Tuesday, November 21, 2006

And in the You've Got to be Kidding Me Department...

I have previously written how I believe that the creation of a national health care is consistent with the Christian faith, so for a mainstream Christian sect to come out against health care for everyone is troubling, to say the least.

Health care, at its most basic levels, has two justifications:

1) it is a charitable dispensation of kindness to someone at their when they are their weakest and in the most need; and

2) it is designed to increase the efficiency of a soldier or worker so that, once healed, can produce or fight another day.

For these reasons, the guarantee of access to health care has both a faith-based and secular efficiency-based justification. Certainly there are issues of how many societal resources can expend in treating illness and injuries; but the central and fundamental basis for the creation of a national health care system should not subject to argument. And what is truly shocking to me is that those who would proclaim their Christian faith the loudest would be the most obstinate in supporting health care for all.

1 comment:

Teri said...

I know, it's sort of how I feel about "fair trade" items. It truly is a good idea and something I should support. Part of me always thinks "no one is interested in fair trade for me".

My main concern is that we are dealing with a for profit system. I think there are some things (like nursing homes) that should not be for profit. I also hate the reliance on prescription drugs, the use of machines instead of good diagnostic skills for the doctors, and the lack of nursing skills in the medical field (real nurses spend their time on paperwork and not on patient care). I'd also like to see alternatives like naturopathy and accupuncture covered under a health care system. The biggest problem is that the government has a poor record of handling programs like this.