Where do I even begin? Ignorance can be teachable. Arrogance can be warranted. But the sheer self-righteous stupidity of this post boils my blood.
Let’s take apart one statement at a time.
Jesus said unto the sick, “You better have insurance.”
In the Bible, Jesus heals the sick. He is one man, and he can only heal so many. And he has other important work to do. It is beautiful how many people today commit their lives to healing the sick. And they heal so many of so many different afflictions. And so many doctors provide free healthcare for the poor. What a miraculous form of charity!
Furthermore, isn’t capitalism amazing that billions of people can afford healthcare that didn’t even exist in the days of Jesus? That physicians can afford to live, often quite comfortably, by doing such good work? That the money paid for healthcare gives researchers the funding to find more cures for more ills?
Insurance is an imperfect solution to an insoluble problem. I have railed against the insurance system in the U.S. and will do so again, but the fact of the matter is that there are people who get access to healthcare because of insurance that they wouldn’t get without it.
Jesus said unto the stranger, “Are you here legally?”
What Jesus said, is, “render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.” And what that means is: politics is part of the world. We often don’t agree with political things. But God’s message is not a political message. It is a personal message. Each individual needs to be the best individual they can be, and that is the most important thing.
Jesus wants us to treat strangers with dignity and respect. And, indeed, most Christians do. But the border belongs to Caesar. And Jesus doesn’t preach about Caesar’s border policy. Many Christians want fewer immigrants. In a perfect world, I would personally be in favor of more immigrants (with some reasonable caveats), but the point is, that is a political argument only. Leave religion out of it.
Jesus said unto the hungry, “My taxes better not be paying for those loaves and fishes.”
Jesus feeds the hungry. He does not demand that Pilate and Caesar feed the hungry. He does not demand the rich be forced at the point of a spear to pay their fair share. He feeds them himself, and encourages us to do the same. If you compare Christians to atheists, Christians feed far more hungry people out of their own post-tax pockets. It is not close.
If you’ll permit me a moment of anger, it is some world class gaslighting to steal from me and say to my face, “It’s not very Christian of you to get upset about it.”
Jesus teaches charity. It is good for your soul to help people less fortunate than yourself. It is good for your soul to work for the betterment of your fellow man. It does no good to any of our souls watching a man in a $10,000 suit and a $10,000 watch steal our wallets and drop a few of our pennies in a beggar’s cup.
