On August 25th the Montgomery Advertiser published the following Letter to the Editor:

Loving response the Only Christian One

“The Lord is good to all, and his compassion is over all that he has made.” Psalm 145:9.

So where is the compassion in the current health care debate? In fact, where is the debate? Critics of health care reform have chosen to shout, to lie, to misinform, and to pander to the public’s every fear. They have generated much heat, but very little light. However, Jesus tells us again and again, “Fear not.”

That’s right — Jesus. Unfortunately, many of the churches that bear his name have been either silent or on the side of the opposition when it comes to having compassion for the 46 million Americans who do not have access to adequate health care.
This is not just a political issue; it is a moral issue. As theologian Walter Brueggemann has noted, “In biblical faith, the doing of justice is the primary expectation of God.”

Jesus was a healer who had compassion for everyone who came to him. In the Sermon on the Mount — the heart and soul of his teaching — Jesus calls on us to be compassionate and to do one thing consistently: Love. If our answer to any moral or ethical question is not “loving,” then it is not Christian.

It is time for true Christians — and indeed, all people of God — to repudiate the “heat” of the fear-mongers and to apply the light of Jesus to this subject that is so critical to “the least” among us.

Rev. Rick Mason
Prattville

And the “cogent” response from someone on the side of believing that healthcare is NOT a moral issue was published this morning:

Moral Issue Claim Simply Nonsense

That’s nonsense, but it is a favorite hobbyhorse of liberals who never tire of telling others how they should spend their own money.

Here is a question for the reverend. How many homeless people are presently living in your home so you can personally provide for their every need?

If the answer is zero, why? Shouldn’t you be leading by example? Are you a hypocrite? Don’t know where any homeless are? Or are you afraid of sharing your home and money with winos, druggies, and perverts? You know, the least of us.

Well, sir, just remember what Jesus said — “Fear not.”

Stan Alexander
Deatsville

Now, I believe we need to listen to everyone and respect their opinions, but I also believe in critical thinking and any fair reading of these two arguments would give a clear win to Rev. Mason based on actual evidence cited from the Bible and biblical scholars. I also believe the “hypocrite” argument should be a red flag no matter who uses it…especially when you’re making up the facts. Stan Alexander doesn’t know the first thing about Pastor Rick Mason, nor his ministry, and he better learn up before he starts throwing around the H word.

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