Abstract
This paper attempts a view of the contemporary health care debate in America through the prism of Biblical scripture and proposes that people of faith should recognize the current state of the American health care system as a moral crisis of justice and charity. First, I provide a survey of the current state of American health care for the uninsured, describing the demographic and economic circumstances of the uninsured and the resources available to them when they need medical care. Second, I ask whether, in light of scripture, this state of affairs presents a moral question that should drive our communities to action, and I answer in the affirmative. Third, I ask, if access to health care for uninsured Americans is a moral issue, what should be the ethical response in national health care policy, and I ask whether progressive use of the State is an appropriate option for Christians in light of apostolic teaching on government and the religious community. Observing the community of Christians described in the New Testament, I suggest that in the American republic, Christians rightly should consider the use of public, governmental policy to address an unjust health care system.
Recommended Citation
Jeffrey R. Baker, Whom Would Jesus Cover - A Biblical, Ethical Lens for the Contemporary American Health Care Debate, 23 J.L. & Health 1 (2010)