Christianity's Implications on Health Care Reform: "What Would Jesus Do?" Gets Asked

Admittedly, I know very little about politics and government compared to people who really know their stuff. But, I'm fairly confident that I'm not alone. Much of what is published has more to do with personal beliefs and preconceived notions than an actual understanding of legal terminology and long-term implications. This approach works, in a sense, in that it can get even the least of us thinking about what would be a better way of life. After all, at the heart of democracy rests "We the People." Thankfully, we can each maintain our own opinions and we can freely share such dissent.

In the wake of recent health care legislation, I have come across several appeals to Christianity in order to determine what's right: Jesus, after all, cared for His neighbors. What puzzles me most is that some seemingly-honest at heart really equate the two notions: (1) Because Jesus loves everyone, (2) I should be forced to buy health insurance. I simply cannot reconcile the two, and trying to do so leaves me dumbfounded. I can see how a person could be for or against mandated health insurance; I just can't see how asking "What Would Jesus Do?"--a question which has been posed in this very context--would give a person an obvious "for" answer.

A reading of the Bible and latter-day revelations leaves me with the understanding that God does, indeed, want us to consecrate our time, talents and all that we have for the building up of His Kingdom, which certainly includes caring for the poor and needy. But, unlike Satan's plan in the preexistence which was to compel us to choose a course rather than let us be agents unto ourselves, Heavenly Father's plan included agency. We are free to choose. Our Father knew we would stumble and He mercifully provided a Savior for us to be redeemed. Our faith in Christ is what saves us--because real faith moves us to be better people, moves us to care for others and to follow His great plan and to submit to Him in all things.

Jesus doesn't reign in the form of democracy--which makes a side-by-side comparison largely irrelevant. But, if someone is going to ask me "WWJD?" regarding health care, I cannot see a legitimate case for the supposed answer of "Make me pay money I don't have for something I don't want so that it may help my neighbor, even though he may not want it either." I see at least one very striking problem with that line of reasoning: Jesus invites us to come unto Him--he doesn't make us come.

I'm not saying that health care reform, which may be better described as health insurance reform, and all other laws of the land which compel are necessarily of the devil. I do imagine, however, that being forced to pay for health insurance is not requisite for entrance in God's great Kingdom. On the contrary, I would think Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ care much more about what I do of my own free will than what I do because of what my government mandates. What I choose to do indicates faith; what I'm simply compelled to do indicates fear.