Christianity and healthcare reform
Suzy Khimm has an interesting piece up about the new rise in religiosity at the Tea Parties:
“We are turning to socialism and away from God!” Joseph Grab said as he stood amid the thousands who gathered on Capitol Hill today to attend Michele Bachmann’s “House Call” protest against the health care reform bill. Grab, a retired engineer from Hershey, Pennsylvania, was clutching a leather-bound King James in his hand and a green sign that simply said “Pray” in the other. “This bill is going to include murdering babies, it’s going to bankrupt us, and it’s going to make totalitarianism grow,” he said gravely.
If the September 12 march on Washington–aka “the largest gathering of fiscal conservatives in history”–called for Don’t Tread on Me flags, Revolutionary War garb, and hammer-and-sickle signs outing Obama as a socialist, it still didn’t seem particularly religious. Well, this time, the Tea Partiers brought their Bibles with them. “It’s a bailout for the abortion industry!” one speaker on the steps of the Capitol cried.
I think fiscal conservatism and Christianity are compatible, but I don’t think that reconciling them is particularly easy – especially when socialism has taken on such pervasive meaning in today’s world, and all of it reactionary and negative. Undoubtedly, actual socialism – Stalinism or Maoism – is very bad for humanity. But welfare liberalism, or the sort of welfare state erected in the Nordic European states is a far, far cry from Stalinist Russia. And it’s simply nonsense to keep comparing healthcare reform to fascism or communism or any of these other ludicrous “isms” and then – at the same time – invoke the Bible.
Let’s take a look at the early Christians. Here’s Acts IV – when the earliest believers were still following the original apostles about Jerusalem and the surrounding countryside:
32All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. 33With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. 34There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales 35and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need.
Now this is not an endorsement of out-and-out socialism, but neither is it at all reminiscent of the sort of language one hears surrounding the education debate or the healthcare debate, or any debate wherein conservatives decide that any and all government involvement is bad and unwarranted. I think the Nordic models – which encourage free trade, very low intervention into the economy by the state, and a strong social safety net, are a far more Christian model than the one we’ve erected here, where every man fends for himself (at least theoretically).
This is not to say that everything about the northern European model is desirable. Indeed, many of those nations are scaling back to some degree on public services and trying to push down tax rates, increase competition and choice, and so forth. But their citizens do not have to go without healthcare, nor do they have to worry about raising a family without help, and they seem – in the end – less plagued by out-and-out greed than we Americans. There’s something to be said for a capitalist model that doesn’t place so much emphasis on greed, and places a bit more emphasis on community.
(Photo via Daylife)
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[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Tweets Tube, E.D. Kain. E.D. Kain said: Christianity and healthcare reform @trueslant http://tinyurl.com/ylbud8w [...]
Well, there are Christians and there are Christians… I’m one who sees looking out for the community good as not in conflict with trying to look after myself. Plus, I do believe Jesus had something to say about “the least of these”, who are currently uninsured & suffering. I think we should also keep in mind the need to honor ALL faith traditions in this interesting country. Few people of faith want others to suffer.
Fran,
I agree. I think conservatism is veering further and further off the mark with its incessant focus on “I” instead of “we.” Certainly the very essence of Christianity is to be in communion, with each other in the body of Christ. This doesn’t mean that we should place our faith in government either, but only that we should view it as a part of society that can work with the other parts of society to create a better, more just, and more stable world for all citizens – rich or poor, of whatever faith.
In response to another comment. See in context »Excellent post. I think we are going to need to reform government and the corruption the lobbyists money has created before we can have “community” again in this country. Both Dem’s and Republicans are outraged by the “government” and try and shout at each other rather than look for workable solutions. People are frustrated they really have no voice because most Congressmen only listen to the money.
Absolutely. Special interests are a huge problem in government, and should be the focus of both parties at this point – but of course, that isn’t going to happen.
In response to another comment. See in context »Thanks for sharing your thoughts. While my politics are on the center-right, I have always been informed by my faith to find ways to care for the poor. As a Christian and as a minister, I have believed in caring for those who are without food and having been without health care at some point in my life, I have wanted to find a way to make sure people have access to health care. Conservative politics are supposed to find ways that are not so centralized and I agree with that. Take health care: I don’t support the Democratic plan of single payer health care because I am not crazy about such heavy government interference and the history of horribe mismanagement. That said, the Christian answer is not to just ignore the problem, but find ways methods where the government can insure people have health care without running the show. I think in this case, conservatives should be looking at things like the Singapore plan or something along that scale instead of talking about the spectere of socialism.
One of the things that I have been interested in is Christian Democracy with its focus on subsidarity and Catholic (and Reformed) social teaching. Since the Christian Democrats are the center-right party in many European countries, maybe its time to start looking to this as a way to make conservatism in the US more humane.
We’re on a similar page, Dennis. The Christian Democrats have a lot of good ideas to offer – especially in Germany but also Northern Europe. I was hard pressed to decide between American Tory and Christian Democrat for the blog title!
In response to another comment. See in context »Erik,
I thought you might want to know that I wrote a blog post on the subject yesterday: http://republicansunited.us/2009/11/what-does-the-lord-require-of-republicans/
Hope it gives more food for thought.
In response to another comment. See in context »Mr. Kain,
The question of health care reform is not a religious debate, it is a political debate. It is about using the organs of government to achieve a particular goal, in this case changing how health care insurance is provided. This should be a fairly cut and dry debate about costs and benefits of various policies.
The opponents of health care reform are injecting religion in an attempt to preclude exactly that technical discussion where they do not have any strong arguments to a discussion where they feel they have stronger arguments. This is a diversion to avoid discussing the real issues.
Whether health care reform is or is not consistent with Christianity first excludes all non-Christians from the discussion. Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, atheists, &c are immediately excluded from the discussion which is not very democratic in my view. Moreover, even among Christians who gets to decide what is or is not Christian. Conveniently of course it is conservative Christians who have the upper hand in that discussion.
However, most importantly, what is or is not “Christian” is not the standard against which public policy is evaluated, at least not in this country. Even if a public policy were somehow to be determined to be antithetical to Christianity but were good public polity, what difference would that make?
While Christian may wish to debate among themselves whether health care reform meets the standards of Christianity, the public debate that matters about health care reform must necessarily preclude that question.
[...] Republicans, but when it comes to caring for our fellow sisters and brothers there is very little. E.D. Kain makes the case that many in the base of the GOP are not acting that “Christian:̶… I think fiscal conservatism and Christianity are compatible, but I don’t think that reconciling [...]
[...] about abortion and federal subsidies, the affable yet befuddled Michael Steele, abortion again, and Christianity & healthcare reform (among other things). If you’re interested stop by and leave me some comments about how [...]
The passage from Acts underscores the importance of recognizing natural, God-given rights to our property and labor, as in the conservative framework, as opposed to the positive, state-appropriated licenses to property under the progressive framework. The believers described in Acts do not suggest in any way that our bundles of rights ought to be entrusted to the state. Instead, they recognize the common source of our rights, a gift from God to man, whose stewardship over those rights ought to be a testimony of that relationship. Just as there is no need to appropriate parents’ property rights to their children, Acts does not in any way suggest that a Christians’ property rights ought to be entrusted in the state so that they may be re-appropriated to their fellow citizens. The sharing among family members, and charity among believers, has nothing to do with political egalitarianism.
[...] a comment » Every now and then someone will quote this passage from the Acts of the Apostles to suggest some level of credence to the notion that Christians ought [...]