And, these people who think that universal health care or single payer system, or government run health care is the panacea that would fix our health care accessibility and affordability problems are misguided. If these people think turning the way our doctors practice health care upside down and turning the whole system over to the Federal government is going to solve those issues they are highly misinformed and misled by certain people within either the Catholic community or by politicians. Should we sacrifice quality versus quantity in our health care system as other countries have done? Why do you think many people from other countries come to the U.S. when they’re sick and need a certain medical procedure performed on them that isn’t offered in their country? Patients come here for treatment here because we offer the invaluable procedures that they need and their country doesn’t because they’re country’s government limits the ingenuity of the medical professions and thus offers fewer procedures. Why is the U.S. able to offer what other countries can‘t? It is because of the principles of freedom and liberty in America and our Founders explicitly provided us with a road map for a limited government that would not intrude into our private lives as a government run health care system would. In other countries, the government controls what procedures may be done, the number of patients which may be seen, and many aspects of health care so this limits their availability to treat patients effectively. The United States treats people more effectively than other country around the globe because the government is not controlling every aspect of the doctors’ and patients’ lives. Doctors and medical researchers can use ingenuity to find new treatments, procedures and surgeries to help patients because they are not reliant on the government for monetary funds or approval for this and that procedure. As bad as you think it is with insurance companies it is much worse under the control of the government.
These same people like to apply the seamless garment philosophy in thinking that helping all of the poor in the name of “social justice” is on the same plane as the abortion issue. This simply isn’t true. To think that opposition to comprehensive health care reform-Obamacare- is on the same plane as being pro-abortion is fallacious. As children of God we do have a moral obligation to help the poor, but it is not wrong for us to choose to help one person instead of another person. It is not evil for us to choose to help Joe while being unable to help Robin at the same time. It is important for us, as children of God, to do these acts of charity which takes a free-will on our part instead of being forced by the government to give money to the poor. But, abortion is morally different. Abortion is always murder- it is never morally licit. Abortion is an intrinsic evil. No exercise of the act of killing an innocent human being is ever licit, but it can be licit to refrain from an act of charity which would benefit this or that poor or sick person. If one is of limited means, one is obligated to see to the needs of his or her family before tossing away one’s resources on strangers. It is our obligation to adhere to both moral law and civil law and not to commit murder, or kill ANY innocent human being. It is entirely appropriate for the government to compel our obedience to the law and demand under the threat of force that we refrain from murder. But how appropriate is it for the state to compel our charitable giving at the point of a gun (effectively eliminating its value as an act of charity)?
Catholic Health Association's website is here.
CHA has a link to ourhealthcarevalues where you can verify the details that I mentioned regarding Sr. Keehan's support for Obamacare.
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