Health Care Debate: A Christian Perspective

Hi All, I'm back tonight with some thoughts about the health care debate and wanted to look at it from a Christian perspective. If you're reading this and are not Christian, fret not, because I think there something in this for everyone, regardless of religion. A couple of days ago, I came across a statement on the Sojourner's website. You can find it here at: http://go.sojo.net/campaign/health_care and I have also posted a copy here:

As one of God's children, I believe that protecting the health of each human being is a profoundly important personal and communal responsibility for people of faith.

I believe God created each person in the divine image to be spiritually and physically healthy. I feel the pain of sickness and disease in our broken world (Genesis 1:27, Romans 8:22).

I believe life and healing are core tenets of the Christian life. Christ's ministry included physical healing, and we are called to participate in God's new creation as instruments of healing and redemption (Matthew 4:23, Luke 9:1-6; Mark 7:32-35, Acts 10:38). Our nation should strive to ensure all people have access to life-giving treatments and care.

I believe, as taught by the Hebrew prophets and Jesus, that the measure of a society is seen in how it treats the most vulnerable. The current discussion about health-care reform is important for the United States to move toward a more just system of providing care to all people (Isaiah 1:16-17, Jeremiah 7:5-7, Matthew 25:31-45).

I believe that all people have a moral obligation to tell the truth. To serve the common good of our entire nation, all parties debating reform should tell the truth and refrain from distorting facts or using fear-based messaging (Leviticus 19:11; Ephesians 4:14-15, 25; Proverbs 6:16-19).

I believe that Christians should seek to bring health and well-being (shalom) to the society into which God has placed us, for a healthy society benefits all members (Jeremiah 29:7).

I believe in a time when all will live long and healthy lives, from infancy to old age (Isaiah 65:20), and "mourning and crying and pain will be no more" (Revelation 21:4). My heart breaks for my brothers and sisters who watch their loved ones suffer, or who suffer themselves, because they cannot afford a trip to the doctor. I stand with them in their suffering.

I believe health-care reform must rest on a foundation of values that affirm each and every life as a sacred gift from the Creator (Genesis 2:7).

That sums it up pretty well from a Christian perspective. If you would like to sign this creed or send it to your congress person, please go to the Health Care section of Sojourners website.

For those of you reading this that are not Christian, I would ask that you consider the issues surrounding health care with caring and compassion and love.

For all of us, the health care debate can be approached either from a fiscal perspective or a moral perspective. When it comes to this issue, I favor the moral perspective. Frankly, I don't care if insuring that our poor translates to more money out of my pocket. I can't imagine thinking to myself that having more money in my pocket or bank account or 401K is better than providing for the healing and medical care of someone in need.

I'm still reading through HR3200 , so I don't yet know if this is the right answer, but I do know one thing, I will support Health Care reform to insure that every single American is covered. It's time for us to take care of each other.

Please feel free to post comments.

Is this the Beginning of the End for our Democracy?

This is my first blog posting and a fairly heady topic.  I just stumbled upon this thought over the past few days while listening to all of the furor over the President's plan to speak to school children across America.  I started thinking about how a simple idea of addressing our children has so many people in America upset.  This isn't even the first time a sitting President has had an address specifically to the school children of America.  Presidents George H. W. Bush and Ronald Reagan also spoke to our children.

What have we come to?  Are we so distrustful of a government that was elected by the majority of our citizens?  In this country we have had a working democracy for sometime now.  In a democracy, while our preferred candidate may not win or currently hold office, we should still typically respect the choice of the majority.  This doesn't mean we can't challenge the winning candidate, but also it doesn't mean we should hate and try to destroy that person.

I hear so much hate in the tone and words people use today to describe their opposition (democrats and republicans, both).  Where is the day when we could debate issues in a civil manner?  When we could discuss the issues on the merits of their points and not resort to labeling the individuals  with the ideas as radicals, unpatriotic, socialist, fascists, war mongers, etc.  Sure these people may have different views, but can't we engage in a true debate?  Isn't that what a democracy demands of us? Do we really believe that these individuals want to destroy our country?  Or do they just have a different view of the future than some of us have today?  Don't we believe that the persons involved in our political system today have what they believe as the best roadmap to our country's future in their hearts?  Yes, we may disagree, but a democracy demands that we voice our opinions and engage in vigorous debate.  It doesn't demand that we hate and try to destroy our fellow citizens.

Is this what the end of democracy looks like?  Will we all go to our own ideological corners and demand that we have our own little slice of America to call our own?  Or will we find a way to come together and respect the different viewpoints and collectively chart a way to a better future?

I certainly hope we will find a way to survive as an intact nation.  We are so much stronger as a whole than fractured and split.

Please feel free to share your thoughts.

Welcome

Hi all,

Welcome to my blog. I don't really know what I'll be posting here in the coming days, weeks, months, years ... But I hope that you will find it both interesting and insightful.