Update: Please read our new post “The United Methodist Church and Health Care Reform”
Everyone is encouraged to engage in the John 10/10 challenge, engaging in 10 actions over 10 weeks to help bring about a just and holistic health care system. Jesus provided a promise of God’s grace for all when he proclaimed we shall “have Life, and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10, NRSV) Please consider joining this important effort. For information on how to develop a John 10:10 team, please see: John 10/10 Health Care Reform.
I am really getting frustrated at the Methodist church when they step into political issues. We are going to trash the best health care system in the world and bankrupt this country for a feel good program. If you you think that the govt should run health care, then examine the “free” health care the govt gives native americans.
Numerous ridiculous distortions & lies (i.e. genocide of the elderly), are
being being promulgated to frighten people. I can only laugh at Senator
Richard Shelby of Alabama, who is now claiming that President Obama’s
plans amount to “the first step in destroying the best health care
system the world has ever known.” How totally absurd can you get? The
fact is, America’s health care system is very much in need of reform.
Consider this. The United States ranks 31st in life expectancy (tied with
Kuwait & Chile), according to the latest World Health Organization
figures. We rank 37th in infant mortality (partly because of many
premature births) & 34th in maternal mortality. A child in the United
States is two-and-a-half times as likely to die by age 5 as in Singapore
or Sweden, & an American woman is 11 times as likely to die in childbirth
as a woman in Ireland. Forty-six million Americans are without health
insurance. How much more in need of reform can we be?
I doubt that more than 25% of UMC members in this conference support
the efforts or philosophy of Jim Winkler “our” lobbyist in DC on Health
Reform. Sure, the General Conference declared a “right to healthcare”,
but why does that translate into over 4,000 pages of Senate and House
proposed legislation which will anger patients and bankrupt a health delivery system which has been wrongfully villified by people who
should be dedicated to seeking the truth. I will withold whatever
percentage connectional taxation comprises if my annual pledge.
Why doesn’t the church leadership seek a consensus on this highly
political matter or are they afraid of the truth?
I am shocked at the view of health care by the UMC. We have the best system in the world and we care for many as our Lord commanded. Putting us into a health care system NOT enjoyed by many in Canada, England, France, etc. this is the beginning of the loss of a world class system. I have read pages from this bill and it is so full of holes and trickery. I understand the political bosses in Washington they are always about self interest, but the church.
I have been a United Methodist my entire life. As a health care provider, I am appalled at the outright support of ObamaCare by the UMC. In a recent sermon, my minister asked the congregation to pray for the passage of healthcare reform. Over the past decade, the UMC has taken a sharp turn to the left as it has embraced nearly every aspect of social justice. What once was a worship service is evolving into a political rally for progressive ideas. The idea that the UMC is the church of “Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors” must only apply if you support this vision of society. I believe it is immoral to steal (i.e. progressively tax) the hard-earned income from the productive members of society and give it (i.e. provide “free” healthcare, housing, etc.) for those who either refuse to work and or budget appropriately. We are confusing rights with responsibilities. We have the right to freedom of religion, expression, and speech; however, we have a responsibility to provide those goods and services for ourselves and our families such as food, housing, and healthcare. I believe in the value of hard work and self reliance. Any church that so outwardly promotes a “progressive” view of society has no place for members like me.
I’m with you!! I am absolutely appalled at the number of UM leaders who are so quick to tell you that you’re not a “good Methodist” or a “good Christian” if you don’t support “Obamacare”.
I AM a good – - – lifelong – - – Methodist, married to a UM pastor – - – and I am a Christian seeking to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ and to be “better than I am”. Can’t call myself “good” because scripture says there is no one who is “good”.
Keep the faith and keep up the fight. Funny that I found your comments while searching for the way (again – they don’t make this easy) into our Health Care Website!!!!
Oh, one other thing . . . I have been TOLD that I’m not a good Methodist or a “real” Christian for my opposition to Obamacare, and I have already SUFFERED from the changes and they aren’t even fully implemented.
Healthcare may need some tweaking, but not a complete overhaul. I have a problem with our lawmakers trying to pass a bill that, when first offered, nobody had read. Red flags abound !!!!! This is being played as a do good bill about healthcare. It doesnt take hundreds of pages and tons of secretiveness and manipulation if it was really just healthcare. But lets pass it so we can THEN find out what is in it. hhhhmmm I agree with Dr Millsaps and Dr Fulghum.
I have been a United Methodist for many years. I am extremely disappointed to discover that the Church officially supports this health care fiasco. I understand and agree that all persons should have access to medical care. But this bill is not about healthcare and I do not support it. I will be prayerfully reconsidering my financial support of the United Methodist church.
I am very disappointed in the UMC for it’s support of ObamaCare. How can the church support a program that allows tax payer funds to pay for abortion? Health Care Reform could be attained without spending trillions of taxpayer dollars. Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid entitlements are government run entitlements that are going broke. This entitlement program will be no different. Further, it will destroy the quality health care that we now have. I agree that the church needs to stay out of politics. I want my name to be removed from the membership of the UMC.
Funny how President just said he hopes the Republicans in Senate don’t use parliamentary tricks to slow or try to stop this bill…ironic that is exactly what they just did in the house…and I agree with Dr. Millsaps, the UMC is moving away from its core and into the political world at its own peril and is leaving me in the process…very disappointing…
Nancy Pelosi lied when she said that the UMC supported the Health Care Reform Bill. After talking with my minister today and asking about this statement, he reassured me that the UMC Conference did not as a body support this bill. As in all denominations, there are some members that did support this bill, but a few people in the United Methodist Church does not speak for all of us. Call your district office to get the truth about this.
I have been a member of our local church for close to 30 years. Nancy’s comments was a wake up call that helped alert me to the position the United Methodist Church takes on this an many other issues – most of which I disagree. I am ready to use my money to support the causes and church organizations that are focused on helping people – not influencing politics. I am so disgusted with our denomination. While I love my local church and the people in my community – I will not financially support a denomination that thinks they can speak for me on a poltical forum.
Shelby,
You’re saying the UMC does not support this bill in the comment section of an article that says it does.
The United Methodist Board of Church and Society (the lobbying arm of the UMC, apparently) is the group that Pelosi was praising for their support of the bill. Meanwhile, the General Conference, technically a separate entity from the Board of Church and Society, says that it took no stand on the bill (while the church in principle endorses universal health care). If that is correct, then it seems that the UMC wants it both ways – to be active politically and lobby for legislation that the leadership wants, meanwhile being able to tell concerned members that it has no opinion on the legislation. I have emailed Bishop Ough of the West Ohio Conference to explain the relationship between the GC and the UMBCS and why the apparent disconnect between the two entities within the UMC; I’ll post his response here when I receive it, hopefully tomorrow.
Ron, thanks for the clarifying post.
Last summer Bishop Ough preached the sermon at Lakeside, OH and it could not have been more clear that he is a proponent of “Social Justice”. The premise of his sermon was clearly to shame those who oppose the passage of the health care bill. Some members of my family were so shocked they walked out!
I look forward to reading your post after your conversation with Bishop Ough. Thank you for your efforts! You are a great American!
Shame on the Methodist Church for involving itself in this cotroversial piece of flawed legislation. Your grandchildren (I don’t have any) will be paying all their lives for this destruction of the best medical system in the world.
I have been a Methodist for over 70 years, but if the UMC does not quit endorsing this tradegy of a health care thing and keep out of politics I will soon be with out a church home. By the way, don’t kid yourselves the abortion funding is still in there, when we kill our children with my tax dollars you will not get my support Federal law over rides any executive order. The UMC must quit politics immediately and return to the practice of our Christian faith. I have no faith that they will do what I am saying, so I guess that I will say this, I love the people in our church and I will miss them. But I will worship the Lord as I think he would like me to. Yours in Christ afm
Thank you UMC for standing up for the least of us!! I have never been so proud to be a member of the United Methodist Church.
I have recently joined the United Methodist Church. I was unaware of its political involvement until Pelosi thanked the church from the floor of the House. I am now reconsidering my membership in the church. I attend church to worship God not to practice politics.
I am very disapointed.
I have been a lifelong member of the UMC. When I heard Pelosi thank my church for support from the floor of the House, my stomach turned. What a wake up call! I believe like Ron W. (above) that our DC lobbying arm is way out of touch with what’s going on in the membership of the church. If supporting this health care fiasco and lobbying effort is indeed where UMC stands, I think UMC owes it to its membership to clarify their stand. Like others have stated here, I don’t want to leave my church which I love, because of a political stand I wasn’t even aware of until this past Sunday.
I was more upset over the United Methodist Church being involved in the Pelosi scam than the actual Obamacare package. If the church will sit back and let prayer and God be taken out of our schools then I should have expected this latest step in the political arena. I am very disappointed in the United Methodist Church administration for stooping this low when the majority of American’s did not support this healthcare plan. What did the UMC administration get from this – what was the price they were bought for?
Can anyone explain to me why our charitable giving is being used to support a “lobbying arm” of the United Methodist Church? And, more importantly, why do we have a lobbying arm?? Isn’t this just the type of behavior that Obama says churches should lose their tax-exempt status over? I guess it’s o.k. if you agree with him. I’m completely disgusted.
I do not support the healthcare sham that the left wing calls reform. I do support reform of our healthcare system which, although better than most, still needs some work. I have long wanted an answer to the question T. Kampwerth asked – why does our charitable giving, money we give to God and His Church, go to support political lobbying arms? That has been happening for years – look at the United Methodist Women! We can’t even get any women to be a part of that anymore because, as one member said “I’ve paid for my last abortion sister”. I’ve always been proud of the United Methodist Church, but we’ve got to get a clue. We’re fading into oblivion b/c some within the church want to push their political agendas on all of us. Let’s get back to focusing on God!
I’ve been a life-long Methodist and always proud to support my church with our time and resources and prayers, but my husband and I have been deeply shaken to discover the UMC’s stance on this healthcare bill this weekend. It is with deep regret and heaviness of heart that we will be talking with our pastor and begin looking for a different church; we don’t feel we can financially support the church now in good conscience. We will be praying for all those of you who find yourselves in the same position; you are not alone.
I HAVE HEARD A LOT OF COMMENTS ABOUT THE CHURCH’S SUPPORT OF THE HEALTHCARE BILL. I AM VERY HAPPY THAT MY CHURCH SUPPORTS THIS BILL AND I AM OF THE OPINION THAT THOSE WHO FIND FAULT WITH THE CHURCHES POSITION SHOULD RETHINK THEIR POSITION AS A CHRISTIAN. MOST PEOPLE WHO OPPOSE THE BILL OPPOSE PRESIDENT OBAMA AND HOPE THAT HE FAILS. SHOULD WE NOT BE PRAYING FOR HIM AND OUR COUNTRY. I AM 63 YEARS OLD AND AM SELF EMPLOYED. I PAY OVER $30,000 A YEAR FOR HEALTH INSURANCE WITH A $5000 DEDUCTIBLE. I AM ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO IS HOPEFUL FOR SOME BENIFIT FROM THIS BILL. SHOULD ONLY THE WEALTHY BE ENTITLED TO HEALTHCARE. I THINK NOT. WHY SHOULD CHRISTIANS STAND AGAINST A BENEFIT
THAT WOULD HELP ME AND OTHER LESS FORTUNATE PEOPLE. I SAY “BRAVO” TO THE UMC FOR TAKING A STAND. I AM LOOKING FOR A FAIR SHAKE, NOT A HAND-OUT.
I am so proud of our church standing up for the poor on this health care
bill. Do you think Jesus would turn the poor out without health care?
I have been a member of the UMC for my entire life. I will be no longer. This absolutely sickens me. I can see now a huge migration of members away from UMC.
It appears to me that many of the comments submitted by folks objecting to the healthcare bill are speaking as if The United Methodist Church helped develop this new legislation on healthcare. This document was never before General Conference. GC voted expressing concerns for equality for healthcare for all. That has been a concern from the beginning of The UMC and dates back to Christ’s call on us to care for the stranger, the hungry, and the poor. I am glad that this bill passed if for no other reason than that it will be before us to look at the issue of healthcare more seriously than we have. Let’s try to work this issue out like reasonable rational people instead of hateful, name-calling, finger-pointing protagonists. Lord, forgive us our destructive attitudes and words.
I have been a member of UMC all of my life. I did not realize I needed to check on the political views of my church. I thought it was about God. I am very sad that UMC has chosen to be politically active. I do not believe in a church denomination supporting or denouncing any legislation. The UMC is too diverse to have a few speak for everyone. I believe the United Methodist Board of Church and Society should be disband. I have a meeting with my pastor today. If action is not taken to do something about the political lobbying of the UMC, then I will have to find a new church home. I will deeply miss my church family.
My vote is against having political representation in Washington, other than our elected officials. Please honor seperation of Church and State.
I was watching the Heath Care vote in the House last Sunday night and almost fell out of my chair when I heard Nancy Pelosi say that the UMC supported the Health Care plan! I googled UMC and Health Care and sure enough I found that not only does the UMC support the current Health Plan, but they are officially in favor of “single payer” heath care! I grew up in the church and have attended United Methodist churches for over 40 years and have always suggested the UMC to people looking for a church. For the first time I am thinking of leaving the church. I believe in health care for all and favor common sense reform, but not a government run plan for all people. It is 100 percent un-true that the current Health Care bill will cut the deceit or even break even. It will drive up premiums for all policy holders and if allowed to go forward the government regulations will surely force all private insurance to fold. The new taxes alone will keep economic growth down and there will be many future taxes added to products and services the government deems to be ”un-heathly” (sin taxes). The way the government will cut costs is by the government run health care panels to deny and ration treatments, encouraging abortions (yes), pushing birth control on all, and by continually lowing the age limits for common treatments used today to extend life (pace makers, heath surgeries, organ transplants, costly cancer treatments, etc.). Remember in one of the Town Hall meetings when President Obama stated that medical treatments should not be subjective and mentioned that maybe people of a certain age should be told to just take some pain medicine and go home no matter what their zest for life is? Yes, age charts will be created that indicate what treatments will be “allowed”. Sounds very compassionate doesn’t it? Today Medicare/Medicaid deny more medical procedures than private insurance and routinely short pay doctors on services (this raises medical costs for everyone to make up for what the government does not pay). Talk to doctors who treat cancer patients and they will tell you that those with private insurance have many more options for treatments than those on government plans and doctors have the ability to lobby insurance companies to cover treatments that may be initially denied. Go to the official UMC web sites and review all the liberal policies supported. Talk to your pastors and fellow church members and start a movement to force official UMC views to require approval of a majority of the UMC membership. Together we can force change and retake control of our church.
This post has been updated with a link to our new post “The United Methodist Church and Health Care Reform.” The new post provides some more information on the topic.
Fellow productive UMC members-where do we go to oppose this? If not, what denomination agrees with us? I too am fearful of the Marxist idealogy our church is promoting!
My family and I need to rethink whether we should even be members of a church that is so progressively liberal in it’s ideas. I use to say that I would no longer be a member of the UMC if they endorsed politically or otherwise homosexuality. Since it appears our apportionments now support political activists intent on destroying this country rather than actual charities, perhaps the time has now come to leave.
It looks like my post from earlier today got deleted – oh well. The response I received from the Bishop’s office over the weekend only served to underscore how far left the UMC has been dragged over the years by the GC. It’s sad and frustrating at the same time.
I AM DEEPLY CONCERN OVER THE COMMENTS IF ITS TRUE THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH HAS TAKEN A STANCE TO SUPPORT THE HEALTH CARE BILL. I JOINED THE METHODIST CHURCH BECASUE MY HUSBAND IS A METHODIST AND WE HAVE RAISED OUR TWO DAUGHTERS IN THE CHURCH AND ONE OF OUR DAUGHTERS TEACHES IN A DAY SCHOOL FOR THE METHODIST CHURCH AND MY HUSBANDS FAMILY HAS A LONG HISTORY IN THE METHODIST CHURCH. I HAVE KNOWN FOR A LONG TIME THAT THE METHODIST CHURCH IS LIBERAL AND I HAVE ACCEPTED THAT BUT THIS HAS GONE TO FAR. MY CHURCH IS OPERATING IN THE RED BUT THEY DO HAVE RESERVES IF IT GETS BAD ENOUGH AND THIS ACT WILL NOT HELP.
I am from another state and have been reading your comments. Thank you!
At least you folks can speak out on your conference’s website.
Our bishop is clearly one of the social engineering activists and isn’t interested in hearing any dissent; hence the lack of any channel to do so on our conference’s website — not that I can find anyway.
BTW, I never thought I would be grateful to Nancy Pelosi for anything, but I do thank her for outing the UMC activists on this, not that we should not have seen it coming.
I’m afraid I am going someplace else to worship, too.
The Peace of Christ to you all. R
[...] am so disgusted with our denomination,” one commenter wrote on the blog of the North Carolina Conference. “While I love my local church and the people in [...]
I hope that our General Bd of the United Meth Church is not taking sides with Nancy Pelosi in this health care reform bill. If so, it is a very short sighted decision. This reform that appears to be leaving our next generations mountains of unsustainable debt, and was won by back room deals and political arm twisting, should leave us all distressed by the future of our country. Decisions to reform our health care should have been debated openly, and solutions found that would not bankrupt our nation. For the United Methodist church to publicly support this 2000 + page bill, is an embarrassment to many of our faithful members. We want our church to support reasonable health care for all persons, but to take sides in a political debate is not what we expect.
To leave the church is one solution, but I don’t believe that would help anything. Our primary reason for being, is to be disciples, and that involves being faithful and obedient to our Risen Lord Jesus Christ. He would not want us sidetracked by this political discussion. He would want us to be following Him in acts of loving service. We hope the church will regain its proper focus.
UMC should not be poltical. I want my name removed as a member also.
Quite frankly I am a little disturbed by this stance. Obviously, this support for the bill was publicized before the final agreement with pro-life Democrats regarding federal funding for abortions. Not so sure an “executive order” really changes that anyway, but it’s the principle of the thing. Also, how do preachers, and other prominent church leaders side themselves with the Bill Mahers and Keith Olbermanns of the world who hate religion and call Christians hatemongers, racists, and homophobes? I do not get it. At the very least, they should state their support for ideas without getting involved in one party or the other. Our preacher has said in Church: “we, as democrats” meaning himself, but it has no place in a church service. I am seriously considering finding another church. Too bad if other people decide to leave also.
I and my family have been in the United Methodist Church since 1982. I just completed a three year term as Chairman of the Administrative Committee for our church in Western North Carolina. We are sad to say, that after learning of the church’s stand on political issues, homosexuality and abortion, we are looking for a new church home. It is very disturbing to see what minority liberals have done to a once great institution. You cannot change GOD’s word !