This is just a short train of thought I was exploring this evening--
I finally figured out why so many Christians are opposed to anything resembling government-controlled health care. It's so obvious now, I don't know how I missed it before... I thought it was just a coincidence that so many Republicans claim a Christian faith and a desire for small government, but there is actually a biblical precedent!
Here it is.
So many American Christians are against this kind of health care reform because:
It would give us so few opportunities to be good Samaritans!
Remember? How the Samaritan cared for the beaten, bloodied and penniless man, took him to an inn and paid for all his expenses, promising to check on his progress? If all Americans received health care regardless of income and socioeconomic status, regardless of preexisting conditions, etc, who would all these potential pious protectors have to rescue? The other people who passed by the victim in the parable could have just called an ambulance without compromising their ritual purity, secure in the fact that the man's insurance policy would kick in, and who wants to read a story where "Which one of these was a neighbor to this man?" is answered succinctly with "The one who called 911, Teacher."
I mean, I hope the reason is in the Bible. It can't be that we put our patriotism and American values before our Christian worldview, can it?
Well... the law for God's chosen nation, Israel holds an interesting insight into one American debate- immigration.
(Leviticus 19:34) (I even used the KJV!)
Sure it's a little out of context, but so are the verses we use to condemn every homosexual. So were the verses we used to perpetuate slavery. So are the verses we cite when submitting to government in every instance (These are too much of a tangent to pursue now).
Would we as Christians really rather keep government out of the health care system in exchange for lower taxes and the illusion of more freedoms? Then we should be prepared as the Church to pay for the health care expenses of the least of these out of our own pockets, just as the good Samaritan did, and just as Jesus indicated we should take care of those in need.
(Matthew 25:31-46)
Moral Majority, where is your concern for economic ethics? Why are the exceptions to your "reduced government" only in regard to gays, abortions, and war? This is in no way a lauding of Democrats or bigger government, the theology of American liberals is just a little too muddled to make clear example of.
