Tuesday, February 27, 2007

A Right? A Privilege? Our Duty?

Been struggling with a statement made on a regular basis in my classes, a statement that is made in a way that always assumes that everyone agrees with it, along with the implication that anyone who doesn't is stone-age and should not be allowed to practice medicine. Here it is:

Health care is a human right.

This statement is made in deference to the idea that those to whom health care is NOT being provided to are being denied their rights. This statement is very powerful and political and holds a lot of sway in the arenas my life will consist of from here on out. Before I take this any further concerning my own thoughts, can anyone offer an opinion on the matter? Scriptural back-up would be encouraged.

3 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

There are several nuances to that statement. By human right, some people mean it like a civil right ... a Constitutional right. Of course, that just isn't true, but a little judicial activism can easily fix that!

Most people probably mean it with a moral implication ... as in, it is immoral to deny equal access to medical care based on economic (or other) reasons.

The only obvious biblical guidance is that Christians are called (commanded?) to care for widows, orphans, the poor, the down-trodden, etc. Of course, our society (and the church) have outgrown such notions. I am not aware of any biblical instructions regarding government actions (or even secular non-profits!)

I think you are right to feel uncomfortable with the mindset and/or worldview behind such beliefs, but I think you are probably right in that you might as well get used to it.

The sentiment behind the statement is very altruistic, but it leads to big-government "helping" us.

BTW, conservative Republican Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney is touting his creation of a program to provide health care to every citizen of Massachusetts during his tenure as governor. I don't know how he did it, but what I have seen says he did it by getting "out of the box". So you don't have to be a liberal democrat to think people should have health care.

I know. I talked in circles. Basically, I'm with you ... it's not a human right, but it's something that Christians probably should be working for, as least for fellow believers.

-DEC-

3:58 PM

 
Blogger Brent said...

i go back and forth on this. my dad's a doctor, so hearing the phrase "universal healthcare" scares me and stirs up lots of frustration and anger. it wouldn't work. no one can be denied healthcare as is. now there are limits to this, but if you need it, somewhere you can find help.

it wouldn't work because like it or not, many many folks choose to be doctors for more selfish than altruistic reasons. i thought about it too, and lots of my friends who are in your boat. some want to help of course. many want a good life for themselves or family. that's not wrong, but that's the motivation, not so much helping people. you create universal healthcare and the smart motivated people pick something else to make a good living with. however people feel about that, it would be a reality.

i think i struggle because the quality would go down. you wouldn't get to choose your doctor as easily. and you'd have a cap on what you could make. not much incentive to do well as a doctor--or in any field really once you reach your last raise.

i also struggle because i believe in social justice. i hate that people don't have healthcare (i actually don't right now...eek. don't tell my dad. he'd have an anuerysm). i hate that there are poor people. i want them taken care of. but i've come to the realization that it's the church's responsibility to care for the least of these, whoever they are. when medicare and medicaid grew under Lyndon Johnson, churches and charities stopped helping as much because the government stepped in. gave the church a pass to save their money for other things like bigger buildings and higher salaries maybe? of course i'm talking in general here about churches, but i think we have really neglected the poor and hurting and unhealthy bc the government has grown and does.

last thing, if healthcare can be affordable to everyone without causing problems like some i mentioned, the social justice side of me would be ecstatic. here's mitt romney's plan your dad mentioned. and ps. you should vote for him.

http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110008213

sorry this was so long...

6:17 AM

 
Blogger Christie said...

Happy Birthday, Catherine! Hope your day is fabulous!

3:53 AM

 

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