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!
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Saturday, April 6, 2013
This Country and Religious Freedom
Our country was founded in part for religious FREEDOM, not religious DOMINANCE. Practice how you feel you are called to. Love your god. Love your ministers. Love your fellow congregationalists. Just don't tell me to believe in something, and worship something based in fear of future retribution. I choose to be kind to people because it is right, not because a book guides me, or because I'll spend eternity upstairs or downstairs based on how I lived my life. Be good because it is right.
Our founding fathers, the people who wrote, debated, and eventually signed the Constitution, were quite energetic about religion. (I've been collecting these for years now.)
George Washington, 1st President, General who won America's freedom from England,
Signer of The Constitution
“The government of the United States is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion”
John Adams, 2nd President, Signer of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution
“This would be the best of all possible worlds, if there were no religion in it”
“The government of the United States is not in any sense founded upon the Christian religion”
Thomas Jefferson, 3th President, Signer of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution
“Question with boldness even the existence of a god.” In a letter to Peter Carr, 10 August 1787
“The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others. But it does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are twenty gods, or no god. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg.”
“Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legislative powers of government reach actions only, and not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should "make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof", thus building a wall of separation between church and State.”
James Madison, 4th President, Signer of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution
"In the course of the opposition to the bill in the House of Delegates, which was warm & strenuous from some of the minority, an experiment was made on the reverence entertained for the name & sanctity of the Saviour, by proposing to insert the words "Jesus Christ" after the words "our lord" in the preamble, the object of which would have been, to imply a restriction of the liberty defined in the Bill, to those professing his religion only. The amendment was discussed, and rejected by a vote of against.”
Thomas Paine, Author of significant influence to the American Revolution
“All national institutions of churches, whether Jewish, Christian or Turkish [Muslim], appear to me no other than human inventions, set up to terrify and enslave mankind, and monopolize power and profit.”
Alexander Hamilton, Signer of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution
“The voice of the people has been said to be the voice of God; and, however generally this maxim has been quoted and believed, it is not true to fact. The people are turbulent and changing, they seldom judge or determine right.”
Benjamin Franklin, Signer of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution
“To follow by faith alone is to follow blindly.”
Abraham Lincoln, 16th President, and signer of the Emancipation Proclamation
“When the Know-Nothings get control, it will read: ‘All men are created equal except negroes, foreigners and Catholics.’ When it comes to this I should prefer immigrating to some country where they make no pretence of loving liberty–to Russia, for instance, where despotism can be taken pure, and without the base alloy of hypocrisy.”
Campy Out!
Our founding fathers, the people who wrote, debated, and eventually signed the Constitution, were quite energetic about religion. (I've been collecting these for years now.)
George Washington, 1st President, General who won America's freedom from England,
Signer of The Constitution
“The government of the United States is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion”
John Adams, 2nd President, Signer of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution
“This would be the best of all possible worlds, if there were no religion in it”
“The government of the United States is not in any sense founded upon the Christian religion”
Thomas Jefferson, 3th President, Signer of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution
“Question with boldness even the existence of a god.” In a letter to Peter Carr, 10 August 1787
“The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others. But it does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are twenty gods, or no god. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg.”
“Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legislative powers of government reach actions only, and not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should "make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof", thus building a wall of separation between church and State.”
James Madison, 4th President, Signer of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution
"In the course of the opposition to the bill in the House of Delegates, which was warm & strenuous from some of the minority, an experiment was made on the reverence entertained for the name & sanctity of the Saviour, by proposing to insert the words "Jesus Christ" after the words "our lord" in the preamble, the object of which would have been, to imply a restriction of the liberty defined in the Bill, to those professing his religion only. The amendment was discussed, and rejected by a vote of against.”
Thomas Paine, Author of significant influence to the American Revolution
“All national institutions of churches, whether Jewish, Christian or Turkish [Muslim], appear to me no other than human inventions, set up to terrify and enslave mankind, and monopolize power and profit.”
Alexander Hamilton, Signer of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution
“The voice of the people has been said to be the voice of God; and, however generally this maxim has been quoted and believed, it is not true to fact. The people are turbulent and changing, they seldom judge or determine right.”
Benjamin Franklin, Signer of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution
“To follow by faith alone is to follow blindly.”
Abraham Lincoln, 16th President, and signer of the Emancipation Proclamation
“When the Know-Nothings get control, it will read: ‘All men are created equal except negroes, foreigners and Catholics.’ When it comes to this I should prefer immigrating to some country where they make no pretence of loving liberty–to Russia, for instance, where despotism can be taken pure, and without the base alloy of hypocrisy.”
Campy Out!
Friday, April 5, 2013
Thursday, January 3, 2013
First Joke of the Year!!!!
Blind Cashier at Cabela's:
A woman goes into Cabela's to buy a rod and reel for her grandson's
Christmas present. She doesn't know which one to get, so she just grabs one and goes
over to the counter. The clerk was standing behind the counter wearing dark
glasses. She says to him, "Excuse me, sir. Can you tell me anything about
this Rod and reel?" He says, "Ma'am, I'm completely blind; but if you'll
drop it on the counter, I can tell you everything from the sound it makes."
She doesn't believe him but drops it on the counter anyway...... He
says, "That's a six-foot Shakespeare graphite rod with a Zebco 404 reel and
10-LB. test line. It's a good all-around combination, and it's on sale
this week for only $20.00."
She says, "It's amazing that you can tell all that just by the sound
of it dropping on the counter. I'll take it!"
As she opens her purse, her credit card drops on the floor. "Oh, that
sounds like a Master Card," he says.
She bends down to pick it up and accidentally farts. At first she is
really embarrassed, but then realizes......there is no way the blind clerk
could tell it was her who tooted. Being blind, he wouldn't know that she was
the only person around?
The man rings up the sale and says, "That'll be $34.50 please." The
woman is totally confused by this and asks,
"Didn't you tell me the rod and reel were on sale for $20.00? How did
you get $34.50?"
He replies, "Yes, ma'am. The rod and reel is $20.00, but the Duck Call
is $11.00, and the Catfish Bait is $3.50."
She paid it and left without saying a word.
Campy Out!!!
A woman goes into Cabela's to buy a rod and reel for her grandson's
Christmas present. She doesn't know which one to get, so she just grabs one and goes
over to the counter. The clerk was standing behind the counter wearing dark
glasses. She says to him, "Excuse me, sir. Can you tell me anything about
this Rod and reel?" He says, "Ma'am, I'm completely blind; but if you'll
drop it on the counter, I can tell you everything from the sound it makes."
She doesn't believe him but drops it on the counter anyway...... He
says, "That's a six-foot Shakespeare graphite rod with a Zebco 404 reel and
10-LB. test line. It's a good all-around combination, and it's on sale
this week for only $20.00."
She says, "It's amazing that you can tell all that just by the sound
of it dropping on the counter. I'll take it!"
As she opens her purse, her credit card drops on the floor. "Oh, that
sounds like a Master Card," he says.
She bends down to pick it up and accidentally farts. At first she is
really embarrassed, but then realizes......there is no way the blind clerk
could tell it was her who tooted. Being blind, he wouldn't know that she was
the only person around?
The man rings up the sale and says, "That'll be $34.50 please." The
woman is totally confused by this and asks,
"Didn't you tell me the rod and reel were on sale for $20.00? How did
you get $34.50?"
He replies, "Yes, ma'am. The rod and reel is $20.00, but the Duck Call
is $11.00, and the Catfish Bait is $3.50."
She paid it and left without saying a word.
Campy Out!!!
Friday, December 28, 2012
Happy New Year! Looking back at 1982
As we all look back at the end of the year, to make amends, come clean, start anew, make resolutions, I'd like to say that NO year has ever been so exciting my my life as 1982, or so I remember.
Out of respect for my Mother and Father, here's what I remember of 1982.
Oh! There's so much more! But I'm kind of glad that I can't remember it all.
Sure seems that 1982 was pretty interesting year for me, eh? Seems like I should have moved to Florida... but then again, I would have never met my wife, the very LOVE of my life, for nearly 30 years!
Fortunately for me, I started to take myself a bit more seriously later in 1983. Its funny how 30 years of collective screw ups can make you a bit more reflective... at times. So when your kids start really, and I mean REALLY, screwing up, remember that there is hope that they'll turn out just fine.
Campy Out!
Out of respect for my Mother and Father, here's what I remember of 1982.
(x) I chose to stay, alone and on my own, in Rhode Island, while my entire family moved to Florida. (1982)
(x) Blew the engine on a pristine 1973 Buick Electra 225, with a 455 cu in engine. (1982)
(x) Crashed into and bought a telephone pole. (1982)
(x) Totaled a wicked "full sized" blue 1973 Chrysler Satellite station wagon. (1982)
(x) Lost my license. (1982)
(x)
Got into a fist fight (and won) with a significantly larger man, over a
cup of hot chocolate, only to be detained by RI State Police. (1982)
(x) Hit a local Constabulary with a base ball bat. (1982)
(x) Went for a one way trip head first down several flights of stairs... several times at the hands of Providences' best. (1982)
(x) Lit off bottle rockets IN the car I was driving, a multicolored 1965 VW Bug. (1982)(x) Went for a one way trip head first down several flights of stairs... several times at the hands of Providences' best. (1982)
(x) Actually floated a multicolored VW bug... on water... only for a moment... pulled it out of the water... and drove it away. (1982)
(x) Unintentionally submerged a green 1970 Vega station wagon.... three times in the same day. (1982)
(x) Unintentionally peed on a sleeping homeless man in Boston, MA. (1982)
(x) Rear ended a brown van while "sleep driving" my VW 1965 Bug through Harlem, NY ... and lived to tell about it, (1982)
(x) Walked home from Mystic CT... after my 1965 VW Bug broke down, and no one would pick us up. (1982)
(x) Spent a bunch of my Summer in Newport watching the build up to the 1983 Americas Cup sailboat races. (1982)
(x) Rented a duplex ranch house, with 5 of my best friends, at the beach, and suffered amnesia for the week. (1982)
(x) Due to my "quest for more stupid shit to do" I lost my girlfriend. (1982)
(x) Personally sold a large Hefty Trash Bag worth of "special" herb. (1982)
(x)
Helped a man move his family move his family, over night, before he was
found by a special group of ill intentioned Italian people, all with
one name, that he owed a significant amount of money to. (1982)
(x) Attended meetings held at Rhode Islands' finest Judiciary Buildings several times in 1982.
(x) Mistaken for my room mate, a Attleboro, MA based arsonist! (1982)
(x) Got "Fired!" from my position mopping floors at a nursing home. (1982)
(x) Skipped out on a debt to a health club, (1982)
(x) Stole a Christmas Tree, from Boone's Farm, and planted it in Algebra class. (1982)
(x) Stole a Christmas Tree, from Boone's Farm, and planted it in Algebra class. (1982)
(x) Dropped out of college. (1982)
(x) Rearranged the traffic scheme leading up to a new bridge construction. (1982)
(x) Was ordered to choose whether to go to jail or join the Navy. (1982)
(x) Joined the Navy with "special herb" stuffed in my pocket. (1982)Oh! There's so much more! But I'm kind of glad that I can't remember it all.
Sure seems that 1982 was pretty interesting year for me, eh? Seems like I should have moved to Florida... but then again, I would have never met my wife, the very LOVE of my life, for nearly 30 years!
Fortunately for me, I started to take myself a bit more seriously later in 1983. Its funny how 30 years of collective screw ups can make you a bit more reflective... at times. So when your kids start really, and I mean REALLY, screwing up, remember that there is hope that they'll turn out just fine.
Campy Out!
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