Religion has often been intertwined with elected office.  To better explain my views about some political topics, my own journey of religious change may shed better light on my opinions to be expressed in later posts.

From the beginning of my life, I was involved in one of the most strict sects in this country.  Based on Arminian theology, my denomination considered itself the direct lineage of the "true" Wesleyan doctrine, having broken away from the Church of the Nazarene, which itself had broken off from the Methodist Church.  However, it is very different from the Methodists of Wesley's day, and unrecognizable to the current United Methodist Church.

In the opinion of the Bible Missionary Church (From here on called BMC), they are the special church with the only true way to Heaven.  They even look with suspicion on all other churches of similar beliefs, because of slight variations from their idea.  They are also protectionists of their members, discouraging any association with another denomination, especially in courtship and marriage.

The rules are many and strict--women wear dresses below the knee, with hose in even the hottest weather, sleeves on both men and women must be below the elbows, no TV or movies are allowed, no bowling, no skating rinks, no participation in organized sports, no circus, no "worldly places of amusement."  Music of any kind other than the Christian music recorded by members of the denomination is deemed "worldly." On Sunday, members are not able to go out to eat or to work (except medical), and not allowed to shop.  Even the children cannot go out and play a game of baseball, for that would be "breaking the sabbath."

The BMC teaches that you must be "saved" (go forward to the altar and confess your sins), and then, as a complete second "work of grace", you have to be "sanctified", an experience that completely removed the sin nature.  Of course, the preaching I experienced was usually of a type of warning to avoid all of the above mentioned transgressions, and others that the preacher might think up on the spot, otherwise you would "backslide", and have to start all over again.  Yes, even the ones who were "sanctified" could "backslide."  Have I lost you yet?

Folks,  I'm not making this up.

At the age of 34, the culmination of my experiences and presence of horrendous hypocrisy in the church were such that I could no longer be a part of the organization.  So, even in the face of the scorn and cruelty heaped upon those who leave the church, I bid them farewell.  For ten years, I rarely attended any church, and started objectively evaluating everything I had been taught.

So, what do I believe now?

I consider myself a Christian.  I believe in a higher power, we all call "God." I attend a wonderfully uplifting United Methodist Church, who sees their role as a place to worship, not to tell you how to live.  That's God's job. It's that simple.

What about creation?  Evolution?  That's an interesting question, and I haven't found many people who believe like I do.  Was the world created in six literal days as Genesis says?  No.  Scientific evidence is in support of evolution.  So--is evolution the way God used to create what we see around us?  I believe so, because the increasing order found in evolution is against the second law of thermodynamics, and the statistical improbabilities of such increase in order point, in my mind, to a higher power.  See, I told you that you wouldn't agree!

Was there a flood in which only 8 people, and two of every living thing was on a boat that came to rest on a mountain in what is now Turkey?  Absurd.  How did the Kangaroos get to Australia, and nowhere else?  Was it an allegory?  Yes.

What do you do about abominations?  Do you pick and choose?  Do you actually kill your child for disobeying?  Is the abomination of planting two crops in the same field, or wearing a garment of two different kinds of cloth as bad as other ones, or are we going to make excuses for them because "that was the old times?"

Not even the New Testament gets it right, because in 1 Peter, there is instruction in how a slave should submit to his master (yea, it's there).

I believe the Bible should be viewed in its historical context, and realize that it is a way that fallible humanity expressed the inexpressible higher power.  Period.  I don't know the answers, and I am highly suspicious of anyone who presumes to know the mind of God.

Well, that's my view.  It may explain some future posts regarding modern-day US politics.

To everyone of every religion, Peace--
Anthony

Health care--where do we go from here?

To begin this highly controversial topic, I want to say that simply being a physician does not give me special insight into how our health care system should be overhauled.  I think most people in the country, however, would agree that we have work to do.  I have my own opinion, as you may have suspected, and I don't think I agree with anyone completely.  I'm not even sure if my ideas are the solution, but here goes--

Most of my life I have been convinced that the US has the best health care system in the world, the best doctors in the world, and the best treatments available in the world.  I was convinced that this led to the best outcomes in the world.

And then I researched the data.

It turns out that the US does not have the best health care outcomes.  We aren't second.  We aren't third.  We aren't even in 10th place.

In rankings of 13 countries, the US ranks last in mortality amenable to medical care, infant mortality, and healthy life expectancy at age 60.  Ranking poorly in other areas such as access to care and equity, the US simply comes in dead last.  (Dan Munro, Forbes, June 2014)

So, we just need to spend more on healthcare, right?

If you think that, you would be wrong.  At $9,451 per capita, The US spends almost $3,000 more per capita on health care than the next country (Switzerland at $6,935) and more than double the United Kingdom ($4,003).  (Sawyer, Cox--Kaiser  Family Foundation, May 2017)

Notice anything that the health systems with better outcomes have that we don't?  They all--every one of them--have a single payer, government-run health care system that covers everyone with a basic health benefit.  Keep in mind, it is for less money.  What does that mean for you?  It means that, though you may pay more in taxes to fund a single-payer, government-run healthcare system, you would spend much less than you are currently paying for your health insurance.  As with some of the countries, such as Great Britain, you would still get the option to purchase additional coverage that gives even better access, but it would not be a necessity in most instances.

Mind--blown.  And with a mind not focused blindly on one political party, my mind is changed.

What would it take to do that here?  We as Americans would have to completely rethink everything that we have come to accept about our health care system:  Pharmaceutical company nonsense, malpractice awards far beyond reason, immediate access to whatever test we want, going to the doctor with a "shopping list" that we expect to be filled as if we were just placing an order.  That would not work in a new system, but we would be better off in the long run because of it.

All of that being said, this kind of change will not happen in my career, or even in my lifetime.  The political wheels just turn too slowly for that.

So, what do we do in the mean time?  Keep Obamacare? Repeal? Replace?

Here is my opinion:

Keep the parts of Obamacare that work--no pre-existing condition clause, insurance for dependents up to age 26, etc.  There is a longer list of things that are better than before, but that is a start.

Get rid of the parts that are unfair.  End the "fine" for not purchasing healthcare, and instead give tax incentives for doing so--the result is similar, but just sounds better.

Very importantly, open purchasing options beyond state boundaries to encourage more competition and reduce premium prices that have risen tremendously because of monopolies on access.

Most importantly, stop trying to slam dunk a political win.  Republicans and Democrats alike are most interested in scoring, rather than helping the American electorate.

So, those are some of my opinions on health care.  I have a lot more, but we will save that for another time.

For now, peace--

Anthony

Let's face it--lots of people are discriminated against based on a perceived difference from the local norm.

I live in East Tennessee.  Thankfully, I also live in a downtown community in one of the most progressive cities in the Southeast--and that helps.  In a life not far away in either time or distance, however, I did not have that luxury.  I have seen people mistreated in ways that are reprehensible because they did not meet the White, Christian, Straight norm of the local expectation.

Some of the loudest voices were the most hypocritical--if you get my drift...

Not everyone that cries "racism" or "homophobia" victimization,  however,  is actually a victim.  When you try to single yourself out because you are making a "big deal" out of your status, you make it OK for anyone else to address that also--and not everyone is going to address it in a kind way.  Just go about your business and do the best that you can every day, and demonstrate that your difference is part of you--and it doesn't matter.  Yes, you may still be the victim of discrimination, and that is terrible.  Sometimes people face discrimination because of the ignorance of other people, but sometimes--and this is where this gets uncomfortable--sometimes people face discrimination because they are an in-your-face asshole.

Remember, sometimes you may need to be the tolerant one.

Be peaceable to all--

Anthony