Monday, March 22, 2010

Healthcare redux

Well, last night the house passed the senate version of healthcare reform. Supposedly the pro-life Democrats got the assurances they wanted that federal money would not be used for abortions. I must admit that I am seriously conflicted about this. I am staunchly pro-life - I am virtually a single issue voter when it comes to protecting the lives of the yet-to-be-born. And yet, to be pro-life must surely also mean that we want those who are already born, regardless of age, to have access to healthcare. I don't mean those who refuse to get it, or even necessarily those who want society and government to take responsibility for all their actions. But it is true that there are millions in our country who could not get healthcare at any price because of the policies of Insurance companies. I remember when my Father-in-law's health insurance company went bankrupt just after he had suffered a heart attack. Having had a heart attack, no other insurance company would let him have a policy, no matter what he was willing to pay. Since that time (over 20 years ago) I have met countless numbers of people who wanted healthcare, were willing to pay for it, but could not get it. So I definitely believed that we needed some kind of reform. Having said that, our country will answer both before the bar of history as well as the bar of God's justice for our willingness to allow tens of millions of children to be killed just because they were not wanted. We must take our stand everywhere we can until this holocaust is stopped. I don't know if this bill does that or not. I guess time will tell. And I don't know if it will do all the other things it will promise. Being a human invention, it will surely have unintended consequences. We will all be watching. What do you think?

Pastor Ken

1 comment:

Enthusiastic Ep[iscopalian said...

For those who don't know me, I'm Ken's father. Living in western North Carolina with all (save one set) of my children, grandchildren and the one greet-grandson in CA means that I don't see them much. Like Ken, I' a minister - in my case a licensed Episcopal lay minister. I' m also a retired USAF meteorologist along with many other things. So, if you see a blog comment signed "Enthusiastic Epsicopalian" that's me.

In almost all cases, Ken and I think alike. I am prehaps a stronger adovate of the just passed Health Care Reform bill than he. Like he, aborton disgusts me. I believe that the just passed legislation continues the Hyde Amendment restrictions. Hence, I didn't, and really don't see any need for the President's executive order.

Do we need health care reform? Oh, yes. Is the just passed bill perfect? Hardly. Is it a good start....

Ken Walters Sr