The "Affordable" Care Act

Before my morning cup of coffee, I anxiously turned on the television to see if the Supreme Court had made their decision. To my surprise the news was discussing the court's ruling, but I, ... I couldn't believe my eyes. Figuring the lack of caffeine affected my comprehension early in the morning I re-read the breaking news headline: "Obamacare upheld by Supreme Court." How could the highest court in our land that is supposed to defend the United States Constitution actually rule in favor of such a law?

Secretly, and a little arrogantly, I thought I knew the court's decision the moment a majority of the States sued the Federal government. As we now know, I was terribly mistaken. To be fair, though, it was only reasonable for me to assume the ruling would strike down at least parts of Obamacare, if only the individual mandate. The very idea that the Founding Fathers would support such an infringement upon the rights and liberties of the people to be coerced into buying a private service or else be fined a penalty, is an absurdity among absurdities.Then again, when you consider that our Supreme Court Justices have also found an imaginary Constitutional "right" to murder your unborn children, the contradiction of the ruling on Obamacare makes more sense.

President Obama: "The fact that you've looked up Merriam's dictionary, the definition of 'tax increase,' indicates to me that you're stretching a little bit right now. Otherwise you wouldn't have gone to the dictionary to check on the definition."

George: "I want to check for myself because your critics say it is a tax increase."

President Obama: "My critics say everything's a tax increase. My critics say that I'm taking over every sector of the economy. You know that. Look we can have a legitimate debate about whether or not we are going to have an individual mandate or not."

George: "But you reject it as a tax increase?"

President Obama: "I absolutely reject that notion."


It is the epitome of hypocrisy that the President of the United States, who was vehemently opposed to Obamacare being a tax, made his case before the Supreme Court on the notion that it is Constitutional because of Congress's ability to tax her citizens. I'm not foolish enough to forget that many politicians - Democrats and Republicans - are simply playing the part of politician. This is precisely what Obama is doing here, and it disgusts me. He has proven before the American people that he cares more about his signature legislation than being honest with those he claims to serve. He has dishonored the office of President, and he ought to be ashamed of the fact that he felt the need to repeatedly defend a lie.

On a quick rabbit trail - I am certain that the Romney campaign will zero in on Obamacare being a new tax with our present economic situation.

Twitter captured a quote that I simply cannot say better myself: "@BenShapiro: Chief Justice Roberts was the worst part of the Bush legacy." Yup. Bush 43 was a Compassionate Conservative, and is flawed in his over-reaching governmental interference and overspending. But I have to 100% agree with the statement that Justice John Roberts' vote in favor of upholding Obamacare will be the greatest mistake of Bush's Presidential legacy. If you thought Bush spent too much, you haven't seen anything until you've seen what the added bureaucracy to the American health care system will do to increases in taxes as well as health care premiums and costs. The one positive aspect of Justice Roberts' written decision is that he set a precedent for the "Commerce Clause" in the Constitution by limiting Congress's ability to coerce citizens to participate in commerce.

Why any sane person who saw the immense bureaucracy that existed in the form of hospitals and insurance companies would think that adding the Federal government to that bureaucracy would somehow make health care more affordable ... is beyond me. What we do know is that forty-seven million Americans who were previously without health insurance will suddenly be insured under Obamacare. The amount of doctors are not increasing. Supplies across the health care sector are not increasing. The demand will drastically increase, but the supply will not. You tell me: what will this do to costs? Unless the government utterly controls prices we will see prices go up and up and up.

I'll be bold enough to predict that this is the beginning of the single payer system. Give it was a few years, but you'll begin to see employers and insurance companies bow out of the health care industry/business. Why would they do that? Because they won't be able to profit under such stringent government regulation and control. Too much regulation kills businesses and jobs. I fear that one day our only choice will be the government's single payer system.

Death panels have already been discussed as a part of Obamacare. What are these so-called 'death panels?' Basically, no matter what anyone tells you, there is no such thing as a free lunch. Everyone's taxes will go up - even taxes on the middle class (egads!). What this will mean is that care will need to be rationed. Services that we are accustomed to may not always be readily available, and actual panels are discussed in the Affordable Care Act to determine how, when and to whom care will be administered. This is scary stuff. I don't know about you, but I thought there was too much bureaucracy between me and my doctor without the Federal government. Now, it seems there will be barriers more thick than we ever thought possible.

It is only natural that since the government will be "providing" health care coverage that they will want their citizens as healthy as possible. The trouble with this is that the Feds may come knocking one day to enforce eating and exercise habits (imagine: New York on a grander scale).

Abortion is covered under Obamacare. You and I will be paying for other people's "right" to murder their unborn children, even if it is against our religious convictions. Our rights to religious liberty is stepped on by those who want to murder the innocent.

A little part of our freedom dies with Obamacare. If you don't want health insurance: too bad. If you only want certain limited health insurance coverage: too bad. Your liberty has been taken away.

I think it is safe to say that both sides on this issue want everyone who wants health insurance to have it. But the Federal government is not the solution to our problem. Government will only add to our problems, and I wonder with amazement at the behemoth that will fester and grow under the newfound Obamacare legislation. Mitt Romney is not my perfect candidate, but compared to the sitting President, he is a ray of sunshine. He has said his first act is to overturn this infringement upon our personal liberty, and that is another reason to make sure Obama is a one-term President.

Drumroll Please

As the reader might have noticed, for a few months now we have added 2 new contributors to our little corner of cyberspace that require an introduction: Scott Nelson and Metzger.

Because of his unique situation I will start off by introducing Metzger. For a variety of reasons, Metzger has asked that his identity be kept private so as to not become unnecessarily entangled at the workplace. He has been known to me for a few years now, and I am honored that he is willing to contribute to the blog.

Where shall I begin with an introduction of Scott Nelson? Whatever I say will fail to do him justice, but I will do my best (not to fail ... to do him justice =)). He and I have been best friends since we were in 7th grade, which makes that almost 17 years now - where does the time go? We grew up in the same Arminian Charismatic Mega-Church, and were converted to Calvinism around the same time. In fact, because Scott was first convinced of Calvinism he cited Romans 9 to me so many times that I was forced to be confronted with a chapter I had previously never studied honestly.

He was the first to get married ... to his lovely wife, Mindy. My wife and I have asked Scott and Mindy if they would be an additional Uncle and Aunt to our daughter, Molly. 

If you will bear with me for a few geeky moments, Scott and I have always had a soft spot for video games, RTS's and MMORPG's especially. Yes, we are back to Wow ... again. Who woulda thought? To say that Scott is gifted in figuring out the complexities of video games and technology in general, would be an understatement.

One reason I am excited that he will be contributing to Musings is because of his keen insight into many many subjects. His ability to understand opposing viewpoints, analyze an argument, and make sense of an appropriate way to respond has always benefited me personally. In fact, Scott is usually the first person I go to when I need help thinking an idea through, or for advice.

Scott also brings an element of humor and appropriate sarcasm to a discussion that is contagious. He has the ability to fill a room with laughter, and can captivate his audience.

But my favorite aspect about him is his passion and love for the triune God. He has been a consistent godly example to me over the course of my life. He reads the Scriptures, talks about the Scriptures, and shares the gospel with his unbelieving family and friends. Beyond question, Scott and I have many similar interests that have added to our friendship, but the most important of these is our common confession of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Proverbs 18:24 says: "A man of too many friends comes to ruin, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother" (NASB). This verse describes Scott's friendship to me. Mr. Nelson ... the rest I leave to you, and I am eager to see what you have to say. Welcome to Musings from our Caffeinated Highs!

All that it Entails

If you're like me, you've come to realize that being a husband and a father is different than you thought beforehand. Being married is much more than dating, and fatherhood more than babysitting. Whatever I thought I knew about family before having a family of my own, has been replaced by the experiences I now have every day. And you know what? It is much greater than what I imagined it was. My wife is the greatest joy and blessing I have received - apart from the free grace given to me by God. My 11 month old daughter has only added to that joy. Truly, God has made me a blessed man.

My pastor preached a sermon on Father's Day that was directed to the husbands and fathers. I will spend some time here relaying some of the sermon's key points that have impacted me. Pastor Fry's primary text was Psalm 112, and from that I will focus on verse 1:

Praise the Lord!
How blessed is the man who fears the Lord,
Who greatly delights in His commandments.

Pastor Fry's first point was that father's should be the worship leader of the family. While this doesn't sit well in our egalitarian day and age, the Bible is very clear that men and women are equal in nature and value but have different roles. One of the father's roles is to be the spiritual leader of the household. The father's role includes leading in the reading and discussion of the Scriptures, of prayer, and the reinforcement of godliness in the home. Joshua 24:14-15 reads:

¹⁴ “Now, therefore, fear the Lord and serve Him in sincerity and truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. ¹⁵ If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

The father needs to be concerned about idols in the household - this includes in your own life. Even though it is rare for most Westerners to actually worship a man-made statue or some-such creation, anything that receives worship and adoration other than the one true God should be considered an idol. We are commanded by God to worship only Him, so we must diligently fight the human tendency to prioritize anything before Him. Knowing myself, I have a tendency to love a little too much legitimate things: books, video games, or spending time with friends. It isn't that there is anything immoral with reading books, or playing video games, but these activities in excess or given too high a priority can lead to idol worship. A key question to ask when determining precisely what you worship is this: "When you have time to allow your mind to wander, what is it you spend most of your time thinking about?"

Husbands and fathers, talk about the faith with your wife and your children. Take some time away from the television and explain why the faith is important to you, and how it pertains to them. Let your children know that as long as they live under your roof, they will serve the Lord.

The godly father receives all of his given responsibilities, even ones that present their own unique challenges. One such challenge is to teach your children the value of obedience to you and other given authorities. First hand, I have had to apply the Biblical instruction to not spare the rod with my sweet daughter. After the command to do something (or not do something), and sometimes following a warning or two, we do lightly slap her hand or flick her wrist. Why do we do this? Because we are teaching her the value and importance of obeying Daddy and Mommy. There is no meaningful discussion with an 11 month old, and sometimes there isn't time for one. The only thing she understands is that if she willfully disobeys there are consequences.

Immediately after an administered punishment, there is a brief sentence or two, usually along the lines of: "You were punished because you didn't listen to Daddy [or Mommy]. You need to always listen to Daddy and Mommy. I love you." This routine is always followed by hugs and kisses. As you can imagine, this kind of discipline will become more in-depth as she gets older. The punishments will change, and the conservation and explanation will as well.

Fathers should pray for his children's salvation. In fact, Emily and I pray that the Lord delivers Molly from her sins at a young age.We should not be naive enough to believe that because she and I are believers in Christ that our daughter will be as well. The Lord saves whom He wills, and so I always want to proclaim the gospel to her and pray for her repentance unto life.

The godly man looks to the future. Think about your retirement and what inheritance you might leave to your children and your grandchildren. For Americans, when Social Security likely won't be there to supplement your income, make preparations for that ahead of time so you don't outlive your retirement savings. Also think about the legacy you hope to leave behind. When your children and your grandchildren talk about you after you're gone, hopefully it will be about your consistent godly example.

Finally, the father needs to be patient and forgiving. Your children will let you down and they will sin. You need to set an example of what it means to forgive and to be patient toward them. Pastor Fry gave an example that sometimes, it's a good idea to cut them some slack. When you've been on their case all day give them a break. Does not our heavenly Father act patiently toward us many many times? We ought to always look to our God's example toward us, and seek His help, without which we would accomplish nothing.

You're a Slave to Someone

Us Westerners are interesting folks, aren't we? The American social experiment was an oddity among oddities in the annals of human history. I mean, it isn't every day a group of people get to decide a system of government for themselves. Many blessings came as a result of our new-found freedoms and liberties, including the eventual abolition of the institution of slavery. The abolitionist movement was brought about by the philosophical consistency of our Constitutional and natural human rights, and justly so. One unfortunate bi-product of our American liberty has been the affect on how we view ourselves in relation to God and His moral requirements. After all, we are Americans and no one can tell us what to do! We are slaves to no one!

Jesus has something very different to say on the topic of slavery:

So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “ If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” They answered Him, “ We are Abraham’s descendants and have never yet been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, ‘You will become free’?” Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. (John 8:31-36, NASB).

The Lord Jesus speaks of the crowd's need to be "made free," which was not received well as you can tell by their response: "We are Abraham's descendants and have never yet been enslaved to anyone..." Weeell, were they enslaved or weren't they? They claimed that because they were Abraham's descendants that they couldn't possibly be enslaved! But Jesus plainly states that "everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin." This is also how we all are born into this life, and we all need to be set free by the true and living God.

Paul's masterful letter to the Romans addresses this issue:

Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? (Romans 6:16, NASB).

When you obey sin, you are a slave of sin. This is how everyone enters into the world: enslaved to sin and to the desires of the devil. Now, the Christian has been set free from the chains of sin and has a new master: Jesus Christ. 


Wait just a minute ... don't Christians continue to sin? Yes, they do. Personally, I can't remember a day where I didn't sin in some way. The difference now for the Christian is that they have been set free from the bondage of sin and now serves a new master. Men who remain enslaved to sin are given over to its lusts and desires. They love their sin! Though they may not like the consequences of their sin. By contrast, the Christian hates his sin, and fights against it. It is not natural for him to sin.


A question asked by my pastor this morning is worth repeating: "Why is it that nominal Christians want to know how close to the line of the world they can get? The real Christian is concerned about holiness of life and sanctification." I have often wondered how many so-called Christians continue to call themselves Christians when it is plain they have no interest whatsoever in pleasing the Lord. It is not amusing to me to try to lean over the edge of the cliff towards sin when God speaks clearly about our moral behavior. 


True Christianity involves obedience: "But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness" (Romans 6:17-18, NASB). All Christians were slaves of sin. "Were." This past tense verb indicates that Christians are no longer slaves of sin, but are slaves to God. We naturally want to perform the works of our Father God. 


Finally, it can be easy to miss that Paul offers thanks to God for this truth. If you are a Christian, it is only because the Son has set you free - and you are free indeed! But what are you freed from? Bondage to sin! Now you can serve the interests of Christ and continue to do what He wants. Praise God for this! No more are we bound by the devil's commands! Your heart of stone was turned into a heart of flesh and you have been raised in newness of life to do good works that are pleasing to God.