"Petition 18" - THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT - 2013 Conference of WNCCUMC (Methodists

The God of the Bible revealed through the prophets and incarnated in Jesus seeks wholeness and wellness for all his children; and

John Wesley advocated personally for the poor, and encouraged early Methodists to advocate for healthcare for the poor; and

The Affordable Care Act passed by the United States Congress and signed by President Obama will help many, many poor people in the WNC Conference to receive medical care through Medicaid, which is a social justice issue; and

The United Methodist Board of Church and Society joined in an amicus brief supporting the Medicaid expansion provision in the Affordable Care Act; and

¶162 V Right to Health Care of The 2012 Book of Discipline says “We believe it is a governmental responsibility to provide all citizens with health care;” and

Under the “Health and Wholeness” section of The Book of Resolutions it says that circumstances need to be corrected “in which health is hindered or thwarted,” which the state government of North Carolina has done in its ruling against the expansion of Medicaid expansion for the poor; and

The un-affordability of health insurance can be seen clearly by comparing health insurance for full-time clergy ($13,500) to a full-time worker earning minimum wage ($14,560); and

It is an act of social injustice to deny poor United Methodists living in North Carolina the Medicaid benefits other poor United Methodists are receiving in other states under the Affordable Care Act; and

To do nothing or say nothing about such injustice is to sin against love according to Matthew 25: 31-46 and Luke 10:25-37, therefore, be it

The leadership of the Western North Carolina Annual Conference will seek to do justice (Micah 6:8) by petitioning every state representative representing United Methodists in the bounds of the Conference, and the Honorable Governor of the State of North Carolina, Pat McCrory, to implement fully the Affordable Care Act for the people of North Carolina, as an act of justice.

In a UMC church in the Charlotte, NC area this past Sunday the pastor from the pulpit said that every member should sign up for Obamacare, and every member was given a copy of "Petition 18" which was approved at the Western North Carolina Conference of the UMC in July 2013.

The Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church
http://wnccumc.org/

WNCCUMC Conference Report Resources
http://wnccumc.org/grow-learn/2013-annual-conference-information-resources

The Creation of the Religious Left

"When people reflect on the Christian church they generally picture a fellowship of believers whose focus is on *spiritual growth*, *spreading the faith*, and *good works*. These were the church's primary goals until the last few decades. There is a wide gulf, however, between yesterday's goals and today's agenda. The American mainline churches the most prominent of which are the *United Methodists*, the United Church of Christ, the Presbyterian Church (USA), the Episcopalians, the American Baptists, many Catholic leaders and orders, and the Lutheran Church in America - have realigned their priorities in a frighteningly *political* direction."

"A growing percentage of Christian leadership has abandoned its role as *spiritual shepherd* because it no longer considers humanity's *spiritual welfare* its greatest concern. A great many bishops have rejected *winning souls* in favor of *influencing political issues*. Church bureaucracy now neglects traditional mission in favor of *lobbying for political causes*. In fact, certain sectors of the church now make it their primary business to manufacture, widely distribute, and finance a radical agenda by which they hope *to save the world*. In doing so, they have created the *Religious Left*."
http://cmpage.org/betrayal/chapt1.html

The United Methodist Church still seems to be involved with the pro-abort Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice-

http://rcrc.org/?page_id=7

The following is from the RCRC Blog:

May 23, 2013

Dear Representative,

We, the undersigned national religious groups, urge you to oppose H.R.1797, the “District of Columbia Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act” sponsored by Representative Trent Franks (R-AZ), which would create a nationwide ban on access to abortion care 20 weeks after fertilization, with no exceptions in cases of rape, incest or fetal anomalies. It explicitly bans later abortion care for a woman whose mental health would threaten her life or her health. We stand united across our faith traditions in opposing this extreme legislation.

Proponents of this bill have cited the Kermit Gosnell case as a reason to push this intrusive policy, but the fact is that the lack of access to safe and affordable abortion care is precisely the circumstance that drove women to an unscrupulous person like Gosnell, as it did to so many women before Roe v. Wade. The existence of his clinic is a ghastly warning sign of what happens when abortion is so restricted and expensive that a woman in need feels that she has nowhere else to turn.

A family with a wanted pregnancy that goes terribly wrong is confronted with awful decisions that none of us ever want to face. Our religious values call us to offer compassion, support, and respect to a woman and her family facing these difficult circumstances. H.R.1797will only make a challenging situation worse. When a woman needs an abortion, it is critically important that she have access to safe and legal care.

It is telling that Representative Franks, in a press release announcing that he would be expanding the focus of H.R.1797 from the District of Columbia to a nationwide ban, does not make even a single reference to a woman, her family, or her situation.

Like all Americans, Rep. Franks is free to have and share his own religious beliefs about issues related to pregnancy and parenting. Liberty is an American value. However, H.R.1797 is a clear attempt to impose one particular religious belief on the whole nation, and thus represents a gross violation of the freedom to which every American is entitled by the Constitution. The proper role of government in the United States is not to impose one set of religious views on everyone, but to protect each person’s right and ability to make decisions according to their own beliefs and values.

We believe—and Americans, including people of faith, overwhelmingly agree—that the decision to end a pregnancy is best left to a woman in consultation with her family, her doctor, and her faith. Our laws should support and safeguard a woman’s health – not deny access to care. Please show compassion for women and respect for religious liberty by opposing HR 1797.

In faith,

Anti-Defamation League
Catholics for Choice
Disciples Justice Action Network
Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America, Inc.
Jewish Council for Public Affairs
Methodist Federation for Social Action
Metropolitan Community Churches
Muslims for Progressive Values
National Council of Jewish Women
Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice
Religious Institute
Union of Reform Judaism
Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations
Unitarian Universalist Women’s Federation
United Church of Christ, Justice and Witness Ministries

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