The Affordable Health Care Act (Again...)

The point most "Obamacare" haters are missing, is that this program is a fundamental shift to quality care versus quantity care.  No matter how you look at it, a healthier person costs less over time, it is a given.  Any project that fundamentally changes the way something has been done, initially strikes fear in those who are being required to change.

(I was going to stop here, so I guess this is where you can stop reading if you're inclined to get upset about my rebuttal. I got inspired this morning so here it goes...)

Why do you go to church? Do you go to church because you are commanded to? Or do you go to church because you want to?  Does it matter how many times you go to church?  Or does it matter what you do between church visits?

Do you go to church only when you are bummed, depressed, feeling bad, or sick?  Maybe you might even go to church when you really feel that you are doing well, wonderful, and feeling grateful?

Do you talk to the minister, or priest? Do you ask him or her for advice? What do you do with that advice?  Does that advice ever really amount to anything?

How about if everyone you knew went to church once a week, maybe more?  What if initially the local ministers were swamped with visitors, requesting advice, standing in lines, waiting for a blessing.  What if these people were waiting to be taught how to bless someone else, or help themselves to a daily dose of bible scripture, prayer, or something basic like how to read the bible?

I’m sure the ministers would be pretty confused, and some may get upset at the crush of people coming to their church, hall, office, or ministry.  People waiting in line may get upset at the wait, not to mention the fact that they are told to come back again and again.  I’m sure that the church ministry staff will eventually start balking at the cost of all these people coming in to be saved.  I’m even sure that the staff would even get a bit testy over working longer hours, the burden of having to deal with these lost souls. Few staff members and the “old guard” already saved, reborn again, active congregational members will notice the smiles on the people leaving the church, because they are being asked to foot the bill for the increase of people that are coming to their church, using their services, and capitalizing their minster’s time.

Over time, the people of the community, that were invited to partake in this project of affordable soul care,  start to visit the minister, and his support staff less and less, because they are now self reliant and able to care for themselves spiritually. They attend church more regularly because they finally “get it.” They are more involved in their community, congregation, and family.  These people who were lost to everyone are now tithing to the church making the church able to fulfill more obligations than ever before, maybe even growing another wing, school, or satellite church.

This investment in soul care is very similar to the investment that health care needs now. It is a bold and scary proposition, yet it is right to care for those who can’t afford it, much in the same way it is right to care for those who don’t believe in god.  Quality of care, always trumps quantity of care.


Campy Out!