One of the major news stories this week was the statement by President Obama that health care is a "moral obligation." This was an interesting statement from a number of perspectives. First, the context of the statement was that it was intended for liberal religious groups. This is politics 101. And the truth be told, this is communication 101. When trying to get a message across or influence someone you have to speak their language. President Obama was doing just that. However, it does lead to the question of his sincerity.
The second issue is that this muddies the waters of a democratic party that has typically stood with those that oppose the enmeshment of church and state. Suddenly, when the President's initiative has taken some heavy hits he is in search of support anywhere he can find it. If that includes crossing the imaginary line of separation so be it. I for one don't have a problem with church and state issues. I believe the statement has been taken out of context and used by the enemies of Christianity to reduce the exposure of the message of the Gospel. In any event the motives behind the appeal have been called into question.
Third and most important, is where does the government come into play when it comes to the questions of morality? I believe there is strong and clear evidence of the influence religion has had upon the making of laws in America, specifically the Christian Church. I also believe that every law is a statement on morality. Laws are for the lawless. In other words laws are enacted because someone violated the internal law of right and wrong and created a need for an expressly written decree for a specific action.
In light of the present discussion on health care the question of life and death is the ultimate moral issue. This question is seen at the beginning of life and the governments sanction/provision of abortion. The question is also going to present itself at the end of life when it is left to government officials to decide the course of care that is approved for the elderly and sick. In my opinion this is much too large a question to place in the hands of a an appointed group of government officials.
It is my firm belief that it is not the governments place to make such decisions. They did not give life and certainly should not answer the question if they should preserve or terminate it. In this question of morality I hold that it should be left to the private citizens and groups to make this call. The appeal on the basis of morality to religious groups is strong. The response is unfounded. We do not live in a theocracy and hence the mandate for care is not to the government. The mandate is to the Church. The church is to care for the sick,feed the poor, comfort the afflicted. Those who would serve in such a capacity would always do what they could for the well being of those in their care.
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