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Truth in Health-Care Packaging
The health care reform legislation that is emerging from the sausage-making of the Congress is not about abortion. In these summer days of 2009, the country is about to embrace a comprehensive reform that will catch up with the far-sighted vision of Catholic social teaching for protecting the poor, the elderly, and healing the sick. None of the plans will use government funds for abortions or force Catholic doctors and nurses to violate their consciences.
Catholics are free, of course, to be Republicans or Democrats or Independents when it comes to deciding about issues like health care reform. They are free to make political choices based on a reasonable assessment of the legislative measures most likely to bring about a realization of our faith values. But all Catholics are also bound in conscience to promote social justice. As articulated in Pope Benedict XVI's most recent encyclical, Caritas in Veritate, Catholic social justice includes the issue of abortion, but is not limited to that alone.
Faithful to the papal call for lay participation in the vital issues of the day, key Catholic leaders in Washington are well placed in Congress and the Obama Administration to exercise a watchdog role in health care reform, preventing government funds being used to pay for abortions. Likewise our Catholic values are protected by having Kathleen Sebelius, a Catholic laywoman, with direct oversight on health care. In the Faith-Based office of the same department is Alexia Kelley. While head of Catholics in Alliance, Kelley drafted the bedrock principle of her public service: "The Catholic Church believes that every human life--whether young or old, guilty or innocent, born or unborn--is both precious and sacred....It remains as the foundation for all principles and elements of social teaching." Bishop William Murphy, speaking for the U.S. bishops testified in the Senate that "the moral measure of any health care reform proposal is whether it offers affordable and accessible health care to all, beginning with those most in need."
Abortion has entered the debate only because of the insurance provisions of health care legislation. As it now stands, the private sector may offer coverage for abortion costs in a medical insurance plan. After all, the right to an abortion has been upheld by the Supreme Court in Roe v. Wade. If the free market system wants to offer a choice to clients willing to pay for those services, I see no way for politicians to act unilaterally to deny constitutional rights. What we should hope for --- an apparently are now achieving - is a limitation on that right. We Catholics have worked as voters and citizens to prevent OUR tax dollars from financing someone else's choice. Likewise, no doctor or nurse can legally be forced to participate in an abortion. (It happens sometimes, but the law gives us a day in court.)
The proposed legislation for health care reform reflects this political stance: allowing freedom in the public square because it is the law; working as citizens to prevent tax dollars financing abortions or laws that violate freedom of conscience. When the new legislation informs the public of existing insurance plans, it is not promoting abortion. In fact, because the public option for a government-linked insurance plan will not include coverage for abortions, every Catholic worth his/her salt (conferred at Baptism) should promote this public option.
All of this reflects positively on Obama's sincerity in pledging to reduce abortions when he met the Pope at the Vatican in July, 2009. So why have persons like Dr. William Donohue of the Catholic League written that President Obama wants to "send the public an invoice for killing kids in utero"? Dr. Donohue is not known to be at a loss for words, so inquisitive readers can contact him. One possibility, however, is that Dr. Donohue doesn't understand the role of Catholics in the modern world or the Constitution of the United States. In any event, it is always better to use reason rather than emotion in approaching the key issues of the day. I suggest we Catholics keep "our eye on the prize" and do everything possible to promote Health Care reform now.
BY
Anthony M. Stevens-Arroyo
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Posted by: ccnl1 | August 10, 2009 4:34 AM
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Those who play sports should be required (and many are) to have supplemental health insurance.
Those who are obese should be also be requrired to have supplemental health insurance. Ditto for those who use tobacco products. Ditto for those who use addictive drugs to include alcohol. Ditto for those who gamble. (Some of this health insurance/education coverage is already part of the taxes on such products and activities.)
Posted by: ccnl1 | August 10, 2009 1:29 AM
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CCNL1,
You wrote: “How in the world do we get this situation under control? A pill to temporarily eliminate the sex drive would be a good start. And teenagers and young adults must be constantly reminded of the dangers of sexual activity and that oral sex, birth control pills, and chastity belts are no protection against STDs. Might a list of those having an STD posted on the Internet help? Sounds good to me!!!!”
If we can stop abortions and STDs with pills and publishing lists, why not other sins. We should do the same in other areas of improvement needed in our country. Just few examples:
Sport injuries to baby boomers cost the nation over $18.7 billion in 1998. www.cpsc.gov/library/boomer.pdf
Americans' extra weight costs the nation as much as $93 billion in annual medical bills, and the government pays about half of that amount, ... www.usatoday.com/news/.../2003-05-13-obesity-usat_x.htm
New national study shows correlation between gambling growth and the significant rise in personal bankruptcies. Personal bankruptcies cost more than $40 billion in 1996. SMR Research Corporation.
While we think in more areas of sins elimination, please help me with some data about the religion affiliation of the people having “one million abortions and 19 million cases of STDs per year in the USA alone”. In ten years that could cover close to 200 million people. I’m curious because non-religious people tend to use pills to avoid pregnancy and condoms to avoid both pregnancy and STDs. Besides, non-religious are no more that 10% or maximum 15% of the population in our country.
Posted by: JUSTACOMMENT | August 7, 2009 9:42 PM
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How about the woman in Florida who, upon going to a doctor for complications for her pregnancy was FORCED by the State to be confined to a hospital for bed rest - even though she had two other small children? When are you fetus-lovers going to stop?
Posted by: Athena4 | August 7, 2009 4:07 PM
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Some observations for those eyes that have not seen before:
Abortion boils down to one simple question, when does human life begin?
One paramount observation/law: There is basic human morality that goes beyond the OT and NT. A growing baby dies without nourishment. A baby dies without nourishment. There is no difference.
And so a growing baby is considered by some to be nothing more than an infection/parasite? Talk about having no respect for life!!!!!
And Nature or Nature's God is the #1 taker of everyone's life. That gives some rational for killing growing babies or those suffering from dementia, mental disease or Alzheimer's or anyone who might inconvenience your life???
We constantly battle the forces of nature. We do not succumb to these forces by eliminating defenseless growing children!!!!! And then compound the horror by having insurance pay for it!!
It is obvious that intercourse and other sexual activities are out of control with over one million abortions and 19 million cases of STDs per year in the USA alone.
from the CDC-2006
"Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) remain a major public health challenge in the United States. While substantial progress has been made in preventing, diagnosing, and treating certain STDs in recent years, CDC estimates that approximately 19 million new infections occur each year, almost half of them among young people ages 15 to 24.1 In addition to the physical and psychological consequences of STDs, these diseases also exact a tremendous economic toll. Direct medical costs associated with STDs in the United States are estimated at up to $14.7 billion annually in 2006 dollars."
How in the world do we get this situation under control? A pill to temporarily eliminate the sex drive would be a good start. And teenagers and young adults must be constantly reminded of the dangers of sexual activity and that oral sex, birth control pills, and chastity belts are no protection against STDs. Might a list of those having an STD posted on the Internet help? Sounds good to me!!!! Said names would remain until the STD has been eliminated with verification by a doctor. Lists of sexual predators are on-line. Is there a difference between these individuals and those having a STD having sexual relations while infected???
Posted by: ccnl1 | August 3, 2009 4:24 PM
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I think you made a mistake in your article. You should have written that the health care reform legislation should not be about abortion, but it is.
Unfortunately, nothing in the bill prevents abortion funding nor prevents mandatory coverage for abortion services. If the health care bill fails, and it very well may, it will be because the leadershihp in Congress refused to add provisions to ensure that abortion is not covered.
Posted by: pro-lifecatholic | August 3, 2009 2:27 PM
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"So why have persons like Dr. William Donohue of the Catholic League written that President Obama wants to "send the public an invoice for killing kids in utero"?"
Because his agenda is more than religious. He's the poster boy for O'Reilly Catholics who live in fear and anger because Limbaugh hate radio and RNC Fox news profit from fear, uncertainty and doubt.
Donohue is a caricature of an ignorant and intolerant Irish Catholic and perpetuates the stereotype.
Posted by: coloradodog | August 2, 2009 9:00 AM
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The comments to this entry are closed.
Those who play sports should be required (and many are) to have supplemental health insurance.
Those who are obese should also be requrired to have supplemental health insurance. Ditto for those who use tobacco products. Ditto for those who use addictive drugs to include alcohol. Ditto for those who gamble. (Some of this health insurance/education coverage is already part of the taxes on such products and activities.)