

The Rev. Brian McClaren's An Open Letter to Conservative Christians in the U.S., On Health Care is circulating widely in progressive circles with a Christian-based case for reform. But reform-or-not, he says, Christians need to come to the conversation with love or face "huge flames of unimagined and unintended destruction."

Even if we disagree on health care reform and other political issues, I hope we can agree that it is time for us to start walking - and talking - more worthy of the calling to which we have been called, to use Paul's words, to speak the truth, and to do so always in love...

Neither do the pastors want to join the shrieking about "death panels" springing from distorted versions of the house bill's Section 1233 which calls for insurance companies to compensate doctors if they have end-of life consultations with patients.

When Christianity Today posted a piece by Rob Moll, headlined, "Will Section 1233 Hasten Patient Deaths?" the comments from pastors were scathing -- of Moll's piece, not Section 1233.

Rev. Charles Roberts wrote:

What a shame that CT has stooped to parroting the rhetoric of the reactive right, which has all but crushed civility in public conversation under its heel ... I'm coming up on 30 years in parish ministry, and I assure you that one thing people desperately need is to have open, informative and enlightening conversations with their doctors about end of life care.

DO YOU THINK... there's a religious case to be made for toning down the heat on health care?
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[quote="JohnDoe2
"They will know we are Christians by our... silence?"
[/quote]

Oh, so we should just say nothing so that bigotry, intolerance and Bolshevik behavior of the Obamatons can flourish! I don't think so.

It is the right of Americans to speak our minds. Yes, it should be done with truth and love, but what are people supposed to do when they are shouted down by the Obama Gestapo... the SEIU who beat up Kenneth Gladney in St. Louis... when the Obots get unruly and threatening and then blame that exact same behavior on anyone who disagrees with them? Or when the Obots physically attack those who do not agree with them? What are people supposed to do then... stick their thumbs up their asses and whistle "Rock of Ages?"

Please excuse my candor about this, but Americans are now faced with a situation where we absolutely have to speak up to our oppressors. It is our right to do so. Yes, we should be mindful of our words, ever mindful of our actions. But when people become threatening and even violent, we cannot stand silent in the face of their rhetoric or threatening behavior.

Violence is not the answer to the problem, but it's the Obama Wermacht SEIU and others like them who have been engaging in threatening and violent behavior at those town hall meetings.

Americans do need to protect themselves from such behavior and defend themselves if directly and physically threatened. With calm words, yes... but what does one do if one is continually shouted down as the SEIU goons have been doing?

Yes, there is the thought of turning the other cheek, and it is a good way to remain firm... but to a point. How many times does one have to be slapped in the face before they take a stand? In such confrontations it is important for all patriots to remain firm, and without giving way to violent actions. But it is also important to speak up. That's what has been a major problem over two decades which has led us to the situation we are in today:

For over two decades now the American public has been chastised for speaking their minds if what they say or think is not "Politically Correct." The term "Politically Correct" itself is a means of suppressing any speech that does not agree with the politics of the times. In other words, you are only politically correct if you totally agree with those who oppose you. It's a device that was successfully used in Germany by the growing National Socialist Party in the 1920's and in the 1930's. Gradual suppression of speech if it opposed the growing party.

What we have to understand is that words also work both ways. The Obamatons engage in vehement speech and blame it on others. On the other hand... and this may be upsetting to some people and it is not meant to be... there have been some; and I repeat, only some Christians who have not been so silent in judgment of others and who have been, in some cases, outright hateful in words and in actions against those whom they have judged not to be as "holy" as themselves, behaving in direct contrast to the teachings of Jesus. Come on, now... we know that is true.

In the long run, such anti-Christian behavior of some within Christianity has only served to fuel the aetheistic factions that have now grown strong with the desire to eradicate God from all aspects of our lives. And we're seeing that happening, aren't we? So aren't we supposed to speak up about it? Those of us who believe in God have every right to speak up about God and our beliefs... but in a mindful manner. And we'd better speak up, because now there's another religion out there that wants total suppression of all others and which is using much more violent means of achieving its goals.

Again, violence is not the answer. But freedom of speech is our shield against oppressors. It is a matter of being mindful, but with truth, with purpose and in defense of our traditions, our ideals and our freedoms.

It is Christian to care about our fellow man, including our mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, spouses, and other loved ones. When we see potential legislation that would threaten medical care to those that we love and care for, it is our duty to oppose those efforts. Unfortunately, many in our churches are pushing for amnesty and comprehensive immigration reform while ignoring the stealing of identities, the crime, the loss of jobs and wages to Americans, and the fraud and theft that illegal immigration brings. It is not right to lift up one group while stealing from other people trying to take care of their own families. Christians give so much and help so much where there are needs, but it is just not right to sanction illegal immigration or to support the efforts of this Administration to ration and determine health care decisions.

Psalm 91

STOP SCREAMING!

Sounds like good advise. I never listen to anyone who raises their voice to me.