What Would Jesus Do?

It is ironic that the Catholic Health Association of the United States (CHAUSA) published its stance on the recent compromises introduced to the health care bill right around Christmas. CHAUSA's approval of the changes, which give states the prerogative to allow or block federal funding of insurance plans that cover abortion so long as abortions themselves are financed privately, marks a split from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), a split that could potentially give the Democrats what they need to push the legislation through.  While USCCB calls the concessions immoral, CHAUSA believes the benefits would outweigh the costs: fewer uninsured individuals not only means greater profits for hospitals but also better health for the needy. And after all, wasn't Jesus particularly famous for healing the sick and aiding the poor?

What hangs in the balance for religious organizations like CHAUSA and USCCB is the moral cost-benefit analysis of whether the negotiation of a state-driven insurance policy regarding abortion is a greater evil than a further stalled health care bill denying millions of insurance. In the spirit of the season, then, I ask: what would Jesus do?

--Tara Tai