Christian Right Revived by Opposition to Health-Care Reform
The Christian right, which as of late has been facing some serious questions about its remaining strength and viability, has found a new life along with the election of Barack Obama.
The right’s opposition to health-care reform seems to be its most effective method of getting back into the political game.
Conservative leaders are rallying their troops to oppose the president’s agenda. They have organized online town hall meetings, church gatherings, fundraising appeals, and e-mail and social networking campaigns.
FRC Action, the lobbying arm of the Family Research Council, has scheduled a webcast Thursday night for thousands of supporters in which House Minority Leader John Boehner and other speakers will be responding to the president’s health-care address.
The “us versus them” mentality seems to play very well for the conservatives.
Since the right’s bread-and-butter issue of abortion took a back seat during last year’s election, the Christian right has been a prime force in moving it back to the front by focusing on it as a potential part of the health-care reform.
Polls show that the health-care packages now in Congress are widely unpopular among evangelicals. More than seven in 10 white evangelical Protestants in the most recent Washington Post-ABC News poll have said they are dissatisfied or angry about the Democratic reform proposals.
As a matter of fact a coalition of over 30 conservative Christian organizations, representing about 5 million people and calling itself the Freedom Federation was formed in August. Opposition to health-care reform was the first issue on its agenda.
We can perfectly understand a Christian group, or groups being opposed to abortion. But is this really what this new campaign is all about?
First of all, is the health-care reform going to increase, or facilitate abortions to any measurable degree? We don’t know and we suspect that the Christian right doesn’t know that either, as details of whatever health-care reform is going to get finally approved are at this point unclear at best.
So if it isn’t abortion, maybe it is simply another attempt to become a stronger political force in our society. Too bad that the conservatives have picked health-care reform as their vehicle, trying to deprive all of us and themselves also of better and more affordable health-care options.
Another baffling health-care reform issue – not necessarily related to the Christian right – is the opposition by a goodly number of elderly people. As far as we can tell, this segment of the population, already covered by Medicare and often Medicaid as well is worried about “government takeover of our health-care system”. In case somebody hasn’t explained it to those people yet, they are already covered by a government health-care system, which they seem to actually like quite a bit. So what gives?
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I stay away from all things political. I occasionally watch the news and I read sites like this and stuff on Twitter, but I’m staying out of it. My teacher once told me to never talk religion or politics, because no one will ever agree on any of it.
Julie, your teacher probably was right, but some of these issues need to be discussed, so here we are
I find it hard to imagine dedicated Christians being opposed to health care for all. I do not recall the verse in the Bible where Jesus checked whether the sick had health insurance before healing them.
By stereotyping Obamakare opponents you will not take away their power you will only show you are taking a shortcut to thinking.
Harrison, there is no need to stereotype here. This particular story is about the Christian right.
As far as I can tell, with the death of Bill Buckley the repubs have lost one of the last remaining conservative intellectuals. There doesn’t seem to be any leaders left, besides Rush, Palin and Newt. Not a pretty perspective. Is it?
And you are saying that I am “taking a shortcut to thinking”. Are you joking?
Yes I am saying that. If I only read your article I would think it is the Born Agains who are holding up Obamakare but Obama’s own party is saying ‘no’ after hearing from their voters. It would be as if you wrote about Jews being against Obamakare making it sound like they were the “problem.” The problem is socialized medicine ain’t gonna fly in the US and it is the president who created this problem, not some Christians.
Harrison, you can say what you want.
Maybe that’s how you understood the article, but what it does describe is the revival of the Christian right – which has become a bit irrelevant as of late, with the election of Obama and now with the health-care reform issue. Am I hitting too close to home, by any chance?
There was no organized, politically active Christian right on the scene when Medicare was enacted in the 60s. Not that many Americans appear to want to get rid of it now, despite all kinds of cheating and cost overruns – not by the government, but mostly by the private sector,
I suppose you can blame another president – Lyndon Johnson – for approving Medicare. Who are you blaming for creating Medicaid and the Veteran’s Administration’s socialized medical coverage? Are you trying to get rid of those also?
There were numerous Left Wing organizations in the 60s and 70s. I think you purposely throw in “Christians” to throw people off. Obama said in his speech abortions would not be affected, to boos from his party, because of Obamakare.
There is no need to throw in “Christians” or “Jews” or “Hatians” or any other group with respect to Obamacare… I think we saw that people who are against this are very diverse and attempting to pigeon hole one group so as to isolate and check them off a list does a disservice.
And as far as Medicare goes it is eating a hole in our economy and we should take the care with regard to the growing future expenses of Obamacare that obviously weren’t taken with Johnson signed Medicare into law.
I happen to be a Christian. How about you? And once again: the article describes the revival of the Christian right – which has become a bit irrelevant as of late, and its resurfacing along with the election of Obama and with the health-care reform issue.
I am not trying to say that the Christian right is the ONLY group opposing the health-care reform. It is just one of the groups. Do you think that we should follow the lead of that “gentleman” from South Carolina, who has shown his true colors during the president’s speech?
Everybody knows about the excesses in Medicare and Medicaid and Obama mentioned that in his speech. Those need to be fixed ASAP.