The Most Acceptable Sin In America

There are about forty million American citizens who do not have health insurance.  Many more feel as though they are living on borrowed time -- such as the single mother in Ohio who has been laid off twice in one year, the mill worker in North Carolina who is slowly watching so many jobs go overseas, and the small business owner in Florida who has to choose between paying taxes or buying health insurance.

And yet, while so many of us hard-working Americans struggle to make ends meet, our government has been spending our hard-earned tax dollars recklessly.

For example, on November 19, 2003, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) spent $461,745 on its first annual awards ceremony, including $5,196 for official photographs, $1,500 for three cheese displays, and $1,486 for three balloon arches.

Think about that.  If you paid $5,200 in taxes, you covered the photographer.

And what’s worse, if you do NOT pay your taxes, the government will take everything you own to pay for cheese displays and balloon arches!

And worse yet, according to the assessment of the Office of Inspector General, the TSA party “complied with applicable laws and regulations.”

To put it another way, “Greed is the most acceptable sin in America.”

As taxpayers, it’s time to expect a better return on our investment.

Make Some Noise
If enough people make enough noise to ensure that health insurance is a right for every American, the government will have no choice but to make God’s command to care for the poor a reality.

Therefore, if you do wish to follow God’s holy command, there are two very simple actions you must take:

    1)  Write your senator, your congressional representative, and your president and demand health insurance for every American, in accordance with God’s command.  (If you have AOL, you can easily find your senator, your representative, and your president’s mailing address through the AOL Government Guide.)

    2)  Pass this e-mail on to your brothers and sisters and Christ.

While passing on an e-mail is as easy as clicking a mouse, our mission to fulfill God’s commands will die a quick death if we do not let our elected representatives know how we feel.  (Personally, I shudder to think of Christ’s disappointment if we have so much time for doing the dishes or watching television or spending so much time online and yet cannot write a simple letter!!!)  Therefore, the letters must be written.  And sent.

(And, yes, I have already written mine!)

Of course, I have no doubt that some of you are already thinking, “What about the Canadian health care system?  Or how about England?  That’s a mess!  What about the people who will use universal health insurance to their own advantage?”

Yes, it is true that the some of the nations that do have health insurance for their citizens have their share of problems.  If anything, though, those problems give America a chance to learn from the mistakes of other nations to make an even better system.

Therefore, do not be discouraged.

And, yes, in a fallen world, there will always be someone who wants to twist God’s commands, but that should only give us an impetus to see to it that laws are passed to prevent people from taking advantage of the system.

Besides, the many should not suffer for the mistakes of the few.

And if the church would stand up and be the church, we can make health insurance for every American a reality.

Left, Right, And Sideways

When I spoke with someone about this letter writing campaign a few weeks ago, he suggested that I join a local group that is working toward the same goal.

For a time, I considered it.  But then I realized that anyone who forms a group on the Right will only alienate the Left, in the same way that anyone who forms a group on the Left will only alienate the Right.

Unfortunately, as is so often the case when it comes to America’s deep political divisions, God’s commands get lost in the details and the debates because no one will be listening to anyone -- especially the Lord.

Of course, in America, everyone is entitled to his, or her, own opinion.  But if we are The Body of Christ, if we truly want to follow God’s command, we must work together to accomplish this goal.

We must focus on our common ground.  For we are the children of God called to obey His commands, regardless of just how much our political and personal views have divided us.

We cannot go Left.  We cannot go Right.

We must go Sideways.  Together.

Most of us, surely, will say that abortion should not be included in any plan for universal health coverage.  And a few of us might say that even homosexuals should be included because diseases and disabilities do not discriminate.

AIDS doesn’t care what color you are, hepatitis doesn’t care how much money you make, cancer doesn’t care about your marriage, and a heart attack certainly doesn’t care who you voted for last November.

If diseases and disabilities do not discriminate, why should we?

(Pretty scary to think that diseases and disabilities have always known some things that the human race is still working on!)

But everyone--whether they have AIDS, hepatitis, cancer, have suffered a heart attack, or are suffering from some other ailments--is loved by God equally and eternally.

This is why a letter-writing campaign has so much potential -- each person writes his, and her, own letter so everyone gets to present his, and her, own opinion regarding the specifics.

All we have to agree on is that we must follow God’s holy commands.

Who among you would dare to disagree?
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Write the Letters!

“Let us have faith that right makes might, and in that faith let us, to the end, dare to do our duty as we understand it.”
~Abraham Lincoln

“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”
~Jesus Christ
(Matthew 25:40)

Click Below to Write those Letters!