Wednesday
Aug262009
Religious Right Remembers Kennedy, Rallies Against Health Care Reform
Wednesday, August 26, 2009 at 2:11PM
By Laura Woodhead - Talk Radio News Service
Conservative religious leaders paid tribute to recently deceased Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) Wednesday, while simultaneously rallying against health care reform efforts.
"When [Kennedy] faced a serious health problem he did not go to England, he did not go to Canada, he did not go to a country that has a government plan. He sought treatment in the country that he believed had the best treatment available, and that is America," said Wendy Wright, President of Concerned Women For America, during a news briefing at the National Press Club. "That is a lesson that we can take from Ted Kennedy."
Ken Blackwell, Senior Fellow at the Family Research council, added that while he has tremendous respect for the Senator, he was "in sharp disagreement" with Kennedy's views.
In regard to health care reform, an issue that Kennedy has been a figurehead for, the speakers struck a different tone.
Mathew Staver, Founder and Chairman of Liberty Council, said that it was imperative that health care legislation be prevented from passing if it does not protect the sanctity of human life.
"The Government must protect human life. Life... is not to be weighed on a cost benefit scale," Staver said. "Any health care policy that destroys our freedom and does not respect human life is unacceptable."
As alternatives to the public option, the Freedom Federation advocates TORT reform, making health care more affordable while insuring the "protection of tax payers consciences," said the Chairman.
Joining Staver was Bishop Harry Jackson, an outspoken pro-life advocate, who objected to President Obama's use of progressive ministers to convince the country that reforming health care is a moral obligation.
"What we are experiencing now is the lowest kind of partisan based politics. Trying to invoke religious privilege instead of standing high and having a real moral high mark," said Jackson.
The Bishop said that Obama was using precisely the tactics President George W. Bush was criticized for when he was accused of using the religious right as "foot soldiers" for his policies.
"It seems like the progressive ministers have gone down an even more devious and worse path," Jackson added.
Conservative religious leaders paid tribute to recently deceased Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) Wednesday, while simultaneously rallying against health care reform efforts.
"When [Kennedy] faced a serious health problem he did not go to England, he did not go to Canada, he did not go to a country that has a government plan. He sought treatment in the country that he believed had the best treatment available, and that is America," said Wendy Wright, President of Concerned Women For America, during a news briefing at the National Press Club. "That is a lesson that we can take from Ted Kennedy."
Ken Blackwell, Senior Fellow at the Family Research council, added that while he has tremendous respect for the Senator, he was "in sharp disagreement" with Kennedy's views.
In regard to health care reform, an issue that Kennedy has been a figurehead for, the speakers struck a different tone.
Mathew Staver, Founder and Chairman of Liberty Council, said that it was imperative that health care legislation be prevented from passing if it does not protect the sanctity of human life.
"The Government must protect human life. Life... is not to be weighed on a cost benefit scale," Staver said. "Any health care policy that destroys our freedom and does not respect human life is unacceptable."
As alternatives to the public option, the Freedom Federation advocates TORT reform, making health care more affordable while insuring the "protection of tax payers consciences," said the Chairman.
Joining Staver was Bishop Harry Jackson, an outspoken pro-life advocate, who objected to President Obama's use of progressive ministers to convince the country that reforming health care is a moral obligation.
"What we are experiencing now is the lowest kind of partisan based politics. Trying to invoke religious privilege instead of standing high and having a real moral high mark," said Jackson.
The Bishop said that Obama was using precisely the tactics President George W. Bush was criticized for when he was accused of using the religious right as "foot soldiers" for his policies.
"It seems like the progressive ministers have gone down an even more devious and worse path," Jackson added.
Reader Comments (2)
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Now, the policies of the conservative party have long been less than acceptable. however, this policy stance on health care reform is one of the worst. similiar to the accusations that conservatives often lob at mainstream reports on issues such as abortion, cohabitation and similiar fronts, that the movement in particular has had negative results, and done the opppisite of what was intended, the pro life movement fits that description to a tee. by taking a limited physical stance on life, rather than comprehensivly examinig the ramifications of their impact, the orginization has done more to limit the importance of humanity than strengthen it. with a skewed belief that health care rationing deals with figuring the worthiness of life, these individuals ignore the main goal: to determine effective treatment and cures that have basis in fact, and actually help the public rather than give them false hope by prescribing treatments that have no effect, or will not progress the healing of the individual. the stance of measuring the effectiveness of treatments, not people,unfortuntly has been lost on those who liken this country to orwellian and gattatica-esque melodramas and such one dimensional thinking has reduced humanity to the collection and monitoring of genetics, despite the fact that each and every day individuals defy those assumptions and predictions. the policy of abortion is too riddled with these logicical inconsistincies which dare to preserve 'life' while interfering with the lives of others under the guise of protecting 'taxpayer consciences' without regard to the fact that this is a Democratic Republic, not a Democracy, in which people's conscience dictates policy. through the methods of gore, propaganda and transparent idealologies that lack substance, the pro life movement has glossed over the varied and differing needs of the variety of people who reside in These United States, and forever destroy worthy pursuits of science and research while decreasing the public's attention to humanity and the soul. further more, bishop jackson is wrong in his understanding of the politics, Bush was using religion to appeal to those who shared his viewpoints and to give them importance beyond his rank, that is, a nature of spirituality. However Obama handles religion in a way of appealing to different minded persons, who attest there beliefs to religious ideals. that is not politics. it's simple discussion. finally, Senator Kennedy was a good man with great ambitions, and even better ideals. his sickness was unfortunate and his pursuit of medical care in this Country was not a basis of admittance that health care in These United States is perfect, but an understanding of doing everything possible to make the most of the time left, not pursuing treatments and medicines that would nor help. his dedication to service is admirable and is the only thing revealed in his final days.