I have great respect for Bishop William F. Murphy of Rockville Centre. But his comment in Catholic News Service irks me. He’s saying that if there is healthcare reform it should include illegal immigrants.
We can have that discussion. And while nobody with a conscience would allow people to be turned away from care, I think Bishop Murphy went a little far in his advocacy. According to CNS:
Bishop Murphy said Catholic hospitals will not turn illegal immigrants away if they don’t have medical insurance, but he believes it will be more cost-effective if the undocumented are given an opportunity to buy into an affordable health insurance plan.
On “the issue of health care, if it leaves out immigrants, it is doing what some people want it to do in terms of the unborn,” he said.
Well not exactly. You know what would be more like it, if we funded little storefront medical centers across the country and dragged illegal immigrants into them unwillingly and either burned them alive or stuck long needles into their brains or maybe just pulled them apart limb from limb.
And the President could say that just because the country made a mistake by allowing them to enter, that doesn’t mean we want to be “punished with a Mexican.” (HT Obama “punished with a baby” comment) We could call them Mexibortions.
But we’re not doing to illegal immigrants from Mexico what we do to babies are we? No. Hey, at least Mexicans would still have Mexico to escape to. There’s no Mexico for babies.
HT Pewsitter
September 24, 2009 at 12:15 pm
So life begins at conception but we should only care about it as long as it has the proper paperwork.
Got it.
September 24, 2009 at 1:27 pm
Craig,
You and the good bishop seem to be confused as to the role of the Church and what Christ commanded us to do. The bishop believes that Christ's commission to him is, "Be cost effective in loving one another as I was cost effective in loving you."
Apparently he thinks that the three things that remain are faith, hope and socialized health care; and the greatest of these is socialism.
What is truly amazing is that we are called by God to practice charity in our personal lives. Too many bishops would rather do away with that requirement by having the government pick up the tab. Maybe that way they could get back to doing really important things like trying to run EWTN off the air or hand out honorary degrees and titles to pro-abortion politicians.
September 24, 2009 at 1:50 pm
Wow- good analogy Matt.
September 24, 2009 at 2:34 pm
Um… Craig, I admit to being not as in-tune with CMR comment-leavers as I might be, but: are you a freelance troll, or do you consider it your vocation to haunt CMR's bridge in particular?
September 24, 2009 at 3:40 pm
Just look at Craig's avatar as a turd in the punchbowl of life.
September 24, 2009 at 3:56 pm
Why does America have to be the sucker of the world? Go to any foreign country and ask to be taken care of and see how far you get. In Mexico foreigners better have cash or a credit card when they show up at the hospital. Why are we alone expected to wipe every nose and and diaper every bottom of the world?
September 24, 2009 at 4:44 pm
WingletDriver,
Christ commanded us to only help the unborn who are legally recognized by the state?
Dymphna,
According to this recent article, some American retirees are moving to Mexico for better, cheaper healthcare:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2009-08-31-mexico-health-care_N.htm
Here are some quotes:
"It sounds almost too good to be true: a health care plan with no limits, no deductibles, free medicines, tests, X-rays, eyeglasses, even dental work — all for a flat fee of $250 or less a year.
To get it, you just have to move to Mexico."
"Bob Story, 75, of St. Louis, had prostate-reduction surgery at an IMSS hospital in Mazatlán and discovered that patients were expected to bring their own pillows. It was a small price to pay, he said, for a surgery that would have cost thousands of dollars back home.
"I would say it's better than any health plan I've had in the States," he said."
September 24, 2009 at 4:53 pm
paladin,
I don't consider myself a troll at all, actually.
Anonymous,
Stay classy.
September 24, 2009 at 4:56 pm
On a visit to Rome in the late 90s, my mother fell on the Via Veneto and broke her hip. We spent the afternoon in Rome's ER, and were never asked for money, insurance, a billing address – nothing. They took care of her and sent her on her way. So I guess we're not the only suckers in the world.
September 24, 2009 at 5:17 pm
I really don't think the bishop was comparing a lack of health care for immigrants to abortion.
"How can we say that we're a country of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for all who come to our shores if we say, 'except the unborn.' Or, if we say, 'except the handicapped.' Or, if we say, 'except the new person,'" Bishop Murphy said. "Then we have not lived up to the high ideal of our country. And we have introduced a sense of injustice into a plan that should be just for all."
In terms of politics, I tend to think that this proposed system is not the right way to go.
In terms of the faith, as I understand it, the bishops are absolutely correct in demanding healthcare for all. From conception, to natural death.
And so if we are having a national discussion about healthcare, it is our duty as Catholics to remind everyone of human dignity. The unborn, the elderly, the handicapped, and yes, even the illegal immigrant, they all deserve our help and protection.
God bless, and I enjoy your blog.
September 24, 2009 at 5:23 pm
Craig your snarky comment set the tone for this forum. Pretty typical of the "social justice" set. So may I suggest that you keep your "Stay Classy" comment sir?
September 24, 2009 at 5:29 pm
Anonymous,
It was the original post by Mr. Archbold that "set the tone" and the follow-up posts from Siobahn and Dan were wonderful!
September 24, 2009 at 6:13 pm
Craig,
Christ commanded all of us to be charitable. St. Paul to Corinthians makes it abundantly clear that in the end there is faith, hope and charity. The good bishop is worried about insurance, not charity. You seem to think that charity can be forced through the IRS.
Your version of charity is to vote for people who will redistribute wealth. This obviates charity; so we are left with faith, hope and socialism. Nothing about the system today prevents any Catholic or Christian from exercising charity.
In Boston the Catholic Archdiocese had to shut down its adoption services because they would not comply with gay couple placement. In the future will the Church have to shut down their hospitals so as not to be complicit in abortion, contraception and euthanasia? Before you answer, realize that was actually part of Hillarycare, which was less radical than Obamacare. Also, the rationing (yes it is all versions of the current bills) is a violation of charity. Will Catholic hospitals be partners in life and death with Obama?
In the end, will there be a separation of church and state or will the Church be subservient to the state? Sounds to me like the USCCB, Bishop Murphy and you prefer the latter. As for me, I believe that Christ's great commission to love thy neighbor is directed to me and every individual and not to a collective bureaucracy.
September 25, 2009 at 8:28 am
I cringed when I opened this post. This is a point that I usually depart with most conservatives on. But Matthew is correct in his point that it is not the same. Abortion is an intrinsic evil. It is not comparable and the bishop has made a grave mistake there.
With regard to the comments I think almost all have valid points. I won't go into the many reasons that I believe even if this was a great health insurance public option it would be a serious blunder. I will say that though we may need health care reform or even health insurance reform we don't need government health insurance.
As a Hispanic woman, married to a Mexican man, and personally knowing quite a few illegal Mexican immigrants, I will say that I am thoroughly annoyed that millions of phone calls can jam D.C. to prevent "amnesty" but nothing of the kind can be done for the unborn. That's just disgusting and is clearly inspired by racism and ignorance.
(I make the distinction of illegal "Mexican" immigrants because people tend to forget the multitude of illegal Irish, Chinese and other immigrants. Many of which know better how to work the system. So I don't appreciate the Mexican jokes associated with this issue.)
By the way, one downside to being an illegal immigrant is you're paying into Social Security and taxes and see none of it back. It's a fact and one trade off they live with to be in this great country in exchange for having committed fraud to be here. They are some of the more Conservative thinking people I know until La Raza or the like get to them and fill them with lies.