by Rick Lowe

Well, well. Now the president of the Bahamas Christian Council, Rev Dr. William Thompson, has apparently decided to join the chorus of those using derogatory terms to describe people that have reservations about the governments “perfect plan” for health care.

During his annual charge to Parliamentarians as president of the Christian Council, he is reported in The Tribune as saying that “Those in leadership positions in the country who oppose the National Health Insurance Plan are “spiritually immature”.”

So let me get this straight Rev. If there are sound economic arguments against a government policy, based on historical and current data with socialized health care systems, and one suggests an alternative plan that will be better in the long term, they are “spiritually immature”?

There is one other point I would appreciate a little clarification on please sir. And that is what the role of the church might be?

I ask this because you are quoted in the same Tribune article of Thursday, January 18, 2007 as saying that “Previously, the church had to “almost single-handedly support persons in society who did not have the finances for special health care”.”

I realise that many of the churches today are established to “help” their preachers live a lifestyle that is beyond the reach of most Bahamians, but there was a time when the role of the church was to help those in need.

So Rev, those that might differ with NHI might be “spiritually immature”, but they just might have “economic reasoning”. And sensible public policy will inevitably be better for Bahamians than programs based on emotional and political rhetoric.