40 Minutes of Religion

"this call from many different denominations and faiths"
"bearing false witness"
"I want to repeat it so that every member of your congregations understands"
"core ethical and moral obligation"
"I am my brother’s keeper and my sister’s keeper"
"speak the truth".
"Time and again, men and women of faith have helped to show us what’s possible when we’re guided by our hopes and not our fears"
"the way that our religious faith instructs us"
"God bless you."
These are phrases you might expect to hear in a church service, however these were the troubling words spoken by President Obama in his address "40 Minutes for Health Reform."
They are troubling not because a US President spoke them, nor because they were used to push for health care reform. What troubles me is the US President who spoke them when speaking to a group of Christians for health care reform.
I do not question President Obama's salvation, that is not for me to determine. However, this man, who is now trying to use the Christian faith, scriptures, and morality to support health care reform, in the past has been blind to the Christian faith, scriptures and morality. Obama is turning to morality when it benefits his agenda, however when the moral abomination of partial birth abortion is on the docket his morality and Christian faith hold no ground. He is willing to socialize health care on account of "morality" but will not stand up for those who are the most vulnerable. I am troubled because the US President is using Christian faith, scriptures, and morality only when it benefits him and his agenda. As a Christian I am troubled when another Christian uses their faith only for their own gain.
On another note, is the health care reform Obama is calling for even supported by the Christian faith, scriptures and morality? When did Jesus say, "When someone comes to you asking for something to drink or for some bread, you should send them to the nearest government office so that they can get food and water?" Obama is right that it is necessary to care for those in need. I would even argue that as Christians it is our responsibility to care for those in need. However, we go down a dangerous road when we hand over our opportunity to be compassionate to our government. There used to be a day when the church provided for the social needs of the community. The govenrment has moved in on many of the areas the church used to serve, and maybe that is because the church is lacking, but the solution is not to give more of our respinsibility to the governement. The solution is to begin to be the church. If the church cared for the poor, fed the hungry, and healed the sick, there would be no need for a social health care system oh what I mean for health care reform.