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Lisa Sharon Harper and David Innes discuss the possibility of a Mormon invocation at the RNC.
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Take on that debate on the panel today -- co authors of the book -- left right and Christ evangelical faith and politics Lisa Sharon harper.
Is and David and it's Lisa is in it Los Angeles and David is right here with me welcome you both.
Thank you very much.
Think he agreed to be your name and it's great to be here to and I -- I did just first of -- I notified -- fight kind of -- defined what this argument has been sort of touted in both left and right I mean Lisa what do you think you -- it is that's kind of how it's been happening it's like.
But you talk to the conservative side you hear that it's about religious freedom if you talk -- the liberal site we hear this is a women's rights issue.
Is that -- or or not.
Sure and they think that that is actually the way that it's been.
Touted in the media but the really isn't that.
You don't guide actually -- that each person is made in the image of god.
Made his image and because of that you know I actually believe that we really should be supporting the kind of health care that.
Extends and and gives access to health care to -- -- people including women as possible.
You know we have a high poverty rate right now we have a fifteen million people who are not insured.
And be -- for Affordable Care Act.
It actually gives extends health care to 32 million.
More people.
Let's talk about that okay and and I gave it.
Well the that we were made in the image of god all of us men and women both and that means we are valuable.
That doesn't mean the government asked for five different thing for us and what we've -- whenever the government steps in.
To an area where it doesn't belong and I didn't intended to be problems arise and what you have -- government stepping into this whole health care matter.
And then of course they want to micromanage everything and they say well.
-- companies have to provide for some reason birth control to every one and that's got some people's religious liberties and the government doesn't care in this how we this is how we ended up there.
Let let's listen to the president is out about that helped her -- and how it is that it had direct appeal to boot -- the woman vote.
Take -- listen.
I never felt this -- before but it's a scary time to be a woman can't -- it's just fell out of touch.
Romney opposes requiring insurance coverage for contraception.
And Romney supports overturning Roe vs.
Wade Romney backed a bill that outlaws all abortion.
-- -- say is this affair and I this is it.
Accurate to.
I'd like actually address something it's very inaccurate and with what David just dead and the reality is is that.
The app permission the -- that the Obama administration.
Announced.
Was that it actually would not be.
It would not require.
I religious institutions to -- the coverage themselves and actually would require insurance companies.
To me to make sure that and that coverage is covered by -- but I -- we haven't.
I wanna get energy because I know this is that the comeback is but many of these religious institutions -- and our self insured in which this facility in that case they would actually be paying fort.
Anyway I think that's -- bit.
That the issue of surrounding it and also for you know religious people who not all businesses are privately owned company said gonna continue.
Certain that the that the information is not perfect -- The reality is is that we should be supporting the kind of legislation that helps people to live.
-- -- health care fundamentally is really about the right to life.
If you have poor people who cannot afford.
To paid for high insurance it's insurance.
Plans didn't.
It's really up to all of us to use all of the measures possible.
The church.
The markets and governments to make sure that every human being with in our borders.
Has the ability to live.
But David responded up.
Well who I think they were talking a birth control which is not a life and death issue and if that's all -- that is so David if that's all that were.
Then we would have a much more limited.
Surgically.
Directed.
Policy instead we have the government takeover of our health insurance industry which is is.
It's it's it's the -- tool for a -- a delicate issue.
But I mean he's -- know what you need to -- when -- -- I want to respond to that ad directly -- -- is at a fair.
Depiction.
Mitt Romney and and how he is looking at that health care law.
Well I mean what I what I would say is that.
What we're talking about -- we're talking about the ability for women to be able to protect their lives.
And their bodies and you know.
The fact actually David is that.
Just last year there was a study that was released.
It's said that women's.
Ovarian cancer can be risk of ovarian cancer can be cut as much as 70%.
-- by use of oral contraceptives.
So contraception is not always.
In and actually not only about.
Preventing -- sometimes it actually is about.
Preventing -- My.
I understand that that I understand how birth control can be used for more than just birth control.
Box.
Is that the government's business to be telling.
All insurance companies that they have to provide this forever -- -- were no matter who the employers that's just goes.
Far -- we don't know you could -- I think it's the government's business.
To be able -- to do it every -- to protect the lives of its citizens.
You know we can I can I -- some of the president said in the speech I bet he said.
Decisions that affect a woman's health are not up to politicians.
Or insurance companies -- -- the women behind him and said they're up to you.
But with the system he set off.
Decisions are up to politicians and government bureaucrats and even at the end of life government will decide whether -- delivered -- whether your life is worth spending.
Health care dollars on or not that's precisely the system he set up he must not understand what he set up.
-- you know -- wanted to topic number two because the big health care law's going to be.
-- is gonna be hotly debated the next few weeks and -- -- cohort so we're we're going to be perfect.
Pull out more time to hash that out.
But our next topic is they would look at the Republican National Convention met -- kicks off in just a couple of weeks.
All the bloody each day will be a spiritual leader from a variety of faith traditions who will give an invocation.
Will there be -- of Mormon among the group as the first woman to be nominated for president Mitt Romney has not talked much about his -- Not too much on the campaign trail.
And one would assume because of his tenuous kind of standing with the evangelical Christians -- a problem with us.
So how -- a blessing from the church of latter day saints affair at the convention.
That's a question for the panel Lisa wanna start with you again because -- in -- -- I feel like you're so far away that I wanna bring UN.
Little birdie so the perfect -- okay so so you think you mean.
And -- Is is is it something how would that actually go over.
We know honestly I think that this is the kind of question that.
We spin in the -- and Internet sphere but it doesn't really matter you know what the kind of thing I really think we should be talking about it.
-- you have to question what wouldn't let let me run the administration.
-- they interact with the Ryan plan.
Which by the year 2050.
You know the -- -- would actually got the American government of almost everything except for.
Some Social Security sound medical care and ironically -- and health care.
And then in in defense so.
You know what let's talk about that what really matters is also how the Romney administration would.
I deal with the house GOP which just last week passed legislation's.
That will raise.
Taxes on the -- well at the same time cutting.
Taxes.
For rich people.
-- that you know I think having his right as a person of faith that matters to me but Yahoo! and Latin that would -- M.
Not -- the invocation.
No -- is no material things don't really matter in the long way Whitney did you know what David -- you have to admit this is going to matter for the Republican Party because this -- been an issue within the Republican Party about he always had a hard time.
With the evangelical Christians went down spoke with Liberty University hasn't talked much about his faith.
There's been one prominent evangelical pastor who basically you know called.
Of mormonism a cult so this -- mean is he.
Easy almost obligated not to was he obligated to just to show that you and he's -- -- his -- Well he's avoiding his faith it's it's it's if it's controversial ethic he wants to avoid controversies like that that really.
Are we going to pretend there are no mormons in the country there we -- Mormon dominated states and here we are that the Republicans are nominating a Mormon.
Are we gonna pretend that he's not as if -- -- And what people who who didn't locations tend to refer to -- to face it if the the state the lord Jesus Christ it's major national -- -- actually -- that he's.
So are handpicked their -- vetted very very carefully just so.
There's nothing in their background to offend anybody or any kind of controversy you have.
If you have Jewish.
Spiritual leaders Muslim -- leaders up there and so forth you know why not a Mormon.
If he's if -- candidate as a Mormon I don't think I don't think so cause much of a stir unless he did something.
Very unusual and get -- stood up there's a presbyterian.
And started going on and on what the five points of Calvin and some people think that was very strange in the country was founded by presbyterian.
Yeah and Ed and and we -- you -- basically it doesn't make any difference to you or to the party you kind.
Moved to the party the party -- because we're talking about.
Politics and politics is all about perception and image.
But what I'm saying is that.
In the long run this does not natter.
What matters is how and especially according to my faith and we're talking not evangelicals -- -- evangelicals care about.
Let's talk about some younger evangelicals.
Who really couldn't couldn't care less.
About who's gonna -- younger evangelicals.
Are going to care about what comes out of Romney's now.
I'm not when he speaks is he going to speak about poverty is he gonna say the word poverty.
Is he going to talk about and address the issues don't get poorer people feel they see going to talk about -- -- earned income tax credit which is -- and that last week last week by the GOP.
I think he's a much we gotta we gotta we got -- say -- for this week because we've run out of time wanna thank you so much both well he's a harbor and and David and as authors of -- left to right and Christ.
You've got my favorite I mean it's out there.
Because.
At tapes came came in we're talking about the first topic we -- about the birth control subjects she's Azam.
I'm not sure if many people know this but sixty -- -- with just one person.
And as far as I'm aware the only woman in history to get pregnant without a man's health is it was -- group virgin Mary.
And then have -- group of men have had a stake in and what happens to women.
The government should finance a woman's sexual activity especially in a way and especially when.
They have to encroach on religious freedom by doing so that is from our chat room.
Thank you so much for putting that and I wanna thank you both for being here get the book left right and Christ is very -- wonderful but thank you very much for being -- so --
