Comments on: Paying for Prayer in Health Care

By: isaone

isaone — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:46:07 +0000

Thanks everyone for all your efforts on this one. I just got the word that the Senate Bill no longer has this provision included. The bill that was passed in the House had that sections removed before passage so we have effectively killed it.

The email I received on this is from Rita Swan who runs Childrens Healthcare Is A Legal Duty Inc (www.childrenshealthcare.org). Rita and her husband have been tirelessly working to remove the laws (currently in 30 states) which provide legal protection for parents who damage/kill their children through religious practices in place of medical care. Sadly enough the Swans came to this cause after falling prey to their religion (Christian Science) and losing their 16 month old son.

I strongly recommend that everyone support Rita’s group and join her in the struggle. For the moment though let us bask in the glow of preventing at least on more legal woo woo .

By: Exquisitim

Exquisitim — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:24:00 +0000

If we allow coverage of such claims then we are not just wasting money but we are supporting all the charlatans out there who prey on the weak and ignorant when they are vulnerable.

I know our country has a long tradition of wasting tax payer money but we should still try to do no harm with the money we waste.

By: AmoebaLasVegas

AmoebaLasVegas — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:35:06 +0000

We have a site in Australia called “Open Australia” (go here: http://blog.openaustralia.org/about/)

In their own words: “OpenAustralia is the website which makes it easy for people to keep tabs on their elected representatives in Parliament.”

Do you have something similar in the US?

All I have to do is type in some key words like “education” and they will send me links whenever that word is mentioned in parliament.

By: GHcool

GHcool — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:07:50 +0000

I just sent a letter to my representatives:

http://lfacc.wordpress.com/2009/11/05/prayer-in-health-care/

By: HHC

HHC — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:55:39 +0000

I just sent a letter off to my U.S. Congresswoman, Melissa Bean.
I truly appreciate your discussion about Christian Science as I spent some time trying to read and figure out what Ms. Eddy from the 19th century was selling. On the record and based on her works she counts her evils to include medicine, and alternative world faiths that don’t center on her Christ. As I stated before Christianity demands human sacrifice as a core tenet of its beliefs. Ms. Eddy’s version of “Christian” Science would fail to meet these expectations if it deviated from this goal.

By: TsuDhoNimh

TsuDhoNimh — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:29:42 +0000

Great! This means Navajo medicine men can collect for their healing ceremonies too! Other tribes’ ceremonies, even voudoun ceremonies can be covered … because as you know, the government can’t single out a religion for coverage or not coverage.

By: Eternally Learning

Eternally Learning — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:00:47 +0000

Steve,

I completely agree that there will always be battles like this to be fought and that no system will likely ever be perfect, but right now our government is practically designed to let crap like this in through ear marks and people with too much influence and power, and not enough objective reasoning skills. As long as our representatives are enticed to serve their own interests more than those that they represent, we are guaranteed more crap like this being shoved through at an alarming rate. If we can revamp the system to allow the people to have actual representation, I think that we will be all the better. I definitely don’t think that we should ignore these problems, but it seems to me like the American people are being divided and conquered by greedy and corrupt politicians. If we can unite behind changes that everyone can agree on then we stand a much better chance of changing things.

By: lostmountains

lostmountains — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:39:19 +0000

I can’t imagine being forced to pay for adults to abuse children and each other by denying proper medical treatment and sense. This is so offensive, I can’t understand how grown adults can actually support something like this making it into legislation, its so irresponsible and reprehensible it makes me feel ill.

I also wasn’t aware that prayer came with a price tag…is it sort of a compensation for time spent praying instead of working? In that case, if these people do in fact take so much time out of their work day to pray, because they believe that doing so will encourage God to heal them by displaying their devotion, then shouldn’t it be even BETTER to sustain that sacrifice of paid work hours? If you’re trying to show God how MUCH you are devoted to him by spending all yours hours praying, wouldn’t your lord not like that you are getting subsidized to do so by a nation of infidels, to save your own wallet?

By: Smed

Smed — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:41:00 +0000

Could someone please link to the bill itself and the section that includes the prayer statements?
Thanks.

By: jacek

jacek — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:33:28 +0000

The Secular Coalition has been making lobbying inroads.
http://secular.org/news/health_reform_bill_excludes_spiritual_care091028.html

It looks like the language has been stripped from the house bill.