You know, I don't often resort to Bible verses in the course of debate, being not Christian and all. But do NOT make the mistake of believing that my lack of a Christian faith means that I do not know the Bible and tenets of that faith.
Why do I bring this up? There's footage of one of these bozos who keep disrupting the townhall meetings about health care reform, yelling at a Congressperson that there will be a reckoning when he meets Gods.
Well, yes, I suppose there probably will be, if the Christian God is up there, but not like that protestor assumes. See, after a quick Google search and perusal of the Bible I came up with a few quotes that illustrate God's view on taking care of poor people:
Deuteronomy 15:7, 11
If there is a poor man among your brothers in any of the towns of the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward your poor brother. There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land.
Proverbs 31:8-9
Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.
Matthew 25:41-45
Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.' They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least among you, you did not do for me.'
Those are just a few, both old and new Testaments. So, if the apostate heathen can, with a just a few minutes of research, come up with quotes from YOUR text supporting the call for Health Care Reform and health care for everyone, why the hell can't you guys figure this shit out? Really.
Honestly, my biggest problem with Christianity has not been the text, it's the followers. Many of them, as demonstrated by the megachurches and their "gospel of prosperity," the homophobia, the misogynism, don't behave in terribly Christian ways. Some do, but most of the don't seem to get that Jesus hung out with the poor and downtrodden for a reason. Not to mention the screaming ignorance by most of these Christians, of the basic text and tenets of their religion.
Part 2 of this debate is the score of "Keep government out of my Medicare" callers, who have been utterly and completely rooked by these right-wing douchebags and their lying and scare tactics. I don't know if you've figured this out, but Medicare is a government run program. You HAVE that uber-scary "socialized" medicine courtesy of the government already. When I told my Mom, who will be on Medicare soon, about that she laughed so hard she dropped her cane (not joking, Mom really does use a cane).
Part 3 of this debate is that these protestors are being organized by professional lobbying firms that most frequently work for the insurance industry. Seriously, not even making this shit up.
Part 4... The bill does NOT have "Death Panels" in it. What does have "Death Panels" in it is our current system, where insurance companies do their damnedest to NOT pay for procedures and medications in order to make a profit, regardless of who they kill. What the bill does have in it is a provision so that people who want help with living wills and Do Not Rescusitate orders can have that. Read that: THOSE THAT WANT IT.
Part 5... I'm exhausted from trying to combat the utter and complete nonsense the Repugnicans are proliferating about Health Care Reform. I wish this was more coherent, but I'm pretty emotionally wrung out right now.
Mickey Schulz is a guest author for the California NOW blog; her opinions are not necessarily those of California NOW. Copyright Mickey Schulz, with permission granted to California NOW for use on this site.
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