Pastors ask Trump, Congress to stop Obamacare roll back

A group of Christian leaders, including several pastors from Tennessee, areis opposing the repeal of the Affordable Care Act if there is not a sufficient replacement ready to go.

The Southern Christian Coalition announced Thursday in a media call that they plan to send a letter to members of Tennessee's congressional delegation and President-elect Donald Trump, asking them to stop efforts to roll back Obamacare.  

"Repealing the ACA without a replacement plan would not bring us closer to our Christian values, but would instead endanger the health and life of millions of American people ... Politics should not come before the needs of the truly vulnerable in our nation," the letter reads. 

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Trump and the incoming U.S. Congress have said they're preparing to repeal and replace the ACA, but details on a replacement are vague. Advocates of health coverage think this move could leave more people uninsured than before Obamacare was implemented. 

The four pastors from Chattanooga, Lebanon and Nashville on the coalition's Thursday call echoed coverage advocates' concerns and specifically called on Republican Senators Bob Corker and Lamar Alexander for support. They all shared stories about people in their lives and ministry work, who could be directly impacted by a decision to repeal Obamacare without an adequate replacement. 

The Rev. Sherry Cothran, of St. John's West United Methodist Church, said her West Nashville congregation often works with the poor and homeless members of the community. While her faith calls her to serve the "least of these," the religious community is dependent on partnerships with social institutions and government programs to achieve that, and the ACA has helped, she said. 

"If we want a healthy society, then we need to be willing to do what it takes to achieve that," Cothran said. “When we disregard this full spectrum of needs of people who live at poverty level, we’re turning our backs on our highest calling, which is to love one another.”

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The pastors supported their Christmas-time message with Bible verses, including the the Good Samaritan parable." The story in Luke 10:25-37 illustrates that eternal salvation is earned by showing compassion for the destitute. The Rev. Brian Merrit, pastor at Renaissance Presbyterian Church in Chattanooga, said the Bible also explains in the rich man and Lazarus parable the dire consequences for those who don't help. 

"I think that when you put that parable up against the parable of the Good Samaritan we understand what's at stake here more because the rich man ends up in hell because he did not have the compassion," Merrit said. "I look to Senator Alexander, Senator Corker and Donald Trump, if they claim to be people of faith then this is about their salvation." 

The group is collecting signatures through Christmas. As of midday Thursday, 49 people, including a dozen from Tennessee, had signed the online letter. They belong to Baptist, Episcopalian, Methodist and Presbyterian denominations as well as nondenominational churches.

The Southern Christian Coalition formed in 2015 as a response to Gov. Bill Haslam's initial hesitancy to back continued refugee resettlement efforts. More recently, the governor spoke with federal and state officials and said he feels more confident about the vetting system that's in place. 

The coalition describes itself as a grassroots, all-volunteer effort that speaks up for their faith's values since political debate has "hijacked the pulpit, often distorting the values of our faith."

Reach Holly Meyer at 615-232-4714 and on Twitter @HollyAMeyer.