Thoughts on Healthcare

The other day I found myself caught up in a debate regarding the new healthcare reform bill that quickly turned into a personal and religious argument.

Here is my response to a person who basically asked me how I can call myself a Christian being that I am a Democrat who supports this bill due to the abortion issues. Forget the fact that I am in nursing school with plans to pursue an advanced degree. Or the fact that I spend almost 20 hours a week in hospitals in East Baltimore --if you have never been to East Baltimore, I invite you to take a look at the almost 3rd world conditions that people live in--Or the fact that I volunteer weekly at a hospice (that's caring for terminal patients who in my opinion are dying due to lack of access) in East Baltimore, or the fact my elective classes include courses like Community Outreach and Faith and Healing. What do I know, right?

My response:

God's commandment is "thou shall not KILL" It makes no discrimination between killing unborn babies or Muslims. Why is abortion wrong but war is not? That's what I don't understand.

I am extremely upset and have been for years that my money as a tax payer is going to support a war I strongly morally oppose. As a result, I am considered by most Republicans as "un-American and unpatriotic". I am told this war is for the "greater good". It's the price to pay for democracy.

And then the same group of people want to throw me in front of a firing squad and question my salvation because I recognize the disparities in health care on a daily basis and support this Bill. The number of people that die in the US due to the lack of access and inadequate care far outweighs any potential rape/incest babies that would be aborted. The US has the highest infant mortality rate in the industrialized world! So why is the bill to start correcting that not for the "greater good"? Because this time it's not Muslim babies? Most importantly, Medicaid has been paying for abortions in the case of incest/rape and life of mother since 1965. That's not new to this bill.

I am not for abortion. I just don't appreciate the double standard. This is not directed specifically at you, but just in general. I have a lot of bitterness I guess. It seems like this was "church" mentality I was subjected to growing up. The picking and choosing of what acceptable and what's "sin". Smurfs are bad because they do magic. Fairy Godmother is okay because, well she is Disney. Could not play with unicorn My Little Pony because unicorns are not in the bible. But, lets hang stockings for Santa and his flying reindeer? Those are lame examples, but they represent the same mentality that uses the bible to condemn one group, but justify same actions of another.


I can respect your position and I think it's great to see people stand up for what they believe in. All I ask is please do not suggest that I am any less of a Christian than you just because I have a different opinion. And don't assume that because I voted for Obama that I hate the Old Testament as well as America and would like to see all pregnancies ended in partial birth abortions at the tax payers expense.