According to The Christian Science Monitor[1], some fifty percent of all Americans have already made their adjustment to the Federal invasion of healthcare: they're relying on prayer for healing.
Oh, all right, "consider the source;" I certainly don't have any moral right to stand in the way of someone succumbing to appendicitis or rheumatic fever according to the light of the their own religion (or, for that matter, not succumbing; these things weren't a hundred percent fatal before there were effective medical solutions and a postulated Thumb on the scales of fate couldn't hurt). But despite the editorialist's use of the statistic to fuel musings on the impiety of Government[2], I think it may be a little more something else: even now, if you get just a skosh into the paperwork and red tape that almost every interaction with Modern Medicine entails, you're liable to prefer trying simpler solutions; with the Feds driving, it'll only get worse.
Might as well pray. If nothing else, it's a more dignified death than drugged up an' stuffed fulla wires and tubes.
(I am NOT gonna debate the possible efficacy of prayer in healing in comments; start it up and you'll be deleted without mercy. If it works, how it works, that is between you and your $DEITY; it's not the point of this screed. I don't consider it worthy of debate; not because I think it is trivial but because it is a question that, if answered, could easily be used to infringe on the individual freedom of religious belief: when you debate it, you are actually arguing for the right to "prove" your religion and go Convert The Heathen by main force. Do that on your own time, dammit; I am a heathen and I shoot back). _____________________________________________
1. And I guess we should all be grateful someone is monitoring it.
2. In my opinion, it's not nearly impious enough; indeed, whenever any set of beliefs ceases to be questioned and becomes Received Wisdom, the Feds ought to be banned from involvement: lock 'em outta Hinduism an' Global Warming, out of Scient010gy and Protestantism, out of Cold Fusion an' UFOlogy, every last thing, no matter how obscure or widely believed, no matter how much or how little history it's got, if it even smells like religion, Uncle Sam should have to set it down and move slowly away. --Yeah, dream on; we otta all get shiny unicorns to ride, too. Or at least a mule and some land. Don't hold your breath.
Don't know many more details about this, but it appears even before Obamneycare, courts have mandated a particular treatment. (I seem to remember another similar case in, I think, Maryland.) Wanna rely on alternative medicine? This judge says not unless you do what the official doctor says, too. Wanna pray? Be my guest, but you will submit to the government doctor's treatment as well.
ReplyDeleteI assure you, it's not just heathens that will shoot back. ;-)
Actually, if I need a doctor, I plan on going to the one from my church and guilt-tripping him into accepting cash and not doing any paper work on it. For all but the most serious problems. "Cuz you're a Christian, right, Doc?"
Sadly, this Christian, Republican, doctor whose been practicing medicine for 10 years supports some kind of nationalized health care system. I tried to explain to him that using the force of the government gun to make one set of people pay for anything for others is not charity. Deaf ears. More and more, I'm finding that the people who believe as I do...don't.