I had no health care until I got my first job after my Ph.D., which was my choice. I suppose, if I had died before that time, I would have become one of the 45,000. The system must encourage people to achieve for themselves.
Our Declaration of Independence indicates “Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” the government must protect the first two while the individual achieves the third, pursuit of happiness, by the government providing equal opportunities. For instance, in the public school system, by not emphasizing equal outcomes, as the present system seems to want, which is nonsense unless you lower your standards so much that you do accomplish equal output. If the government gives health care as a right, which is not in the Constitution, then we must demand that people live a clean life so that not to overburden the system—how many children to have, witness China, and many others that one can think and some that will be unintended consequences of such drastic laws.
Moorad
________________________________________
From: asa-owner@lists.calvin.edu [asa-owner@lists.calvin.edu] On Behalf Of Alexanian, Moorad [alexanian@uncw.edu]
Sent: Saturday, September 26, 2009 11:10 AM
To: Rich Blinne
Cc: John Walley; Jack; Schwarzwald; asa@calvin.edu
Subject: RE: [asa] health care
Our Declaration of Independence indicates “Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” the government must protect the first two while the individual achieves the third, pursuit of happiness, by the government providing equal opportunities. For instance, in the public school system, by not emphasizing equal outcomes, as the present system seems to want, which is nonsense unless you lower your standards so much that you do accomplish equal output. If the government gives health care as a right, which is not in the Constitution, then we must demand that people live a clean life so that not to overburden the system—how many children to have, witness China, and many others that one can think and some that will be unintended consequences of such drastic laws.
Moorad
________________________________
From: Rich Blinne [rich.blinne@gmail.com]
Sent: Saturday, September 26, 2009 10:33 AM
To: Alexanian, Moorad
Cc: John Walley; Jack; Schwarzwald; asa@calvin.edu
Subject: Re: [asa] health care
On Sep 26, 2009, at 7:05 AM, Alexanian, Moorad wrote:
I think Rush Limbaugh said it right, if the government controls healthcare, then the government will control all aspects of your life-- what you eat, what is sold, what kind of car you can buy, what kind of car can be manufactured, and on and on. Is that what we want?
Moorad
Or we can get what we have now with the latest Harvard Medical School study -- http://www.harvardscience.harvard.edu/medicine-health/articles/new-study-finds-45000-deaths-annually-linked-lack-health-coverage -- where 45,000 people die per year for lack of health insurance. That's at a rate of more than homicide and drunk driving combined. Or once every twelve minutes. Talk about death panels. But that's just statistics, let's put a human face on it.
OXFORD — Friends say the Miami University graduate who died this week after reportedly suffering from swine flu delayed getting medical treatment because she did not have health insurance.
News of Kimberly Young’s death Wednesday, Sept. 23, came as a shock to those who knew the vibrant 22-year-old who was working at least two jobs in Oxford after graduating with a double major in December 2008.
Young became ill about two weeks ago, but didn’t seek care initially because she didn’t have health insurance and was worried about the cost, according to Brent Mowery, her friend and former roommate.
Mowery said Young eventually went to an urgent care facility in Hamilton where she was given pain medication and then sent home.
On Tuesday, Sept. 22, Young’s condition suddenly worsened and her roommate drove her to McCullough Hyde Memorial Hospital in Oxford, where she was flown in critical condition to University Hospital in Cincinnati.
“That’s the most tragic part about it. If she had insurance, she would have gone to the doctor,” Mowery said.
The "Christian" argument against insuring the uninsured usually goes like this: charity is voluntary and the government should not compel it. Scripture says otherwise. Contrast the degree of difference of compulsion between these two passage:
Philemon 10-11
I am appealing to (or encouraging) you concerning my child, whose spiritual father I have become during my imprisonment, that is, Onesimus, who was formerly useless to you, but is now useful to you and me.
1 Timothy 6:17-18
Command those who are rich in this world’s goods not to be haughty or to set their hope on riches, which are uncertain, but on God who richly provides us with all things for our enjoyment. Tell them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, to be generous givers, sharing with others. [Note: Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence is started at the beginning of v. 18.]
With respect to taxes the difference between the believer and unbeliever is that the believer gives and pays his/her taxes joyfully. They both can and should be generous -- particularly if they are rich -- but they have a different attitude. So, Christians may seek to change what they believe are unwise tax policies but on the other hand would not be the ones not showing up at the "tea parties" to protest. See Romans 13.
Romans 13:1-7
Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except by God’s appointment, and the authorities that exist have been instituted by God. So the person who resists such authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will incur judgment (for rulers cause no fear for good conduct but for bad). Do you desire not to fear authority? Do good and you will receive its commendation, for it is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be in fear, for it does not bear the sword in vain. It is God’s servant to administer retribution on the wrongdoer. Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of the wrath of the authorities but also because of your conscience. For this reason you also pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants devoted to governing. Pay everyone what is owed: taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due.
Finally, the government does have the right to compel generosity out of the rich when the poor are being oppressed. See Nehemiah 5. There Nehemiah the governor saw how the people were starving because rich mortgage holders seized the collateral of their countrymen. He brought the rich in and forced them to curse themselves before God if they did not help the poor.
I don't have a dog in this hunt with respect on how to fix the system. The WHO has ranked the U.S. system as number 37. If you look at the 36 countries in front of us they look very different from each other. The British have socialized medicine, the Canadians single payer, and the Dutch heavily regulated private health insurance providers. Where the U.S. is unique is we are the only industrialized democracy who does not have universal coverage and a majority of personal bankruptcies caused by medical costs, even for those who have insurance. The U.S. has the number one health care system FOR RICH PEOPLE. As in Nehemiah's time the poor are dying for lack of generosity of the rich. His response still applies:
Nehemiah 5:13
Then I called the priests and made the wealthy and the officials swear to do what had been promised. I also shook out my garment, and I said, “In this way may God shake out from his house and his property every person who does not carry out this matter. In this way may he be shaken out and emptied!” All the assembly replied, “So be it!” and they praised the LORD. Then the people did as they had promised.
Rich Blinne
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Received on Sat Sep 26 11:15:09 2009
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