A reverend and a rabbi discussed how their religious views agreed or clashed with health care reform before a small crowd in Philips Hall of the Christopher Cohan Performing Arts Center on April 14.
Faith and Health Care Reform was the second discussion in a three-part series produced by Cal Poly biological sciences senior Rachel Hornstein as part of her senior project, which researches how current hot topics in health care are shaped by people’s religious morals.
“I wanted to know what religions say about health care issues like abortion, death panel and physician-assisted suicide,” she said.
Rev. Dr. Curt Miner from the United Church of Christ (UCC) began his speech with a story from the Bible: the parable of the Good Samaritan, in which a priest and a Levite walk by without caring for a robbed and wounded Jewish man, but a Samaritan, though the Samaritans and Jews typically despised each other, helps him out.
“It’s about doing the right thing because it’s the right thing to do,” he said. “Offering or accepting help from someone, even an enemy.”
Miner then spoke about the historical background of the UCC and how the church has supported and helped Africans-Americans, homosexuals and disabled people get rights since America’s beginning.
In the discussion of the overhaul of the nation’s health care system and passage, the church sided with the adoption of the health care reform, and so did Obama, he said.
“We are supposed to be talking about faith and health care reform, but I need to stick my toe in politics,” he said. “Before he resigned from his church for political reasons, Obama attended Trinity UCC.”
The health care reform will make health care more affordable and accessible for millions who need it, Miner said, though “It will be years before we know if it accomplishes that or not.”
Rabbi Scott Corngold from the reform sect of Judaism quoted passages from the Bible, the Torah and other Hebrew scriptures like the Talmud and the Shulchan Aruch.
“‘Doctors are required to reduce their fees for the poor. Where that is still not sufficient, the community should subsidize the patient.’ -Shulchan Aruch” he said.
It’s the Judaism responsibility to see the overall well being of the larger community, he said.
“Humanity is in partnership with God,” he said. “Do not stand idly by if someone is in need.”
Reform Judaism sees public tradition in the health care reform, he said.
After the speakers had finished, audience members asked the clergymen questions about different health care issues. Both said their religious communities are pro-choice, supporting women’s right to choose whether to have an abortion.
Miner said his church also allows people to choose their end-of-life care when asked about death panels.
While under Hospice, Miner’s mother was given a significant dose of pain medication to the point of her passing away.
“UCC says end of life decisions are personal,” he said.
Corngold said the reform in Judaism tried to come up with a consensus, but it’s a delicate line, and reform Jews don’t have a unified stance either for or against the panels.
Biological sciences senior Mitch Bunnell attended the discussion to find out more about the policy behind the health care reform.
“I wish they would have addressed more policy issues, but I was glad to see they had similar views with their faiths,” he said.
Biological sciences sophomore Misty Moyle said she didn’t know much about the faith perspective or why religions would oppose or support the reform.
“It wasn’t what I expected, but in a good way,” she said. “I was relieved to hear people of different faith supporting the health care reform.”
Hornstein said the final discussion in the series will focus on current politics.