A Christian approach to the healthcare debate

I have posted on this hot topic before and while I still find this an incredibly complex problem to try and resolve I am pleased there are thoughtful folks trying to work through the issues. Of course, I think the ethical or moral dimension is easy, of course we should want everyone to have the best healthcare possible! The challenge is the economics and politics of it.

I particularly like the preamble to Sojourners resource page:

Good health is the will of God for each and every one of God’s children. Death, disease, and pain did not exist in the garden of Eden, and Revelation tells of a “new heaven and new earth,” where once again they will not exist.

In the fallen world in which we live, injury and sickness are a fact of life; physical death on this earth will never be overcome. But scripture paints a clear picture that health was God’s intent from the beginning and will be the goal once again in the end. This means that on a personal, national, and global level the physical well-being of all God’s children is close to God’s heart — and should be close to ours as well.

There is no religious mandate for a specific, God-ordained system of health care or insurance. No amount of biblical exegesis will lead you to a policy conclusion about health care savings accounts, personal versus employer-provided insurance, single-payer public systems, or private insurance plans. Luke might have been a physician, but he never commented on whether or not computerizing medical records should be a national priority.

There is no divine mandate for a certain health care system and biblical exegesis cannot help us with the details of the policy issues under debate. But that doesn’t relieve us from responsibility to care for those who cannot care for themselves. Check out their page in full.

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