A Few Small Thoughts on Health Reform
Let me start by humbly admitting that I don’t know everything. Big surprise huh? It’s true. The healthcare debate that is in full swing right now deals with highly complex issues, and I won’t pretend to know all the details. These are just a few of my humble observations which are completely open for revision.
Let me also say this: The way I look at the world is shaped by my faith in Jesus. C.S. Lewis says it better than me:
“I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.”
— C.S. Lewis
I really do see both sides of this argument. On one hand I am really happy that my homeless friends and unemployed friends can benefit from medical attention. That a single mother can carry her child to term instead of aborting it because she’s worried about the medical fees involved in child birth, is fantastic. On the other hand, I am fairly certain there are better ways to reform healthcare. And make no mistake, I am always skeptical when large, powerful, governmental systems are involved in something (my Anarchic Theocratic stance). In essence, I think a lot of the wrong questions were being asked here, and accordingly, a lot of the wrong questions got answered.
Hopefully one thing everyone can all agree on is that Politicians and the Church people (Christians) seeking the Kingdom of God, have one main goal or task in common. That is to ask the question: How do we reduce suffering in the world? It seems to me that this Health Reform legislation will be doing that. Like I said, it’s by no means perfect, I don’t think anyone would argue with that. But I tend to view it in this way, as long as $.60 of every tax dollar I pay goes to the Pentagon to fund violent wars and bombings (among other things), something absolutely contrary to the Kingdom of God and which most are not outraged about, I am more than happy to help pay for my neighbor’s daughter to be treated for asthma.