Monday, March 15, 2010
Religion and Health Care Reform
In a recent interview on PBS Rob Abernathy and Simone Campbell discussed the role of religion in the health care debate. Before moving into an in depth discussion of the issue, a video of a recent “interfaith” gathering that took place at Washington D.C. is shown. In this video, we see members from a variety of religious groups speak out in favor of a universalized health care plan.
In the interview itself, Abernathy questions Campbell as to her reasons for supporting health care reform. She unsurprisingly begins by claiming that the lack of universal health care in this country is a “moral outrage.” She sounds similar to President Obama, who has called health care reform a “core ethical and moral duty” and has encouraged religious leaders to garner support for it (Unfortunately, President Obama has not explained why he himself sees it as a moral and ethical duty). Thus, it seems that on the surface, Campbell is just reiterating the ethical outlook of the Democratic Party, which vaguely embraces the call for “equal opportunity” and universal access available to all citizens. Supposedly this is an inherent “right” available to people regardless of creed or belief. Towards the end of the interview Campbell hints that her religious convictions might have more to teach.
In discussing the role of death and dying, Campbell brings her religious convictions to bear in a unique and interesting way. She notes that in this country we have a problem dealing with death. She claims that we want to prolong life as much as possible, and avoid accepting death as a part of living. She says, “As a person of faith know it’s not the worst thing that can happen to you.” Her religious perspective comes from her faith as a Catholic Christian and here adds an interesting twist to the debate over instituting a universal health care law. But to hear this voice requires us not to treat health care as a neutrally applicable universal law but instead, as one rooted in an ethical and political history. I have yet to hear such voices echoed on the Left, aside from the vague gestures towards “ethical duty” mentioned above.
What I would like to suggest is that listening to these “religious” voices in the health care debate might indeed add helpful nuance to the debate. When we start viewing health care reform as a particular ethical issue rooted in the politico-ethical background of the U.S. (based on equality, liberty, et cetera) it becomes possible to begin debating the real issue. When we start thinking about how we relate to death as a community, for example, and not just as individuals seeking to prolong their life as long as possible, it becomes possible to re-think how we debate health care. It seems that both sides of the debate have not given enough attention to the ethical implications of universal health care. Instead, the debate has revolved around the economic viability of reform. Thinking through the ethical issue doesn’t require embracing a particular “religious” voice, but it should be a voice that gives “thick” ethical reasoning behind universal healthcare. The religious voice mentioned above is but one example of the type of conversation we need to be having. Thinking about health requires us to think about life, death, and ethics in challenging ways; ways that conversations about the economics of health care do not give attention to; ways that religious voices perhaps do.
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