Is healthcare a human right? Is “Medicare for All” a moral imperative?
Let me ask the question another way. Are you morally obligated to pay for the health care of people who overeat, don’t exercise, smoke, engage in high risk behavior or eat at McDonalds every day? Is it your moral duty to pay for the bad choices of someone else? Are you ethically obligated to cover the healthcare costs of someone in India who can’t otherwise afford healthcare? If you are obligated in every one of those instances (no exceptions), then it is truly a human right. Otherwise, it’s simply silver-tongued politicians holding up a shiny red apple enticing you to take a bite.
“Medicare for All” would unfairly punish those who have been responsible and reward many who have been irresponsible. That’s unjust!
Furthermore, where do “rights” come from? From government? Anything the government gives it can take away so that can’t be the source of human rights. From nature? No, nature left to it’s own devices is all about the strong dominating the weak. From the majority? Do I even need to respond to that? From judges? Which ones, the liberals or the conservatives? So where do “rights” come from? Either they come from God or they are little more than an illusory fairytale that we make up.
In light of that, the Bible says, “The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.” That’s pretty straight forward. According to God, if we are capable of working, then we have to earn the right to eat. So, if God doesn’t regard eating as an unconditional human right then do you think He regards healthcare as an unconditional human right? Don’t get me wrong, God is truly compassionate—but He does not tend to punish responsible people for the short-comings of the irresponsible. Therefore, if healthcare is a human right and God is the only viable source of all human rights, then wouldn’t that make God unjust?
©2019 Brad Bright