Obamacare and the Bible

Many good meaning people are adamantly in favor of government run healthcare. In fact, social media is chocked full of quotes and thoughts from people who obviously have a heart for the poor, the hurting, the sick and the needy. Many of these posts either quote the Bible or unknowingly promote biblical concepts like...

• Psalm 82:4 - "Deliver the poor and needy..."
• James 1:27 - "...visit the fatherless and widows..."
• Matthew 10:8 - "Heal the sick..."
• Psalm 102:20 - "...hear the groaning of the prisoner..." 

However, the Bible does not direct these instructions at the government; they are directed toward individuals. It is the responsibility of individuals to provide these services directly to their family members and neighbors.

One may argue that government is a collection of individuals who can be employed, through taxation, to carry out these activities. There are several challenges with this approach:

• As the taxes are taken from the people, they are not as financially equipped to assist the needy.
• The taxpayer expects the government to provide the services and may become complacent about assisting the needy directly.
• The taxpayer is robbed of the joy and personal satisfaction that comes with providing the services directly to the needy.
• The recipient may fail to understand the source of the assistance (the taxpayer) and lack a sincere gratitude toward their neighbor.

It is popular in our day to quickly point to the modern interpretation of the "separation of church and state" (a view which was not held by the framers of the United States Constitution, but I digress). However, it is a paradox to require the government to provide services to the needy (a "religious" concept instituted by a compassionate God) and maintain that the government should separate themselves from religious ideology.

One may argue that there are good people that are self-motivated to assist the needy without any religious promptings. According to the Bible, they are simply responding to God's law which is embedded in their own conscience...

• Romans 2:14-15 - "For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)"

You may ask, what is government supposed to do then? Consider this...

• Romans 13:3-4 - "For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil."

In conclusion, it is the responsibility of individuals to provide assistance directly to the needy. It is the role of government to execute revenge on those that do evil.