Paying for prayer?

A recently uncovered provision in the massive health care reform bill would have the US government reimbursing Christian Science practitioners for prayer treatments. Does this violate the separation between church and state? Alternatively, could including prayer encourage some people to vote for the bill? Priya Sridhar talks to Kim Geiger of the LA Times about the issue.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• church
• of
• christian
• science
• barack
• obama
• health
• care
• bill
• public
• option
• spiritual
• prayer
• treatments
• kim
• geiger

[leninstreet]

Christian science? Here is what should be the first task of such a group. Use the scientific process to prove the existence of the space god.

[junevi2000]

Kim Geiger is a real knockout.

[DrFeelRotten]

preachers already get rich enough...god has never helped one iota yet and according to the buy BULL..GAWD has already knocked off 100's of 1000s in floods and who knows what else?

[menderfire9]

@funfactory123 The Bible claims that Jesus said; "The works that I do shall ye do also," but the point is that I would not bank on the fact that I, you or a CS Practitioner can save me or my child from permanent affliction, disability, death or spreading communicable diseases if either of us had signs & symptoms of serious disease. Jesus turned water to wine, paid the rent with money found in a fish mouth. So if a CS Practitioner can't do those silly things, why trust your precious LIFE to them?

[andrewprofit]

Who do cs people pray to? Science

[TheBronagh]

@funfactory123 No, CS practitioners charge just under $700 a month for what they call "round-the-clock treatment." Seeing a doctor monthly & oftentimes getting medicine does not cost even nearly that much.

[funfactory123]

There has always been a charge for the assistance of practitioners.....and why not....if there's someone who so disciplined and still and cares about nothing else...It's well deserved....cheaper than your med doctors!

[funfactory123]

Why talk about what you do not know...the bible says out of all things get understanding and to test those who claim to teach what Jesus taught... I don't debate...I elevate...all in the name of Love...Live your life the way you want in the end you will always pay....God is Love...I pray you know it! I speak from EXPERIENCE! (^_^)

[funfactory123]

Our Master said, "The works that I do shall ye do also;" and, "The kingdom of God is within you." This makes practical all his words and works. As the ages advance in spirituality, Christian Science will be seen to depart from the trend of other Christian denominations in no wise except by increase of spirituality!

[funfactory123]

Christian Science begins with the First Commandment of the Hebrew Decalogue, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me." It goes on in perfect unity with Christ's Sermon on the Mount, and in that age culminates in the Revelation of St. John, who, while on earth and in the flesh, like ourselves, beheld "a new heaven and a new earth," — the spiritual universe, whereof Christian Science now bears testimony.

[sirellyn]

Document this? This is pretty common knowledge in Canada. Services vary on where you live. But in all cases "hours" of wait time is most often involved.

I like "free" healthcare believe me. Even though I realize it's not really free. I do honestly wonder about sustainability when every year it gets worse and that's after multiple HUGE cash infusions of money.

Is free possible? Sure, but the debt burden is giant. The US is going broke and even Canada can't seem to afford it.