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Of this and that...I must apologize at the start for the somewhat rambling nature of this blog. I will eventually get to the point, but have to set the context first. I had occasion yesterday to talk with someone not particularly of my political persuasion (go figure LOL). I was asked what the phrase "Keep the faith" meant at the end of my emails/postings. I said that it just meant that whatever faith one might have, they should maintain it. Now that is a pretty inoffensive statement. I never demanded that anyone keep a particular faith, only that they be true to the one they might hold. I was then asked what particular faith I was keeping. Of course, not being very shy about what I believe {when asked}, I proceeded to tell of my belief in what Jim Wallis calls "God's Politics: Why the Left doesn't get it and the Right gets it wrong". Pretty innocuous so far. I then made the statement that "I cannot understand how anyone who considers themselves a Christian could withhold health care from children younger than 18". Well, wave a red flag in front of a bull, will you. We got into this discussion about how it was a father's responsibility to provide for his family. That is a concept I can agree with, it SHOULD be a father's responsibility. But let's say that a father doesn't provide, then what? Well, said this individual, they should be made to provide it. That got me thinking real hard. It costs me $1000 a month for healthcare for my family. My rudimentary math skills tell me that works out to $12,000 a year. Now that is a bit less that what I grossed last year. I basically worked all year so that I could have health care for me and my family. Don't figure in food, transportation, housing, etc. And I came back to the faith I keep and how it relates to the health care issue. I cannot justify, in my mind, not providing health care for children. That is government paid health care for those under 18 years in age. I know the arguments. There are those who will abuse the system, it will lead to "socialized medicine", it will increase our taxes, etc. All those are really pretty valid arguments that need to be addressed by any health care bill. But the alternative it to deny health care to children, as simple as that. I have a very difficult time understanding how anyone of faith can justify that in their own mind. We all feel that there are things government should do, to one degree or another. I feel that this is something that we, as a nation, should do. Does that mean that I would turn my back on the abuses and arguments? Most certainly not...I think those things should be addressed, but not BEFORE providing the care to those who cannot provide for themselves. Provide the care and then debate the problems, not vice versa. So have at it. and Keep the faith yardman5508's blog | login to post comments![]() |