Some good conversations are taking place in various forums on the web. People are asking, with seriousness and honesty, why most Christians oppose universal health care.

Most of the evangelical Christians I know are Republicans. All of them, as far as I know, oppose universal health care (UHC). I’m not talking about opposing Obama’s plan, or the Clinton plan. I mean, they oppose the very idea of universal health care, just as the Republican party has opposed it for as long as I can remember. No matter what form it might take, they’re against it. Even if the economy were in great shape, Republicans would still oppose health care, and so would evangelical Christians.

Why is that?

Put aside your reasons for opposing the Obama plan–the cost, the timing, the details, the flaws, the uncertainties. I’m asking in a more general way: as a Christian, why do you oppose any kind of UHC, whether in the past, present or future? Are you merely embracing the full Republican ideological menu, which doesn’t allow room for UHC? Or do you have biblical reasons?

It seems to me, and to other people asking this question, that UHC sounds like a made-to-order cause for Christians to champion.

• Much of Jesus’ ministry involved healing. Everywhere he went, he healed people.
• Jesus emphasized ministering to the poor, to the disadvantaged, to people unable to help themselves.
• UHC combines both of these emphases, which were so central to the heart of Jesus–healing, and providing for vulnerable or poor people.
• It is within our power, as the richest nation on earth, to provide UHC to all of our people. Lesser countries are doing it. Does it please God that we don’t?
• People who lose their jobs also lose healthcare benefits; they are vulnerable people. Shouldn’t a Christian be on their side? Or does the Bible support leaving these people to fend for themselves?
• When people die because they can’t afford to get tests and procedures done, or go bankrupt because they had the misfortune to get cancer–is that something Christians should be party to?
• When it is within our power to help, and we don’t–how is that characteristic of a Christian nation?

When you think about it, doesn’t a position in favor of universal health care seem closer to the heart of Jesus than a position against universal healthcare?

If Jesus were here, would he agree that UHC is a bad thing, and that Christians should have nothing to do with it?

I’m just asking.

What is the biblical case against UHC? Why should Christians adamantly oppose it? Why does UHC violate Christian values?

Go ahead–give me a biblical (not a Republican) argument. Why should I, as a Christian, oppose universal health care? Because I’m really puzzled.

I’m a trusting sort, but skeptical. When I hear something that doesn’t ring true, I check it out, do some research. The internet makes that easy. You still need to use discretion in your sources of “truth,” and that’s a subjective thing (some people would look to Ann Coulter or Oprah as a reliable source, for heaven’s sake). But seeking verification, like Doubting Thomas, is a good thing.

Politifact.com to the rescue! This site, which won a Pulitzer Prize for its fact-checking during the 2008 presidential campaign, does an excellent job of verifying and debunking. I’ve found it very helpful.

Politifact’s Truth-O-Meter takes statements made by politicians, pundits, and others in the public arena and gives them a rating:

• True: The statement is accurate and there’s nothing significant missing.
• Mostly True: The statement is accurate but needs clarification or additional information.
• Half True: The statement is accurate but leaves out important details or takes things out of context.



• Barely True: The statement contains some element of truth but ignores critical facts that would give a different impression.
• False: The statement is not accurate.
• Pants on Fire: The statement is not accurate and makes a ridiculous claim.

Hundreds of statements are in the Truth-O-Meter. They have them categorized by subject, and each one includes an article explaining the true story. A useful category right now is “Health.” It shows that most of the statements being made against the proposed health care bill are false. So are some of the statements being made by health-care proponents.

Politifact also publishes the Obameter, which tracks 500 promises Barack Obama made during the campaign. A screenshot from the current Obameter reading is up above.

Politifact is a project of the St. Petersburg Times, one of the country’s premiere newspapers.

Another good source is FactCheck.org, run by the Anneburg Foundation. They are more academic in their approach–not nearly as fun as Politifact–but do a credible job. They were given physical access to Obama’s birth certificate last August and did a thorough analysis.