By By Carol Forsloff Aug 10, 2009 in Politics Christian groups are being urged to swamp town hall meetings. Some are being asked to attend and read the riot act to supporters of health care reform. It is, after all, against God’s plan for health reform, some religious right leaders now say. This is the message from Jean Markell of Maple Grove–based Olive Tree Ministries who has asked her radio listeners to attend congressional town hall meetings and directed to “to there and give them an earful. The ideal thing to do is to to go to their town hall and read them the riot act—in Christian love—but read them the riot act on this issue of health care.” Still Rep. Michele Bachmann should be spared from criticism, as Markell continued: about the Congress woman from Minnesota: “[Michele Bachmann] is one of my favorite people. She is doing just an outstanding job in Congress standing up for what is right. She’s got a target on her back. You need to pray for her and her family.” Other groups gathering to make an assault on health care at town hall meetings include Americans for Truth, The Family Research Council and Focus on the Family. The All of this occurs as more and more people have lost jobs and health insurance and people continue to be excluded from health insurance plans because of pre-existing health conditions. These issues, however, don’t seem to be addressed in the Christian right message that declares health care reform as proposed not to be part of God’s plan and therefore to be rejected. God and politics are the hot combination in the health care debate. As Obama was painted by some religious right members as the anti-Christ or worse, now his reform measures are being attacked as against the law of God. Health care reform is one area of attack, with town hall meetings going on all over the country. But what do they say about why God doesn’t want people to have health reform?This is the message from Jean Markell of Maple Grove–based Olive Tree Ministries who has asked her radio listeners to attend congressional town hall meetings and directed to “to there and give them an earful. The ideal thing to do is to to go to their town hall and read them the riot act—in Christian love—but read them the riot act on this issue of health care.” Still Rep. Michele Bachmann should be spared from criticism, as Markell continued: about the Congress woman from Minnesota: “[Michele Bachmann] is one of my favorite people. She is doing just an outstanding job in Congress standing up for what is right. She’s got a target on her back. You need to pray for her and her family.” The Minnesota Family Council says that Obama’s plan for health care reform is against God’s design and, according to its president, God has created government to do certain things. When we reject His design for government, in a sense, we’re rejecting Him.”Pritchard goes on to explain that Obama expects people to trust government, not God and socialist models are against the laws of God and involve rationing and waiting periods for care. The Christian Coalition of America has a similar message, warning Christians about Barack Obama’s health care program as alien to God and Christian teachings. They maintain “that reform of health care would “provide care to illegal aliens, while rationing care to elderly and disabled American citizens.” This pits seniors against immigrants in the health care reform debate. They also declare on their webpage, “Stop the takeover. Visit our action center.”Other groups gathering to make an assault on health care at town hall meetings include Americans for Truth, The Family Research Council and Focus on the Family. Focus on the Family specifically requests members to attend town hall meetings and “demand that abortion funding be explicitly excluded from any reform bill.”The American Family Association tells its members to keep the pressure on: “Don’t let the liberal left silence you! The future of our country and our children and grandchildren is at stake.”All of this occurs as more and more people have lost jobs and health insurance and people continue to be excluded from health insurance plans because of pre-existing health conditions. These issues, however, don’t seem to be addressed in the Christian right message that declares health care reform as proposed not to be part of God’s plan and therefore to be rejected. More about Christian right, Health care reform, God More news from christian right health care reform god