Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you; cure the sick who are there, and say to them, “The kingdom of God has come near to you.”
Luke 10:9
I suppose it's a really far-out and crazy idea to relate the passage above from the Gospel reading today on the feast of David Oakerhater to the health care debate, but I just can't help doing so. The passage seems to say that in the Kingdom of God, you cure the sick. It's the Christians against universal health care that I truly do not understand.
I guess the answer is Jesus never applied this teaching to the Romans.
ReplyDeleteOr something equally irrelevant. I mean, since we are the sovereign, and we are (supposedly) mostly Christian....
Well, there's bound to be a good excuse. Maybe because it's not in the Constitution....
You're quite right, Rmj. Health care is not mentioned in the Constitution, and I suppose it would be grossly misinterpreting the words of the Preamble to conclude that they could possibly apply to health care.
ReplyDeleteWe the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
I agree Mimi. How can a Christian be against health care for others?
ReplyDeleteTwo Auntees, it's beyond me.
ReplyDeleteThe Consitution does not mention the right to marry, either, and yet we have it.
ReplyDeleteThe founding fathers wisely created a document that leaves room for interpretation, amendment, and growth. It is a living document. However, those against the public option in health care probably view the Constitution as they view their Bible -- as a dead document, never changing, never subject to interpretation (by anyone except themselves). (Yes, I am making some assumptions here, and they may not be entirely fair.)
Suzer, I believe that your assumption is fair. At Sen. Mary Landrieu's town hall meeting, a man held up his copy of the Constitution and asked the senator where in the Constitution did it say that Congress had the power to legislate health care. There are those who believe that the federal government can do only those things that are in the Constitution.
ReplyDelete"That government is best which governs least."
The statement is attributed to Thomas Jefferson, but has not yet been found in his writings, although it may have been the wish of certain of the Founding Fathers. However, we are far past that point now and see the Constitution as a living document, otherwise we'd still be stuck in slavery.