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| Government Policy and Scripture | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Apr 16 2010, 10:43 AM (196 Views) | |
| Pastor Rick | Apr 16 2010, 10:43 AM Post #1 |
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Whether you like it or hate it, healthcare legislation has passed and is now law in the USA. What I am curious about is the philosophy that has taken hold in the government of deciding that someone else has too much and we should take it and spread it around to make things better for everyone because that's only fair. And I note that many churches preach this same message. A sort of Robin Hood philosophy, if you will. How well does this attitude fit with scripture?? |
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| ifitsgodswill | Apr 17 2010, 12:40 PM Post #2 |
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I think that God wants us to help those that don't have, but on the other hand, people are also suppose to help themselves. I agree that we are to help those that lost their health insurance and jobs because of being laid off. Some people don't even try to help themselves. They get a free handout from the Government and learn to play the system. Then it becomes unfair when those of us that have worked hard all of our lives to pay our bills and taxes and save for our retirement just to have the government take it away from us is not right. It is almost like being slapped in the face for being a responsible tax paying citizen. It makes some of us feel like we are being punished for doing well in our lives with hard work and dedication. So, it is really hard to know how God really feels about this. Can you all help shed the light on me on this. God Bless Lura |
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| Pastor Rick | Apr 17 2010, 07:40 PM Post #3 |
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Hi Lura, When one becomes upset because someone else has something they don't, what would you call that?? |
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| Ray Krohn | Apr 17 2010, 09:10 PM Post #4 |
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Let me ramble but a moment, if you will: As many know, I am not American but a Canadian, and we have a (broken) public health care system that costs billions and is unable to help the rich or poor. Our motto is "Everyone is entitled to the same healthcare, regardless of social status, wealth or position" - of course, that doesn't mean we all equally share "great" healthcare, because frankly that's unaffordable. Rather, it means we have equally "poor" healthcare, and if you really can't afford to wait for the services you need, you'd better go to another country to get them. In Canada, the American healthcare system as it was had long been greatly "demonized". Canadians who were being lulled into a sense of well-spent tax dollars for our own system were being told "In America, if you get hernia or appedicitis, you'll go bankrupt." Or, "In America, if you get hit by a car and are dying, and they drag you into a hospital and you don't have your insurance papers with you, they'll just throw you back out into the street." Ah, politicians. What I am trying to understand is the thinking behind your new healthcare system. It's not exactly like ours, where the government has absolute control over every hospital, procedure, and foots 100% of the bill... atleast, not yet.... which is good because if that happened in a country with 10 x the population we have (Canada has about 30 million citizens), and a 10% unemployment rate (That means there's as many unemployed Americans as there are Canadians, period) then such a situation would surely bankrupt you immediately - especially with your nations current debt load. Or it would leave you unable to offer the services your people need to thrive and survive. Now, if, as I understand it, your insurance companies are forced to offer insurance to every applicant regardless of health or pre-existing condition, and those same insurance companies are unable to raise their rates to cover this surge in expenses, then won't the result of this be bankruptcy of the insurance agencies? The current American administration has done an excellent job of "demonizing" the "fat cats" of the insurance companies and Wall street, so that Joe American might honestly believe that these companies have been sticking it to him and now it's payback time. However - realistically, while profit margins may well have been above "acceptable" levels - that's the free market - Capitalism, isn't it? That's the freedom Americans have fought for for generations. Insurance Companies are in business the same way WalMart is. They're not around to help people - they are for-profit companies out to make money. Some have been very underhanded (I've heard) in their dealings with their customers - but tying their hands on their insurance rates and forcing them to take on customers who are going to cost them a fortune to care for, will undoubtedly cripple them. As for Government assuring Americans that their involvement will allow them to control the costs... to that I say "Ha." So far as I am aware, atleast within democracies, government involvement always leads to cost escalations. Big government means big bureaucracy - just a lot more fingers in the pie. Of course, the notion of providing for the poor is a righteous and just one... are we not told: Matthew 25:40 ""The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'" Matthew 25:45 "...'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'" But doing for our brothers & sisters in Christ shouldn't require a government mandate and takeover. Jesus did not preach to the Roman prelate to tax more and distribute wealth evenly. He was quite clear: Matthew 6:26 "Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" It is our heavenly Father who provides for our needs - not always our wants - but our needs. Not Powerful governments, which are really very dangerous things. Ask the Marxists, who also believed in "Rob from the Rich and distribute to the poor", how good a job they thought Joseph Stalin did of realizing their dream. Men are corrupt in the flesh - there is no good thing in us apart from the Holy Spirit that indwells the believer. Romans 7:18 "I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out." Lord Acton penned it well when he wrote to Bishop Mandell Creighton "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men." |
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| Pastor Rick | Apr 17 2010, 09:46 PM Post #5 |
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Hi Ray, Interesting observations. Let me fill in a couple of things for you so you have a more complete picture. The profit margin for health insurance companies is in the neighborhood of 5%. Hardly outrageous when you consider Chik-filet has a higher margin. I also note that while one always hears about the horror stories with insurance companies, one never hears about the millions of success stories. Health costs in this country started to skyrocket when Medicare was put in place and the gov't began paying medical bills. As you said, when the gov't pays... Since the mid 60's, thre has been a federal law that requires all people coming into an emergency room to be treated regardless of ability to pay. No one has been denied health care here in 40 years. We currently have around 18 million unemployed. Out of that, 6 - 8 million are not counted. Having become discouraged during their job search, they have ceased looking for work. So officially, there are about 10 - 12 million out of work, i.e. 10% unemployed. This is out of a work force of about 100 - 120 million. Total population over 300 million. Living in the only state in the country to have socialized medicine, I can tell you that there is a shortage of doctors, waiting times are longer, options are fewer and prices are 27% higher than anywhere else in the country. Things will get worse...
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| ifitsgodswill | Apr 18 2010, 01:33 PM Post #6 |
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Jealousy? I think I hit the wrong button. report instead of quote. sorry |
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| Ray Krohn | Apr 18 2010, 06:28 PM Post #7 |
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"to desire (what belongs to another) inordinately or culpably" is to Covet. |
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| ifitsgodswill | Apr 18 2010, 06:40 PM Post #8 |
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Thanks Ray, Thou shalt not covet |
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| Pastor Rick | Apr 18 2010, 06:49 PM Post #9 |
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You got it, Lura!!! How can a policy based on coveting be Godly?! |
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| ifitsgodswill | Apr 19 2010, 02:49 PM Post #10 |
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Thanks Rich.... Guess what? I received an update on my homeowner's Insurance policy and they have raised our premiums as well as dwelling amount. Was only paying 700.00 for a year on a 150k dwelling. Now it is raised to 1000.00 for a year but raised also the premium for 170k. Now what I don't understand is why? Our house is not worth 170k.... But like you said in your other post that it is going to keep getting worse. God Bless You Lura :angry: |
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| Pastor Rick | Apr 20 2010, 10:03 AM Post #11 |
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Hmmm... I live in a more expensive part of the country than you and I'm paying less! Have you considered shopping around?? |
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| ifitsgodswill | Apr 20 2010, 10:35 AM Post #12 |
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I am fixing to call Farm Bureau and see what they can do for us. When I spoke with Allstate yesterday, I was told that it was because of Mother Nature. He said Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Missouri's rates all have gone up because of all the storms we've been having. And that they are spending more monies than what is coming in on claims due to the weather. so now we are being punished because of the weather. The lady at the post office recommended me to Farm Burea so i am going to see. I already called Geico and they are more expensive with less dwelling coverage. What a nightmare!!! Talk to you later Have a Blessed day.. Lura :angry: |
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3:49 AM Jul 11