Broadcast August 18 2009
Over in America President Obama is running into a great deal of opposition for his plans to reform the health service and create a new model of universal health care. To do such a thing in a country as vast as the US is indeed ambitious and it’s not hard to imagine that people will wonder about the upheaval and cost of such a venture.
It’s perhaps no surprise that many Americans are wary of government control, and fear that a health service run by the state smacks of socialism and some even describe it as Orwellian.
What fascinates me though, is that much of the opposition seems to be directed not at the practicalities but at the very principle that health care should be free to all. The very idea has been described recently as “pure evil” – and some of those advocating the changes have been receiving death threats. Why should so many Americans view universal health care as something that is morally wrong?
Contrary to popular opinion, the famous phrase “God helps those who help themselves” does not come from the Bible, but it does perhaps act as a kind of motto for the USA.
The American dream is that of opportunity - the chance for advancement and improvement. It is the dream that if you are prepared to work hard you can better yourself and your family.
Opportunity, initiative and self-reliance are all seen as virtues.
But unfortunately not everyone can be a winner. And not all poor people are lazy or feckless or irresponsible. In fact many people find themselves in that situation as the result of factors outside their control or even as an accident of birth.
Clearly universal health care is not mentioned in the Bible. But the Bible’s message is that God’s love is universal – that God has no favourites and that God wants people to support and care for each other.
Health care is a basic human need.
The principle of supporting one another and looking after those most in need is one that is at the heart not just of Christianity, but of what it means to be a civilised and compassionate society.