Religious Health Care Supporters Launching Campaign

[babylonsister]

http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/godingovernment/2009/08/update_religious_health_care_supporters_launching_campaign.html

Religious Health Care Supporters Launching Campaign

By William Wan


In the latest escalation of health care battle, faith leaders supporting the health care reform announced Friday morning that they're launching a major push that will include a TV ad campaign, nationwide prayer events and a "health care sermon weekend," rallies and call-ins to congress.

All this, the faith leaders hope, will counteract the recent mobilization of conservative Christians against health reform, who have rallied their opposition around the issue of abortion. As Jacqui noted this morning, the conservative Christians have been on the warpath with lobbying, phone calls, e-mails, letters to Congress and plenty of prayer.

The more liberal faith-based groups are now battling back to support health care reform. Leaders said they'll hold a press conference call on Monday at 11 a.m. with details, but promised it includes "major new initiatives," calling it "40 Days for Health Care Reform." Here are some details from their press release:

"* Monday, August 10: New National TV Ad Released Featuring Local Evangelical, Catholic & Mainline Pastors and People of Faith

*Tuesday, August 11: In-District Prayer Events Nationwide Reaching 100+ Members of Congress

* Wednesday, August 19: **Major National Event to Be Announced on the Call

* Friday through Sunday, August 28-30: Nationwide Health Care Sermon Weekend

* September 1-18: Large-Scale Meetings in Key States with Members of Congress, A Major Event with Local Leaders in DC the Week of September 14, Plus Prayer Rallies, Call-in to Congress Days & Online Campaigns"

The campaigns being headed by prominent religious leaders in the social justice and faith-based movement:

*Rev. Jim Wallis, President, Sojourners
*Rev. Adam Hamilton, Senior Pastor of the 13,000-member Church of the Resurrection, Leawood, KS
*Rabbi David Saperstein, Director, Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism

Local pastors and people of faith featured in the TV ad:

*Rev. John Hay, an evangelical leader from Indianapolis, IN, who for the past six years pastored a church two blocks from two hospitals, on the frontlines of the health care crisis
*Rev. Stevie Wakes, a PICO clergy leader of Olivet Institutional Baptist in Kansas City, KS, who is active in his church and community on health care and reaching out to legislators on both sides of the aisle
*Linda Filippini, a PICO lay leader of Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church in Melbourne, FL, who is struggling to afford health care with her husband and does not know how she will get coverage when he retires

Here are the groups sponsoring the campaign:

PICO National Network, Faith in Public Life, Faithful America, Sojourners and Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good.

[Joanne98]

1. This is great news.

[babylonsister]

2. I thought so, too. These folks have a lot of influence. nt

[Walk away]

3. This would be a great time for the Catholic church in the U.S. to help..

it's congregation for a change. Instead of encouraging Catholics to vote for the party of money and lies they might at least try to explain that real health care reform will help them not hurt them.

I'm sure that's too much to ask but it would be a big step to regain their collective soul.

[Tulio]

4. Tulio was finally able to send you a PM

Babylonsister, I sent you a PM.

Thank you!

[babylonsister]

5. Got it; I guess 50 was the magic number. nt

[ejpoeta]

6. it would be good for them to show that the crazy nutjob 'christians'

don't speak for everyone... because i believe there are probably a lot of good people who actually follow and live their beliefs. we just don't see them like we see the crazy people who are more than happy to go all over the tv and spout their idea of 'christian values'

[FatDave]

7. That's great news.

I hope they have the sense to point out that Jesus's message was pretty clearly "help the poor".