Gary North blows up Jim Wallis on health care

Unlike many others among the so-called "Religious Left" (see: most notably Tony Campolo and Ron Sider [especially in his stunningly bad early work]), Jim Wallis is often reluctant to move into specific policy positions. This propensity keeps him flirting with trouble, but largely staying out it.

On health care, Wallis has moved into particulars-- and Gary North is there (hat tip: LewRockwell.com) to provide the appropriate rebuke and correction to a self-identifying Christian brother.

I received an email from Jim Wallis today. You can read it here.

It had a link to a page: A Christian Creed on Health Care Reform.

This is odd language...You can read the definitions [from Google Toolbar] here:

...This seems clear. A Christian creed is a formal statement of faith drawn up by a representative ecclesiastical body. It is not a political position paper drawn up over a weekend.

[The] introduction to [the] "creed" proclaims this:

In the face of negative ads, partisan rhetoric, and a news cycle filled with fear and half-truths about health-care reform, Christians must affirm that we believe in: quality, affordable access to life-giving services for all people.

Christians believe in personal responsibility before God. This has to do with the doctrine of final judgment: heaven and hell.

Jesus healed a few people. He did not heal everyone. To heal even a few people for free led to huge crowds lining up to get free health care from Jesus. So many came that Jesus withdrew to the wilderness to pray (Luke 5:15). He could not heal the entire nation, let alone the whole world. Your slogan does not limit concern to one nation. It is universal: "all people."...

It was Satan, not Jesus, who suggested turning stones into bread (Matthew 4:3).

Nothing can heal everyone except God. The State is not God....

North goes on to say that Wallis' "health care creed is more in the nature of a political party's platform" and then provides back-and-forth comments (in bold) on Wallis' "creed".

I believe God created each person in the divine image to be spiritually and physically healthy. I feel the pain of sickness and disease in our broken world (Genesis 1:27, Romans 8:22).

...disease is part of God's curse. We are to pay out of our own pockets to roll it back, along with all other curses imposed by God because of sin. But there is nothing in the Bible that suggests that the State is to take money at gunpoint from one voting bloc to heal people in other voting blocs.

I believe life and healing are core tenets of the Christian life. Christ's ministry included physical healing, and we are called to participate in God's new creation as instruments of healing and redemption (Matthew 4:23, Luke 9:1-6; Mark 7:32-35, Acts 10:38). Our nation should strive to ensure all people have access to life-giving treatments and care.

Jesus claimed to be God's Messiah. He healed people as proof of this claim. You move from Jesus' healing by Messianic miracles to a vision of "our nation" striving to ensure universal health care coverage. This is an appropriate goal for a Messianic State. It is therefore not appropriate for the United States government.

Again, you do not limit this universal to residents of the United States. Or legal residents of the United States. You do not limit it at all: the healing of "all people" is your goal. It is a very expensive goal.

I believe, as taught by the Hebrew prophets and Jesus, that the measure of a society is seen in how it treats the most vulnerable....

You equate "society" with "the State." They are not the same. Society is composed of voluntary associations: families, churches, charitable organizations, etc. The State is armed, organized force that insists on a monopoly of violence. There is nothing in the Bible that indicates that the State should function as an agency of healing....