Marshmallow Scars

I’m tired of people who claim to be Christians but are whining about a public health care option because – horror of horrors! – their money will be used to provide quality medical care for people less fortunate than they are.¹ I can’t even begin to fathom the kind of cruelty and greed someone has to harbor in their heart in order to think that way; it literally makes me sick to my stomach when I think about it.

I’m not sure what Bible those people have been pretending to read, but the one I grew up studying had this guy named Jesus in it who taught that each person is equally loved by God as one of his children and, as such, deserves *our* love and kind regard, too.

Who are any of us to decide that hey, God was wrong, this person doesn’t deserve equal treatment because I don’t like (how poor he is/the color of her skin/who he kisses at night/the way she talks/etc.) ?

I’ll tell you – we’re nobody.

Here’s a tip from me to you: If you are a Christian, you’re not allowed to pick and choose which of Jesus of Nazareth’s teachings you want to follow; it’s all or nothing. None of this Well, He said to tend his flock and to love everyone and treat them how I want to be treated, but He couldn’t have meant for us to actually use some of our hard-earned money just to help sick people. They’re probably all crack addicts with ten kids anyway and should just get a job and save their own money. bullshit. Aside from the fact that there are plenty of hardworking individuals who would be helped by a public option, that does not matter. Even if every last person who would benefit was the racist stereotype of a welfare queen who is too lazy to work, you as a Christian should still support this anyway because it is ALL OR NOTHING. LOVE THEM ALL. TREAT THEM ALL LIKE YOUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS BECAUSE THEY ARE YOUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS.

Also, Jesus said so:

Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me,
naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.’
Then the righteous will answer him and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?
When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?
When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’
And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’
Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’
Then they will answer and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?’
He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.’
And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

- The Gospel of Matthew 25:34-46, New American Bible
    source: The Vatican

¹ Spoiler: We already have a system that does that! It’s just not as large in scale as the proposed public option in the bill currently before Congress.