I believe universal health care could suck the life out of living in America. It seems the end of heroism. Think of all the amazing stories we've heard about, where whole neighborhoods and towns rally around a sick person who can't afford expensive medical treatments. Think of the fund-raising, the charitable drives; think about the bake sales and motorcycle rallies and skate-a-thons and countless other awesome community-based, VOLUNTARY actions that will be lost if EVERY medical expense were covered -- FOR FREE!My questions: Do some Christians oppose secular government measures to help others because it will mean less Christian charity? Are they just grasping for straws in the face of failure? Am I the only person sickened by this mentality of the impoverished being seen as some sort of font from which feelings of satisfaction are bestowed upon the over-privileged who deign to grace but a handful of the thousands who die annually from preventable illness with the means for treatment (provided of course they go to the right church, and certainly never dependent upon the color of their skin...)?
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Discussion: Christian "Charity"
From “moderate” blogger Bill Gnade (who may be a fake crazy person just made up to trick me):
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Wow.... I really do not know what to say about this. This is nuts. I have lived my entire life never having to pay for medical expenses..... Trust me, there is nothing wrong with it.
ReplyDeleteI think the guy is a loon. Besides the whole, its the right thing to have.
ReplyDeleteChristian charity is not usually a charity at all. If you expect something in return, it is a sales pitch. Not charity. If you put all the money Christians just give to give, with no propaganda tied to it. I think you would find they ranked near the bottom for givers.
Now he's touting some sort of "you're making people reliant on the government, so it's all an attempt to make the government look good" or some such garbage. It's sad that he had to grow up in the era of lead paint.
ReplyDeleteisn't the alternative to make people reliant on the Church? Which in Protestantism isn't conceptualized as a divine institution but rather a "body of believers."
ReplyDeleteAnd it would be nice if he had some statistics to back up a few happy anecdotes. Apparently the church must be very selective or impotent considering the #1 cause of bankruptcy in America is medical bills.
and as for the individualism thing.... Insurance is not an individualistic concept at all.
ReplyDeleteGroups (unit of analysis: groups - "many people") pool money so that if medical care is needed, rather than an individual paying for that care, the cost is payed out of the pool. The pool is created through individual premiums.
When you add a profit motive - then the intention is no longer to ensure that every member of the pool gets the medical benefits they need - but rather that the Insurer provides a service while still maintaining a profit. If those that are chronically ill or had acne when they were 14 get left behind - oh well.... they are statistically insignificant.
Morality and profits don't always intertwine well. I just wonder how many people that are against health care reform suffer from chronic conditions, or were denied coverage due to a pre-existing condition.
I just wonder how many people that are against health care reform suffer from chronic conditions, or were denied coverage due to a pre-existing condition.
ReplyDeleteA resounding 0%.
Ginx- You are very good at picking out the loons.... Nice one.
ReplyDeleteI really do not understand this American outrage of everyone having to pay for one another. If you do that, it is there if you need it as well as anyone else. I am not sure if universal healthcare will involve public funds or use insurance monies. The whole thing is crazy.
Finding a loon in America is like shooting fish in a barrel.
ReplyDeleteTink, they think that it will encourage people to be bums because they'll get free healthcare. Meanwhile the wealthiest people in America do nothing but sit around cashing checks they made out to themselves from their company's operating capital. The real bums are sitting on mountains of cash while crying they have no money to hire people, as unemployment soars and poverty rises.
Ginx and Tink, your economic ignorance (and adherence to every statist fallacy in the book) knows no limits.
ReplyDeleteBut Tink, if you really feel that way about having to pay for others, I need some money for my rent. I'm starting a renter's pool and you're part of it (I know you didn't agree to that, but I didn't give my consent to the health care bill, either) so I'll be expecting you to make your "contribution", and if you do not, our revenue collectors will be around to see you.
And remember, it'll be there for you too! Oh, and we decide how much you're going to pay, so please don't complain when you get the bill.
And if you'd prefer it to be voluntary, I can't disagree with the sentiment. I'd like taxes and participation in state provided "services" to be voluntary too! But then that wouldn't be for your own good, would it?
Housing is socialized in several nations... I can't say I would fight it.
ReplyDelete