Obama Enlists Religious Left to Win Support for Healthcare Reform

by Barbara Sowell

Yesterday’s teleconference with President Obama, "40 Minutes for Health Reform," was organized by a network of religiously progressive faith-based organizations that support Obama’s plan to change our nation’s health-care system.

The 40 minute teleconference was the launch pad for a 40-day push to guilt-trip religiously naive Americans into accepting a public option for health care reform. It is no accident that proponents of Obamacare chose the symbolism of the number 40.

Jesus was tempted by the Devil after fasting for 40- days and nights in the desert. Appealing to pride, Satan challenged Christ to prove that He is the Son of God by jumping off the temple so that all can see the angels catch Him.

The Lord is tempted when He is in a weakened state, after fasting for over a month. Christ's fasting for 40 days and nights is also akin to the fasting of Moses (Ex. 34:28). God had promised that one would come after Moses who was like Moses (Deut 18:18). It may not be too much of a stretch to see this as pointing to the prophecy. In any case, we can expect that Satan will try His tricks when we are physically weak.

Jesus's scriptural response to Satan is a quote from Deuteronomy 6:16, "You shall not put the Lord your God to the test."

The nation is in a weakened state. We are tired of well over 40 days and nights of fruitless health care-reform debate. Obama hasn’t fared well as all polls show that the majority of Americans don’t want a public option. Now Obama is going on the offensive. He is again reaching out to the very churches that got him elected. Can the religiously left turn the tide?

Here’s their simple strategy:

According to the Orlando Sentinel, “Obama, who joined the last few minutes of the teleconference, used religious references such as "I am my brother's keeper" and said that misinformation being spread about reform had "a lot of folks bearing false witness." . . .

The implication is clear. If you think you are your brother’s keeper and you don’t want to bear false witness, then you will jump into the arms of awaiting health-care reform angels.

But, is Obama’s public option going to save our brother or eventually destroy him? Is it bearing false witness to point out that under a public option, health care rationing is a distinct possibility, and that the Democrats have failed to put wording in the current house bill that will insure that we won’t eventually pull the plug on someone’s Grandma???

Many of the 30+ organizations that participated in the teleconference are members of Obama’s White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, which President Obama established by executive order on February 5, 2009. The above link provides a partial list of members.

The following churches sponsored the “40 Minutes For Health Reform” teleconference:

CALL SPONSORS:

AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH (AME)

CATHOLICS IN ALLIANCE FOR THE COMMON GOOD

CATHOLICS UNITED

CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION

DISCIPLES CENTER FOR PUBLIC WITNESS

DISCIPLES JUSTICE ACTION NETWORK

EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH IN AMERICA

FAITHFUL AMERICA

FAITHFUL REFORM IN HEALTH CARE

FAITH IN PUBLIC LIFE

GAMALIEL FOUNDATION

ISLAMIC SOCIETY OF NORTH AMERICA

JEWISH COUNCIL FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS

JEWISH WOMEN INTERNATIONAL

NATIONAL BAPTIST CONVENTION, USA, INC.

NATIONAL COUNCIL OF CHURCHES IN CHRIST

NATIONAL COUNCIL OF JEWISH WOMEN

NETWORK, A NATIONAL CATHOLIC SOCIAL JUSTICE LOBBY

PICO NATIONAL NETWORK

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH (USA), WASHINGTON OFFICE

PROGRESSIVE NATIONAL BAPTIST CONVENTION

RELIGIOUS ACTION CENTER OF REFORM JUDAISM

SAMUEL DEWITT PROCTOR CONFERENCE

SISTERS OF MERCY OF THE AMERICAS

SOJOURNERS

THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH

THE LATINO LEADERSHIP CIRCLE

THE NEW EVANGELICALS

UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST ASSOCIATION

UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST

UNITED METHODIST CHURCH GENERAL BOARD OF CHURCH AND SOCIETY

WASHINGTON OFFICE OF WOMEN’S DIVISIONS, GENERAL BOARD OF GLOBAL MINISTRIES, UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

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