This is part 2 of a series on religion and politics. Part one can be read at http://bobnbama.blogspot.com/2011/12/jesus-is-born-so-what.html
Do you remember the passage in the Bible where the leper walked up to Jesus and asks to be healed, and Jesus gave him a Band-Aid? Or how about the time the blind man asked Jesus to restore his sight, and Jesus offered him a seeing-eye dog?
Weren’t you moved when Jesus commanded us to feed the hungry, heal the sick, give the thirsty something to drink and to welcome the stranger, using free market principles in an unregulated market that prove the profit motive leads to greater efficiencies and that market pressures alone will lead businesses to operate in an ethical manner?
Me neither. First of all, Jesus was not interested in half measures. The blind could see again, lepers were cured. And Jesus commanded his followers to care for the sick, welcome the stranger, feed the hungry, clothe those who need it…(Matthew 25:31-46). We were not told how to do it, just to get it done.
So if you are a believing Christian, the question is not if we, as a society should do these things, but how do we try to get it done. Anything less is a step away from Christ. And this is where religion and secular society meet.
The current Republican presidential primary selection race leaves me confused. Every candidate (except perhaps Ron Paul) flaunts his religion and they seem to compete to be the holiest. Yet they condemn “Obamacare” and offer no alternative, government or private. Heal the sick? Not on their watch.
Feed the hungry? No, attack food stamps. Newt Gingrich’s plan is for the needy to cinch in their belts until they have good paying jobs.
Welcome that stranger? Each candidate tries to outdo each other to be harder on undocumented aliens. I’m not arguing for open borders, but haven’t we lost some of our own humanity when we are cheering the breaking up of families? Haven’t we given up on Christ?
Government is not the answer, nor is it the problem. Government is a tool that the people can employ to solve problems that are beyond us individually. What matters are results. Are we fulfilling all of Jesus’ commands through our churches? No one could argue that we are. While churches work to bring the commands of Christ to the world, the job is bigger than churches can do alone. Will the private sector do the job? The profit motive does not willingly provide products and services to those who cannot pay.
So if you don’t want government to heal the sick, and feed the hungry… please, fellow Christians, tell me your plan.
Part 3 – Why should the rich pay more? Coming soon.
