Month: November 2010

What if…?

What if there was a way to add $17.6 BILLION per year to provide health care for the uninsured in America…with no tax increase, no federal deficit increase?

A few weeks ago I asked the question “How much would you give to help your neighbor?”. I didn’t get much response, but that may have been because folks were afraid I was going to ask for monetary gifts.

I’ve been thinking a lot about health care lately. I’m not a fan of the bill passed by Congress earlier this year. But I’m also not a fan of junking everything and starting over. There’s too many people in real need, and I know some of them. More than 3/4 of the uninsured in America are members of working families who cannot access health care, either because their employer doesn’t offer health insurance, or the costs are too high.

To recap a key point from my blog a few weeks ago: Americans are giving people. The whole world knows this! We give BILLIONS every year in response to needs, be it natural disaster relief, charitable contributions to third world countries, etc.

As the recent election indicated, many Americans are also tired of the government telling them what to do. I contend that the reason the government has assumed this role, is we, the people, have stopped voluntarily helping each other to the extent we used to. I’ve got some theories as to why, but they’re not germane to this discussion. The point is, we’ve got neighbors in need, and we can do something about it.

So, here’s my hair-brained idea: If every tax-filing entity in the US (that’s 144 million individuals/families, and 2.5 million corporations) were to voluntarily give $10 per month, that would provide $17.6 billion per year to health care for the uninsured. $10 per month! Even for my high-school daughter working part time jobs, that’s do-able.

If we, the people, were to inject $17.6 billion into health care for the uninsured, I believe we’d make a big dent. Would we solve it? Probably not. But it’s a start. And just like any of the big issues facing our nation/world today, there’s no single or easy fix. We’ve got to start chipping away at it.

What if…? Thoughts?

I’m Un-American!

Yep, that’s right, I’m “Un-American.” I’m also a:

-RINO
-T-Bagger
-Lib-tard
-scum bag

and I have no integrity.

At least, that’s what people who have never met me think.

These commentors have made their assessment based on reading several posts I made in the past 24 hours. Ironically, all of my comments had a consistent message that I don’t agree with Joe Miller’s approach to contesting this election. However, I also stated that given the gravity of his allegations about voter fraud and intimidation, along with implied corruption in the state elections office, it is most appropriate that Mr. Miller’s case be immediately investigated by Federal authorities.

Regardless of my political persuasion, I first and foremost want to see justice. If his allegations are true, then we must know the truth and demand the appropriate legal remedies to punish the offenders and ensure a fair election with a just outcome. Conversely, if his allegations are found to be baseless, I want this same outcome so that there can be no question or at least no foundation for accusations of conspiracy.

Funny thing is, if any one of those who so callously labeled me had done more than 1 minute of research into what I was saying, they’d have quickly been able to identify my position on the candidates in question. I just chose not to state it explicitly, since I felt it had no bearing on the point I was making.

Guess that makes me Un-American, and in that case my accusers are right. Because if what I’ve witnessed this political season is any indication of what “American” has become, not only am I not “American”, but I’m diametrically opposed to being “American”.

How much would you GIVE to help your neighbor?

Americans are giving people. Look at the response of Americans in response to recent natural disasters:

*Hurricane Katrina, Rita, Wilma (2005): $5.3 billion ($4.3 B from individuals)
*SE Asia Tsunami (2004): $1.8 billion
*Haiti Earthquake (2010): $1.4 billion

In response to the 2005 Gulf Coast hurricanes, 63% of US households made some sort of monetary contribution to the relief effort. 36% of that group gave between $26 and $99; 33% gave more than $100.

In 2004, the US gave a total of $248.5 billion dollars; 75% of that came from individuals.

So how much would you GIVE to help your neighbor in need? Could your household spare $100 over the course of 1 year? That’s less than $10 a month. I think few of us would have a hard time handing $8.33 to our neighbor each month, if they really needed it.

Thoughts?

Seriously, I’m NOT going to ask you for money, and I’m not setting up some sort of Ponzi scheme. I’d be interested in some feedback. Help me out here. How much would you FREELY GIVE to your neighbor, if it would make his or her life substantially better?

Watch how you say it

1st Century Palestine was governed by a harsh, pagan dictatorship, bent on taking advantage of the people they governed, extracting their resources and wealth for the good of the central government in Rome, and oppressing the local people to ensure they did not rise up and revolt against the government. The Romans tolerated religion only insofar as it yielded ultimately to the ultimate form of power, the worship of Caesar as lord.

In this political environment lived a small group of men who worshiped the one true God. They studied the Scriptures, and observed every command to the extreme, exhorting all around them to do the same. These men longed for the Palestine of centuries past, when the people lived under a government loyal to God, and the king was a “man after God’s own heart.” These men even studied the Scriptures to more fully understand the prophecies of the Messiah, the one who was to come and establish God’s kingdom on earth, longing for the day when they could throw off the bondage of the pagan dictatorship and live under the authority of a government based on Godly principles.

Another group of men in Palestine did not revolt against the Roman government, they embraced it, allying with the pagans in their attempt to extract wealth from the locals. These “publicans” gathered the taxes from the local residents on behalf of the Roman government, and collected a little (or a lot) extra for the purpose of building their own personal wealth. The historical record reveals that the former group treated the publicans with unbridled contempt, despising them for their moral compromise of Scriptural principles for economic gain.

Against this backdrop, the Son of Man, the Holy One of God whom the Scriptures foretold, taught of the coming Kingdom of God which He himself was establishing. He spent a lot of time with both of the aforementioned groups, speaking to and about each, often in earshot of the other. Of one group he spoke with mercy, often citing them in his stories of God’s love and forgiveness. Of one he spoke harshly and contemptuously, unapologetically offending them in his scathing criticism of their use of position to selfishly advance their own interests.

To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’
“But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’
“I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 18:9-14, NIV)

Jesus did not approve of the actions of the publicans (tax collectors). One can be certain that he despised their sins, as God despises all sin. But Scripture reveals that Jesus only spoke with open contempt and criticism of one group of people: those who took pride in their own righteousness and condemned others for not meeting their religious standards; of this group his condemnation is unvarnished and explicit (cf. Matt 23).

I relate all of this, not to judge the speech or motives of others, but to make the point that Jesus was VERY selective in how he spoke of his fellow man. In his teachings he speaks very strongly against adultery (Matt 5:27-30). But when he speaks to or about adulteresses, he speaks with mercy and compassion (See John 4). We (I am first among the “we”) should be of like mind.