Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Where Obamacare and Faith Intersect

Everywhere you turn right now, the debate about the Affordable Care Act, a.k.a, Obamacare, is still raging. One person says the law goes too far in restricting people's rights while another person says the law doesn't go far enough toward single payer. One person claims costs will now go down  because of the law while another says they are already going up. As controversial as the law is, I doubt any of us will get away from those debates for a very long time.

I believe these debates are important for various reasons, but they all circle around our physical health at some point. We have other laws that are being passed around the country, limiting the types of snacks that can be sold, the kind of drinks we are allowed to have, and telling us what we need to do (in these lawmakers' opinions) in order to stay healthy. But in all of these debates about what is best for our health and who can tell us how to do what, it is important to remember a line from the psalmist. "My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart, my portion forever" (Psalm 73:26, HCSB).

We need to take care of our bodies and maintain them as best as we can. But we need to remember that God is the source of our strength and our life. Whatever hardships we go through, whatever physical struggles or health concerns, God has the power to heal and sustain. Whether we are paying for our own healthcare or having it subsidized, whether we are in perfect health or live with multiple pre-existing conditions, our hope doesn't rest with any person, group, or law. Our hope is in the power of God.

Moral and Ethical Subroutines

Suggested Reading: 1 Samuel 28:3-18 In the movie Star Trek: Insurrection , there is a very interesting contrast between one of the Enter...