Interfaith Center Holds Second Forum with Sen. Warner, Presents Faithful Vision Petition

U.S. Senator Mark Warner holds the signatures of over 400 people from across Virginia calling for health care reform faithful to the vision of compassion and justice shared by the faith community. The Interfaith Center presented the signatures to him at a faith community health care forum  organized by the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy.

For Immediate Release

RICHMOND-- August 28, 2009 -- The Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy held a health care forum with U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, yesterday, bringing together over 100 people from the faith community to discuss health care, health insurance reform, and end of life issues, an area of particular interest to Mr. Warner.

The Center also presented him with a statement of values signed by over 400 people from across the state asking Congress to fix health care according to the fundamental principles of fairness and justice shared across the spectrum of faith traditions.

“The Faithful Vision is a statement of fundamental values shared by the faith community that should underlie the intent of any policy proposal to reform the health care and health insurance industry,” says Ali Faruk, health care policy analyst with the Interfaith Center.

Specifically the Faithful Vision asserts:

• Health care is a shared responsibility that is grounded in our common humanity
• Health care must be affordable for all
• All persons should have access to health services that provide necessary care and contribute to wellness
• Health care is fundamental to a healthy, flourishing society.

The forum comes at a time when the public debate is heating up at forums and town halls across the nation, and many individuals are responding to proposals to alter the nation’s health insurance system out of a sense of fear bred often by misinformation and overheated political rhetoric.

“We reject fear,” says Rev. C. Douglas Smith, Executive Director of the Center. “At this and our other town hall gatherings across the state our aim is to restore civility, present factual information and analysis and raise the faithful voice of concern and compassion,” he says.

Since May the Center has held nine health care forums in churches, mosques, synagogues and other public places across the state including two with Sen. Warner, the first in Norfolk, last June the second yesterday in Arlington. A dozen more gatherings are slated through October.

The gathering was covered by several news outlets including NPR and the New York Times.

The Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy is a nonpartisan, non-profit advocacy organization working with and through the faith informed community to empower individuals and communities, advance progressive public policy, and promote the interests of those on Virginia’s economic and social margins according to the shared tenets of the mainstream faith community. Find out more at www.virginiainterfaithcenter.org.

####

Media Contact
Patrick Getlein
Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy
patrick@virginiainterfaithcenter.org
804-643-2474 x114