Health care - right or priviledge?
One of my young friends recently quoted Rush
Limbaugh as saying, "Health care is not a right, it is a priviledge. Rights are
given by God." I find his statements disturbing. ...
The statement appears to reflect a self-centered
capitalism rather than Christian thought. It is made, in part, to contrast with
the regular proposals for socialized health care in the United States. This
latter proposal is also a problem, because while they say "Universal access to
health care," what they mean is universal access to paperwork. It is highly
unlikely, in a socialized system, that my cancer treatments and tests would be
moving nearly as fast as they are. Britain's health care system even has delays
of weeks or months where cardiac infarction (heart attack) is involved.
However, the situation is not improved
by reciting Rush's mantra, particularly for those of us who are Christians.
Christ provided health care (of a sort), and such actions were frequently
preceeded by the word "compassion." Further, in Matthew 10, when the disciples
were first sent out, only 1 of 5 commands had to do with preaching: the rest had
to do with care for the hurting:ESV:
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mt+10
And he called to him his twelve
disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to
heal every disease and every affliction. ... And proclaim as you go, saying,
'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse
lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without
pay.Thus, while health care may
not be a right, it is, in some sense, an obligation. As Christians, we should
be actively involved in caring for our community, not merely preaching at it.
This is illustrated in part by Mercy Medical Clinic in Auburn, near McAlister's
restaurant, which provides care for the poor of our community by volunteer
doctors. In one sense, Rush's comment
may be correct: too many of us look at life from the perspective of what life
owes to us. The doctors of Mercy Medical illustrate Christ's teaching that we
should look at life in terms of what we can give back, for we "received without
paying. Give without pay."
Posted: Sun - March 2, 2008 at 01:30 PM
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