"Many Christians denounce the health care law as a tool of the devil and support its repeal"
Wow! What a good piece deserving of our thought. Thanks to Jim for posting it.
On the one hand I find myself disagreeing with the author:
However, the sad truth is that we live in a reality in which denominations, churches, and even some Christian individuals have largely abandoned their responsibilities to care for the poor. This trend started, as far as I have determined from my study of history, at the beginning of the Great Depression. This necessitated the ever-increasingly expansive (and expensive) government programs of the New Deal, the Great Society, Obamacare, etc. Can churches recapture their place of financing the care for the poor? They can, but I don’t think they have the will to do so. So I agree with the author…somebody needs to do it, churches aren’t doing it, so…why not the government?
Another point of thought—I agree with the author’s assessment that many Christians have abandoned solid Bible study and the following of Christian teachings and have rather chosen to follow a “Conservative Right” political position instead. There have been many times in my work with other Christians that I have found them quoting Limbaugh, Hannity, and Beck much more readily than Christ, Peter, John, and Paul as the authority for their political positions. Don’t get me wrong, I find myself typically being part of the “Conservative Right”, but I am also willing to separate from the “Right” when it disagrees with biblical teaching.
Finally, my experience on the mission field in which I saw “socialized medicine” running alongside of a regulated privatized medicine has taught me that perhaps there is validity to government funded health care. Please note, I was in a field where socialized and privatized ran side-by-side…and that’s what I would advocate…I am still not convinced that a fully socialized system would be good. I have heard too much from missionaries in countries where that type of system exists, too. But in a system where the two run side-by-side, there is a healthy competition that insures high quality on the socialized side and low costs on the privatized side. For instance, several weeks before we left the field, I was bitten and scratched by a rabid cat and so I had to undergo the rabies shot series. (fun, fun). But because of the timing, I had to get the first half of the series in Chile and the second half here in the States. In Chile, I got right into an emergency clinic, got the bites and scratches treated, stitched, and cared for..all for less than $200 dollars. Each shot cost me less than $5. And I never had more than a 5 minute wait in a waiting room. Here in the States, most doctors wouldn’t even take me, I finally got into a health clinic that acted like I was the biggest inconvenience in the world, and each shot cost me $180—same medicine, same dosage, etc. and I always waited more than an HOUR to get in. And many say socialized medicine will create inefficiency? We already are inefficient, because privatized medicine and the current monopoly that the fat cat insurance industry holds over it, has created inefficiency. Maybe some good ole competition in the market will solve a lot of problems. That’s the free enterprise way of thinking is it not?
Maybe my advocating government health care (at least partially) makes me a raging liberal lefty, but really folks I am basically a conservative right-winger. But sometimes the plain facts just don’t back up what the conservative talk show hosts are saying. We need to get back to the basics of American politics—an informed public, a biblical base, and the ability to think.
Let the shooting begin! :)
On the one hand I find myself disagreeing with the author:
But if the job is too big for individuals, one would think those Christians would turn to their congregations. And they often do that, too. But if the job is too big for their congregations, one would think those Christians would turn to other agencies, including the one agency that has the ability to abolish poverty altogether: the federal government.I believe that if a congregation…or group of congregations…has members who are giving as they ought, and really convinced that a ministry such as caring for the poor is vital, the resources will be there. We can fund hospitals, orphanages, and housing projects on the mission field, why not here? Case in point—think of how many locales have a “Baptist Hospital” or “Methodist Hospital” or “Presbyterian Hospital.” Providing affordable health care, esp. for the poor used to be the MO for many churches or denominational groups…why not now? I don’t think that the government needs to be an option.
However, the sad truth is that we live in a reality in which denominations, churches, and even some Christian individuals have largely abandoned their responsibilities to care for the poor. This trend started, as far as I have determined from my study of history, at the beginning of the Great Depression. This necessitated the ever-increasingly expansive (and expensive) government programs of the New Deal, the Great Society, Obamacare, etc. Can churches recapture their place of financing the care for the poor? They can, but I don’t think they have the will to do so. So I agree with the author…somebody needs to do it, churches aren’t doing it, so…why not the government?
Another point of thought—I agree with the author’s assessment that many Christians have abandoned solid Bible study and the following of Christian teachings and have rather chosen to follow a “Conservative Right” political position instead. There have been many times in my work with other Christians that I have found them quoting Limbaugh, Hannity, and Beck much more readily than Christ, Peter, John, and Paul as the authority for their political positions. Don’t get me wrong, I find myself typically being part of the “Conservative Right”, but I am also willing to separate from the “Right” when it disagrees with biblical teaching.
Finally, my experience on the mission field in which I saw “socialized medicine” running alongside of a regulated privatized medicine has taught me that perhaps there is validity to government funded health care. Please note, I was in a field where socialized and privatized ran side-by-side…and that’s what I would advocate…I am still not convinced that a fully socialized system would be good. I have heard too much from missionaries in countries where that type of system exists, too. But in a system where the two run side-by-side, there is a healthy competition that insures high quality on the socialized side and low costs on the privatized side. For instance, several weeks before we left the field, I was bitten and scratched by a rabid cat and so I had to undergo the rabies shot series. (fun, fun). But because of the timing, I had to get the first half of the series in Chile and the second half here in the States. In Chile, I got right into an emergency clinic, got the bites and scratches treated, stitched, and cared for..all for less than $200 dollars. Each shot cost me less than $5. And I never had more than a 5 minute wait in a waiting room. Here in the States, most doctors wouldn’t even take me, I finally got into a health clinic that acted like I was the biggest inconvenience in the world, and each shot cost me $180—same medicine, same dosage, etc. and I always waited more than an HOUR to get in. And many say socialized medicine will create inefficiency? We already are inefficient, because privatized medicine and the current monopoly that the fat cat insurance industry holds over it, has created inefficiency. Maybe some good ole competition in the market will solve a lot of problems. That’s the free enterprise way of thinking is it not?
Maybe my advocating government health care (at least partially) makes me a raging liberal lefty, but really folks I am basically a conservative right-winger. But sometimes the plain facts just don’t back up what the conservative talk show hosts are saying. We need to get back to the basics of American politics—an informed public, a biblical base, and the ability to think.
Let the shooting begin! :)
Shawn Haynie
Literally I have not heard one Christian call it “a tool of the devil”
They are just throwing out propaganda for the liberal cause.
In Mat 26:7 people were indignant with Jesus because he allowed a woman to break a very expensive box and annoint him with the expensive perfume inside. They claimed the money from it should have been given to the poor. Jesus said “Ye have the poor with you always”.
Christians are not against charity. They are against organized theift. Having one pool of powerful people vote to forceably remove, if necessary, money from one group of people to pay for something another group wants is a form of racketeering. If it is not then I make a motion that every dime of profit and every dime of salary paid to Huffington post and it’s new parent company, AOL and their employees be taxed away from them and given to the audience of Rush Limbaugh. All in favor?
In Mat 26:7 people were indignant with Jesus because he allowed a woman to break a very expensive box and annoint him with the expensive perfume inside. They claimed the money from it should have been given to the poor. Jesus said “Ye have the poor with you always”.
Christians are not against charity. They are against organized theift. Having one pool of powerful people vote to forceably remove, if necessary, money from one group of people to pay for something another group wants is a form of racketeering. If it is not then I make a motion that every dime of profit and every dime of salary paid to Huffington post and it’s new parent company, AOL and their employees be taxed away from them and given to the audience of Rush Limbaugh. All in favor?
[Jim Peet] Literally I have not heard one Christian call it “a tool of the devil”There are several people in the church I attend that I have heard say this…and one is constantly sending me those annoying forwarded at least a dozen times e-mails on a daily basis to try and prove his point.
Shawn Haynie
Everything that is of this world is ruled by the prince of the power of the air. The great harlot, mystery Babylon. That is why Christians are supposed to separate from the world and its ways. Remember?
The problem is when because of politics, ideology, culture or what have you, we Christians convince ourselves that some parts of the world - the parts of the world that we identify with and benefit us personally - are “good” and other parts of the world - the parts that identify with and benefit the other guy who is my competitor or my enemy - are “bad.” So, Christians are often willing to fight over their little part of Babylon, absolutely determined to keep from admitting that their beloved piece of Babylon is part of the whole system that rejected Jesus Christ, persecutes the saints and that they hate - or at least are supposed to. And of course, that problem is a tool of the devil too.
The problem is when because of politics, ideology, culture or what have you, we Christians convince ourselves that some parts of the world - the parts of the world that we identify with and benefit us personally - are “good” and other parts of the world - the parts that identify with and benefit the other guy who is my competitor or my enemy - are “bad.” So, Christians are often willing to fight over their little part of Babylon, absolutely determined to keep from admitting that their beloved piece of Babylon is part of the whole system that rejected Jesus Christ, persecutes the saints and that they hate - or at least are supposed to. And of course, that problem is a tool of the devil too.
Solo Christo, Soli Deo Gloria, Sola Fide, Sola Gratia, Sola Scriptura http://healtheland.wordpress.com
Discussion