As a small-business owner, and independent writer/speaker/consultant, I know first-hand that health care costs can be crippling, and they are a huge disincentive for entrepeneurialism, in the for-profit or non-profit world.
In fact, if there is an affordable, national, government-backed health insurance program, I think we will see a huge exodus -- in the corporate world, from big corporations; and in the church world, from big denominations. More of us who are wired up as entrepreneurs and risk-takers will jump ship and go it alone. And, IMHO, that will be a huge boon to the US economy and to the life of Protestantism in America.
I realize that paying for it will be hard. We've got some choices to make as a society. But it's one of those pay now or pay later things. It will cost a lot to get a national health insurance plan going at first, but in the end, it's going to save us -- literally save us from national bankruptcy.
I also realize that the reason to fight for national health care is not for me -- it's for the 50 million uninsured Americans. The other 300 million of us are a paycheck away from being uninsured.
Tonight, President Obama will have a prime-time presser which will deal largely with his health care plan (and its torturous path through Congress). So, at this time, it's good for all of us who profess to follow the God of love to think about where we stand on this important issue.
That's why I was glad to get an email from Ryan Bell who directed me to this resource. Ryan, pastor of Hollywood Adventist Church, and a tireless advocate of voiceless people, has blogged about his work with the PICO Network and their resources for congregations. I urge you to check it out.
I realize that paying for it will be hard. We've got some choices to make as a society. But it's one of those pay now or pay later things. It will cost a lot to get a national health insurance plan going at first, but in the end, it's going to save us -- literally save us from national bankruptcy.
I also realize that the reason to fight for national health care is not for me -- it's for the 50 million uninsured Americans. The other 300 million of us are a paycheck away from being uninsured.
Tonight, President Obama will have a prime-time presser which will deal largely with his health care plan (and its torturous path through Congress). So, at this time, it's good for all of us who profess to follow the God of love to think about where we stand on this important issue.
That's why I was glad to get an email from Ryan Bell who directed me to this resource. Ryan, pastor of Hollywood Adventist Church, and a tireless advocate of voiceless people, has blogged about his work with the PICO Network and their resources for congregations. I urge you to check it out.
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Illegal aliens will NOT be covered unless they sign up illegally! I have never seen so many uninformed people opposing this in my life. My own children do not have coverage because they can't afford it. They all work and there boss does not have health care coverage. We NEED something and doing NOTHING is NOT an option.
Oh my God that a sick alien might get relief. What is the world coming to, when the sick are healed?
(From what I can tell, there are a lot more Americans sneaking into Canada for health care than Mexicans into the US.)
Lack of a public health care system is like abortion. In both, we kill children because it's cheaper and more convenient.
Yes, health care reform is an urgent priority. Many families have inadequate coverage and 47 million people have no health care at all. This is true even when people are working full-time. Most of these folks live in fear of getting sick or injured. Any kind of medical emergency could send an already struggling family into financial debt and distress for the rest of their lives. The reality is that about 60 percent of all bankruptcies are due to medical bills. These are real people dealing with real illnesses who have to deal with real financial burdens. And worse, some people cannot afford the treatment that they need. Around 18,000 people die unnecessarily each year because they lack health insurance. This is not acceptable. It's literally a matter of life and death. Health care should be a right for all people, not a privilege for the few.
The Gospels are filled with stories about Jesus and the disciples caring for people. They fed hungry people. They healed people's illnesses. They helped poor people. They brought comfort to hurting people. The list goes on and on. The movement they started grew into what we call the Church today. We are the modern disciples of Jesus. Our challenge is to follow Jesus' actions and words. In the end, Jesus commands us to "love our neighbors as we love ourselves" (Matthew 22:39) and to take care of the needs of "the least of these" (Matthew 25:31-46). He asks us to do these things because his ministry was centered on bringing and preaching good news to the poor (Luke 4:18). Jesus makes it clear: If the Gospel isn't good news for poor people, then it isn't the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
As Gospel-following Christians, we need to care for sick and hurting people - especially the poor. This is nothing new. It's been happening for a long time. Many hospitals, including Mayo Clinic, were founded by Christians. Many doctors and nurses, including those initially at Mayo Clinic, were active members of their church. In fact, the word "hospital" comes from the Latin word "hospitalis", which means "hospitable." Health care started out rooted in the Christian tradition of hospitality that cared for all sick and hurting people. Now we need to figure out how to ensure that hospitals are hospitable to all people - especially people who cannot afford health insurance as it exists today.
There is not a perfect health care system nor is there a God-ordained system of health insurance. But one thing is clear: the current system is broken and desperately needs fixing. Health care reform is an imperative, not an option. We need to stand together, as Democrats and Republicans, to ensure that all people receive the health care and health coverage that they need. One possibility is President Obama's proposal that we add a "public option" to all the private options of health insurance. This would provide the competition needed to ensure that the health care in the US remains among the best in the world. But this would also provide a much-needed refuge for all the people who cannot afford adequate health care. It's a win-win. The public option is one way to ensure that health care and coverage is a reality for all God's children.
We need to demand health care reform from our elected officials. This isn't a time for political games. It's a time to go deeper. And it's a time for results.
Here are a few practical actions we can take to help bring about real results:
(1) Pray
(2) Sign the Health Care Creed to support health-care for all people. Sojourners will send this petition to our national elected officials.
(3) Download and share the Sojourners' health-care discussion guide with your congregation and friends.
(4) Read perspectives from trusted organizations such as the Mayo Clinic Health Policies Center.
(5) Thank a doctor or nurse for the healing they provide.
Government is not evil. Government is simply a group of people. People we elect. There are almost 50 million people that have no coverage many that struggle to pay high premiums. What has the church done to help these people?
why are so many operating on the principal that government is evil. We have the system of government we want don't we? If we don't like them we vote them out.
My question is how does a christian reconcile aversion to a healthcare plan that provides a way for everyone to have coverage with their wholesome christian values? I really do not understand that. What about taking care of the least among you. Why such great opposition to a health plan that would be run not for profit. If you don't support single payer or a public option, you support protecting the profits of the insurance companies and for-profit hospitals. I didn't see where Jesus tried to make a buck of the sick. Why do we accept that everything has to be about making money. Can't health care be a right?
We are the wealthiest nation on the planet and we have 50 million people without coverage, relying on emergency rooms for their health care needs. Our system is NOT the envy of the world. Our system is ranked about 38th. It only works really well for the very wealthy and most of us, over 90%, are not that wealthy.
Stop being so angry about government and think about welfare of everyone and not just "keeping your money". That doesn't seem very christian. I read you should worry about laying up treasures for your self on earth and something about it being easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than a rich man to enter heaven. Capitalism and Christianity are a strange mix unless you are following the prosperity gospel taught by so many televangelist.
Even Jesus showed respect for the government. He instructed his followers to give god what is gods and give ceasar what is ceasar's. I think that was Jesus and not Paul.
Show some respect for the government our military is paid with your tax dollars to protect. Show some empathy for those who are out of work, or disabled. Love your enemies, protect the vulnerable. Try living like a christian instead of spouting anti government gibberish and demonizing those who have different opinions than you. And realize that you are fighting to protect a disgusting system that takes money from the sick and ill in society to benefit wealthy investors and corporations. Look at the amount of money insurance companies have made over the last 10 years. Look at the percentage of bakrupcies caused by medical expences. Look at the rate at which premiums have increased vs inflation and growth of wages. The health care system is killing our economy. There are so many reasons to support reforming our system. Educate yourselves on the facts.
It is really very simple. Those that don't want government healthcare simply want poor people to die if they get sick. They can sugar-coat this all they want, claiming that government healthcare for the poor somehow forces people to "abdicate our responsibilities to Christ." They may also say things like "my faith and Church believes that we take care of ourselves" but that only illustrates the selfish mentality of the people that oppose universal healthcare.
They might claim that there are already mechanisms in place to help the poor, and point to all the money their church donates, but the reality is that far too little money is donated to even begin helping the poor pay for healthcare.
Seriously, anyone that is opposed to univeral healthcare would have to be a very weak Christian at best. They can make all the excuses they want, but ultimately, they would rather people die than pay a few dollars more in taxes to keep them alive. Same goes for people that would rather illegal aliens to die rather than provide them medical care. Would Jesus want someone to die just because they entered a country illegally? I honestly don't know how these people can even call themselves Christians.
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