------------------------------------------------------------------------ * G * O * A * N * E * T **** C * L * A * S * S * I * F * I * E * D * S * ------------------------------------------------------------------------
Two new showrooms/office spaces, double height (135 sq m each with bath) for lease in upscale Campal/Miramar beach area, Panaji, Goa. Contact: [email protected] ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Catholics and Universal Health Care This is a tough one for Catholics. Most of my friends are a bit frightened by the idea of universal health care, There is a lot of talking going on in Washington, a lot of heated debate, but little light. There are so many different plans that even some Congressman do not seem to be able to tell us what the other Congressmen know or think about the subject. On top of that, many of these same friends are on the rather conservative side of the political spectrum, so they do not want the government to play any role in health care. Period. That sets up a conundrum, because the United States Catholic bishops have recently written a Pastoral letter to all Catholics, asking them to contact their Congressmen asking them to support a bill that will provide universal health care. Here is what the bishop Murphy, writing on behalf of all the bishops, wrote: “On behalf of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), I write to outline our policy priorities and to express hope that the serious efforts of the Congressional committees will bring genuine life-affirming reform to the nation’s health care system. The USCCB looks forward to working with you to reform health care successfully in a manner that offers accessible, affordable and quality health care that protects and respects the life and dignity of all people from conception until natural death. For decades, the Catholic bishops of the United States have been and continue to be consistent advocates for comprehensive health care reform that leads to health care for all, including the weakest and most vulnerable…… Reform efforts must begin with the principle that decent health care is not a privilege, but a right and a requirement to protect the life and dignity of every person. All people need and should have access to comprehensive, quality health care that they can afford, and it should not depend on their stage of life, where or whether they or their parents work, how much they earn, where they live, or where they were born.” These words can be quite a shock to a conservative Catholic who has been brought up on the belief that government assistance and handouts are not good for Americans. This is not something new. It was a shock when Franklin Roosevelt introduced Social Security payments, signing the Social Security Act on August 14, 1935. Conservatives shouted: “This is socialism.” It was another shock to the conservative Catholic when, on July 30, 1965. President Lyndon B. Johnson signed Medicare and Medicaid into law. Many conservatives yelled, “Foul. This is socialistic.” Of course that was then and now is now, and the only yelling would be if some government official tried to take away either social security or Medicare/Medicaid. So, let us Catholics put our trust in the collective wisdom of the bishops, and follow their lead in encouraging our representatives in Washington to provide health care for every American. It may take a bit of gulping, but we’ll get over it when we see our poorer neighbours getting health care they could never have afforded before. Link: http://www.examiner.com/x-22494-Cincinnati-Faith-Politics--Society-Examiner~y2009m9d3-Catholics-and-Universal-Health-Care MD.
