Health Care

Only recently I have become more politically interested. Perhaps that is because I'm finally getting old enough to care, or perhaps it's because politics is coming ever closer to challenging the core of my beliefs. Whatever the cause may be, though, I have become more interested. I have been following the health care situation (mostly on the radio), and actually watched live as the House debated the bill, and finally voted on it. Through my limited exposure, I have been able to gain some knowledge of the bill, though I am certainly no expert. While I realize that what I think has no direct bearing on the situation, I would like to briefly share my opinion. I do not agree with the health care bill for many reasons, but I will concentrate on one aspect that I think has been largely neglected: the false notion of security created by health insurance.

One thing that I heard repeatedly in the debate was that this bill was a "life and death matter," that it would "save thousands of lives," and other such claims. They were forgetting one important point, however. Whether or not people have health insurance, "The rich and the poor have this in common, the Lord is the maker of them all" (Proverbs 22:2, NKJV). God created life, and controls the life and health of every person on the planet. I heard a claim Sunday night that "18,000 Americans die each year for want of health insurance." God is the one who controls when we die, not man. I realize that modern technology and medicine has kept people alive much longer than they would have been without it, but it has not kept anyone from dying eventually. God has numbered our days, and having "proper" medical care is not going to change that.

It was also argued that health care should be a "right" for all Americans, not a "privilege." I counter that we as humans have no rights to begin with. Life itself is a privilege, a gift that God has given to each one of us. We are merely stewards of the bodies God gave us, and of the earth. To think that we have a right to anything is certainly presumptuous.

One final point I would like to make is that if we understand more of God's design, we see that there is a much better life awaiting us, if we only accept it. The world is not an end in itself, and neither are our earthly lives. We are here because God put us here for His glory and enjoyment. Because of sin, the world is not perfect, as it was when God created it. But someday, God will purify the earth with fire, and every person will live for eternity, either in heaven or hell. Thus, the only true "health insurance" is faith in Jesus Christ, whose blood has paid for our sins, enabling us to spend eternity in God's presence.