Media Matters: Pope Benedict v. Glenn Beck on the inalienable right of healthcare

[DailyGrind51]

"Pope Benedict versus Beck on health care as an "inalienable right"

November 19, 2010 4:11 pm ET by Oliver Willis

For some time now, Glenn Beck has attempted to use religion as an argument against universal health care. Last August, for example, Beck said that unless Jesus came down to earth and opened a clinic where he dispensed medical care, "there cannot be a right to health care":

BECK: We have a right to health care, really? God doesn't give health care. Man provides health care. So how can it be a right. If you are endowed by your Creator with certain unalienable rights, how can a God-given right be health care, unless Jesus comes down and starts to open up a clinic and heal us himself? There cannot be a right to health care, because the rights come to God.

On the opposite side of this issue? Pope Benedict XVI, who yesterday reportedly called access to health care an "inalienable right," and urged governments to ensure that their citizen have it:

Pope Benedict XVI and other church leaders said it was the moral responsibility of nations to guarantee access to health care for all of their citizens, regardless of social and economic status or their ability to pay.

Access to adequate medical attention, the pope said in a written message Nov. 18, was one of the "inalienable rights" of man.

The pope's message was read by Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Vatican secretary of state, to participants at the 25th International Conference of the Pontifical Council for Health Care Ministry at the Vatican Nov. 18-19.

The theme of this year's meeting was "Caritas in Veritate - toward an equitable and human health care."

The pope lamented the great inequalities in health care around the globe. While people in many parts of the world aren't able to receive essential medications or even the most basic care, in industrialized countries there is a risk of "pharmacological, medical and surgical consumerism" that leads to "a cult of the body," the Pope said.

"The care of man, his transcendent dignity and his inalienable rights" are issues that should concern Christians, the pope said..."

http://mediamatters.org/blog/201011190042

[silverweb]

1. My mother's head is going to explode.

She thinks Beck practically walks on water -- but she's also a devout Catholic. Oh, my....

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

6. She'll say the media is lying and they're not actually disagreeing.

Yes, I know nothing about you or your mom other than what you just said, but I am boldly making this prediction.

Inquire her and get back to me.

[silverweb]

8. I do not inquire of her.

We are so at odds in all things political and/or religious that I will not allow them to come up in conversation with her.

She will occasionally start by saying, "I just can't stand that ____(person/group/cause I support/admire)____!" If I don't deflect and change the subject immediately, it leads to hysterics on her part because I differ with her.

She's elderly, very emotional, and immoveably adamant when it comes to her opinions and beliefs.

I'll just wait for family feedback. It will come eventually, certainly by after the holidays.

[DailyGrind51]

19. Actually, Boehner tried to spin "Caritas in veritate" by claiming that it was

not a political document, when it was published two summers ago.

[Drale]

2. If it comes to a fight between the Pope and Glen Beck

the Pope is going to win, hes a head of state. While Beck has the fringe of society following him, whole countries follow the pope. Plus even though Benedict is old as fuck, I still think he could take that coward Beck on one on one.

[virgogal]

3. Most people don't much care what The Pope says,even when he's right.

[OHdem10]

4. no disrespect, but many people do respect what the Pope has

to say on Social Justice.

[DailyGrind51]

10. How will Boehner and Santorum spin this, they are both, supposedly, Catholic?

[kctim]

5. Beck will break it down to "access" vs "provide"

[DailyGrind51]

14. In America, where "access" requires cash, it is equivalent to "provide".

[ananda]

7. So is this healthcare for man and HIS inalienable right?

Or is it meant to be for everybody, including women and their right
to own their own bodies?

[DBoon]

9. to Beck, Catholicism is just a leftist "social justice" religion

A front for worldwide global communism, as lead by George Soros

[DailyGrind51]

12. A "Catholic" Republican acquaintance of mine called Pope Benedict a "European Socialist"!

Like I should have a problem with that?

[DBoon]

13. No, but the Catholic diety might

he/he should worry about being hit by lightning for casting aspersions on God's Most Holy Papal Eminence

I spent 12 years in Catholic schools. I know about these things

[DailyGrind51]

16. 16 years here! Catholics are supposee to believe the Pope is "infallible" when he speaks

"ex cathedra", or officially, meaning, that Catholics, especially doctrinaire Catholics, are obligated to accept the Pope's position of healthcare, as well as, on the re-distribution of wealth as expressed in "Cartias in veritate":

"...Economic activity cannot solve all social problems through the simple application of commercial logic. This needs to be directed towards the pursuit of the common good, for which the political community in particular must also take responsibility. Therefore, it must be borne in mind that grave imbalances are produced when economic action, conceived merely as an engine for wealth creation, is detached from political action, conceived as a means for pursuing justice through redistribution..."

http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/encyclicals/documents/hf_ben-xvi_enc_20090629_caritas-in-veritate_en.html

[pnwmom]

11. The story of the Good Samaritan and all of the healing stories

sure sounded like a pro-health care message to me. And it's also the reason Catholics have founded so many hospitals over the centuries.

Beck is an idiot. This is just one more example.

[Motown_Johnny]

15. I always fall back to The Parable Of The Sheep And The Goats

Because it is the one place in the Bible (that I am aware of) which states plainly what actions lead to "Heaven" and which actions lead to "Hell". Guess what actions Matthew lists.

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2025&version=NIV

^snip^


The Sheep and the Goats

31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

[pnwmom]

17. Yes, Jesus was a LIBERAL. As anyone who reads can see. n/t

[pnwmom]

18. dupe

[bobbolink]

20. You missed the point where Jesus demanded proof of insurance before healing people?

:shrug: