Health Care Reform

Health care reform in the United States is a concern for both those that are inside and outside of the U.S. government. One group of individuals who feel strongly about voicing their opinion and wanting to have an influence in the shaping of health care reform for the nation are the U.S. Catholic bishops - rightly so. Any religious group, including the Catholic bishops of America, should be given the opportunity to voice opinions to congress about health care reform. I feel that the church has a duty to raise morale concerns and to be the "religious aggressors" that push for the wellness and well being of those subjected to health care.

To me it seems that sometimes the ultimate goal of health care in the United States is to make money. We live in a highly capitalistic society - so making money is always a deciding factor. Let's think about it. If there were no sick people in the world than the pharmaceutical companies wouldn't be in business. Certain epidemics such as cancer, AIDS, influenza, diabetes, and hypertension keep monies rolling in year after year into pharmaceutical "banks". There’s a push to make sure that medicines and care options are at the forefront and available for those that can push money into electing these care options. But what about servicing those that are in poverty, and are poor, and can't afford these medicines and health care options? This is where the church should have an influence. As religious leaders getting involved in the policy making - we should not be pushing "religions" - but rather we should be just practicing the love and care for humanity that our faith so duly charges us with doing through our deliberations.

In the end the government is going to decide what it’s going to decide, but sometimes it takes that little voice far off in the distant to help move one to look at things from a different perspective. As our nation is set up - it’s not the governments’ duty to show love and compassion from a religious perspective. They make and set laws for the land. It's the church's duty to be the religious foundation for the world and to help bring certain cares and concerns through a loving perspective. The church does not have the final say in the government, but it ought to have an influential effect on those that make decisions that effect personal lives on a day to day basis.