George Barna: Poverty, Health Care Reform, & American Views

George Barna, probably the most recognized religious research guru who tracks trends, opinions, and views on a variety of contemporary issues facing society and the church, offers this feedback on the topic of poverty and health care reform.

I think it's helpful sometimes, regardless of what opinion we may have, to step back and read the pulse of the country to help us distinguish between popular sentiment and an authentic Christian response.

Below is a portion of Barna's summary of the pulse of our country's worldview regarding the topic of poverty and more specifically, health care reform. The last paragraph which I put in bold is the "catch 22" of the health care reform issue and why this is such a controversial topic that often prevents people from being open minded and having civil discussions.

Views of Poverty:

Our surveys underscore the fact that about three-quarters of all adults believe poverty is one of the most serious issues facing the nation. Even more significantly, most Americans also contend that when it comes to alleviating poverty, that’s mainly the government’s responsibility. Two-thirds of adults look to the government to solve issues related to poverty – including health care deficiencies. Just one out of every five adults believes that solving poverty is an individual duty, and a mere one out of 25 people assigns that task to non-profit organizations, and another one in 25 assigns it to churches.

As we assess how individuals deal with poverty on a personal level, we find that Americans do get involved, but in a kind of arms-length manner. For instance, the most common responses are for people to give money, food, and clothing to someone else to get the job done. In contrast, the most personal responses are the least common. Relatively few Americans talk directly with the needy, tutor them, build homes for them, visit them, befriend them, or engage in other types of personal activities to address the issue.

One might say, then, that we mean well but we’re too busy, too disinterested, or feel too inadequate to actually address poverty personally, head-on. Given that mind set, it’s no wonder that the current health care debate centers not on what every American can personally do to help alleviate human suffering, but on how we can get the government to provide a more efficient alternative that will neither break the bank nor hinder our lifestyle.

In essence, what Americans seem to want is increased government services, more efficient delivery of services, no increase in taxes, and no personal involvement in the process. In a nutshell, our argument is: it’s not my fault and it’s not my job, so let the paid professionals deal with it.