Secular Sanity

By Marie Alena Castle

One special interest that should not be involved in the debate on health care reform is religion. Yet provisions are proposed that exclude abortion to accommodate religious belief in such things as single-celled persons, and others that disadvantage equitable coverage for same-sex partners out of ignorance of sexuality and its variations. Now there is a requirement to pay for prayer-only treatment for Christian Scientists. It’s in the Kerry-Hatch amendment C-14-short title: “Religious Non-discrimination in Health Care.” This is payment for “treatment” that consists entirely of refusing to admit an illness exists! How irrational can health care reform get? This one beats “death panels” for the looney-tune prize-and it is actually in the bill!

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By Marie Alena Castle

If Gov. Pawlenty had stated in his Sept. 18 Washington speech that his conservative values included marginalizing racial minorities, the uproar would be worse than what we have over health care reform. Yet, he shamelessly marginalized the majority of Americans who are non-Christian, liberal Christian or nonreligious by advocating that our laws and public policies be based on his fundamentalist version of Christianity.

It is entirely appropriate for Pawlenty to advocate for his preferred economic and other public policy issues, but sectarian religious beliefs are personal and have no place in government. Europe suffered through centuries of religious wars as sect after sect attempted to take over and impose its beliefs on the entire population. Our nation’s founders learned from that and gave us the First Amendment prohibition against mixing religion and government. If Pawlenty does not understand this basic fact of our history, and cannot keep his religious beliefs to himself, he is unqualified for any public office.

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