I find it strange that religious groups have not spoken up about healthcare?

[still_one]

Many religious groups had no problem telling their congregations not to support Kerry or Obama because their position on choice, implying that they "value" life so much, yet their silence is deafening in regard to healthcare

During the Viet Nam war, religious leaders were actively involved in the protests

Where are they now?

[pkdu]

1. Its because...

...Book of Matthew is so much less inspiring for them than Liviticus , oh how they love Liviticus.

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. There are some, mostly of the progressive kind

Big Eddy had a program on this the other day, and he made the same point you are making about the Warrens of the world.

[JDPriestly]

3. Not true.

The Methodist Church in Ohio sent a letter to members supporting health care reform.

[Occulus]

6. Was it stongly-worded? n/t

[JDPriestly]

13. I made a separate post on this -- quoting statements from various churches.

The narcissistic evangelicals of course do not speak out on this. But then, are they Christian? Or some narcissistic take-off on Christianity?

[LuvNewcastle]

4. There are a couple of churches in my area

who have clinics and are supportive of national health care. One is Lutheran and the other is Non-Denominational.

[proud patriot]

5. I wish the Media would invite them on

That would prove a spirited debate

[Mister Ed]

7. Check out Sojourners magazine online

http://go.sojo.net/campaign/health_care
"In the face of negative ads, partisan rhetoric, fear, and half-truths about health-care reform, Christians must affirm that we believe in: quality, affordable access to life-giving services for all people."

http://www.sojo.net/index.cfm?action=action.display&item=HC09-main
"The faith community has a vital role to play in reminding elected officials that health care is not just about dollars and cents, but is a moral issue of life and death."

[democracy1st]

11. all of a sudden Jim Wallis disappeared from the tv screens

[defendandprotect]

15. Yes . . . what happened with him?

[UndertheOcean]

8. Jesus would approve , even require health care for all .

don't you think?

[LuvNewcastle]

9. Jesus would want single-payer, so

he'd have the insurance companies and most of the Congress throwing him under the bus.

[Delphinus]

10. Well,

the Unitarian Universalists came out in 2008 for Single Payer; the Methodists just recently did the same thing. I think there are quite a few of the liberal religions that endorse reform.

That being said, I don't recall that any of them have had a "campaign" to educate their congregants.

[DailyGrind51]

12. They have, but don't receive as much MSM attention.

(CNN) -- Religious groups in favor of health care reform have launched a national campaign to offset the loud opposition to President Obama's plan to overhaul the nation's health care system, organizers announced.
Health care reform opponents have confronted lawmakers at town halls, including this one in Tampa, Florida.

"This is as much a crisis of faith as it is a crisis of health care," said the Rev. John Hay Jr., an Indianapolis, Indiana, evangelical leader.

"We just believe there is a better way."

He and others spoke in a telephone news conference Monday announcing the campaign.

"As a pastor, I believe access to health care is a profoundly moral issue," said the Rev. Stevie Wakes of Olivet Institutional Baptist Church in Kansas City, Kansas.

The campaign, called "40 days for Health Reform," includes a national television advertisement, a "sermon weekend," prayer meetings and a nationwide call-in with Obama on August 19, organizers said.

Prayer meetings emphasizing health care as a moral issue were taking place Tuesday in 45 cities across 18 states, organizers said. They expected about 4,000 people to participate.

"Healing and health are fundamental religious issues," said the Rev. Jim Wallis of Sojourners, one of the sponsors of the campaign along with PICO National Network, Faith in Public Life, Faithful America and Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good.

Wallis stressed that participants in the campaign are not going to weigh in on particular policy questions. "It isn't political in a partisan way," he said. "This is a fundamental moral issue. ... You're going to hear the moral drumbeat of the faith community."

Rabbi David Saperstein of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, who also spoke on the conference call, said the current system "doesn't work for everyone."

Other groups, such as the Christian Coalition of America and the Family Research Council, are strongly opposed to Democratic proposals to overhaul the health care system, saying, among other things, that they would lead to government-funded abortion.

"We don't want abortion to enter this debate and sabotage health care reform," Wallis said. He noted the legislation now being discussed on Capitol Hill is far from a final version.

Opponents of health care reform proposals have confronted U.S. lawmakers at town hall meetings in recent days, drawing heavy media attention with their boisterous protests.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/08/11/health.care.religious.groups/index.html

[defendandprotect]

14. So true~!!! And where are labor union/women's groups calling out Democrats for demonstrations?

[Deja Q]

16. Because to do so would make teenage Jesus cry, that's why.

[gratuitous]

17. They have spoken up

You might better wonder why they don't merit any coverage in the popular media.