The Affordable Care Act, known as Obama Care, is a United States federal statute enacted by the 111th United States Congress and was signed into law by Barak Obama on March 23, 2010. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has accumulated a lot of debate since its execution in 2010. It was a major shift in government control of healthcare shifting from private healthcare to a form of social medicine.
The Affordable Care Act violates our right to Religious Freedom. It forces Christians to go against their moral sense and financially support things such as abortions, which go against Christian belief. For instance, Hobby Lobby is a Christian company that has refused to take part in Obama Care because it abstains from its religious beliefs. Hobby Lobby has continued to work hard and fight against the Affordable Care Act refusing to give them immunity based on their religious beliefs. Joshua 34:15 says, “And if it seems evil unto you to serve Jehovah, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye will dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve Jehovah” (Joshua, 24:15, NIV). God gives us the freedom to make decisions regarding our own future. Government is not above the Christian principles upon which it was founded and cannot force Christians to do something that violates their consciences (Hazlitt). Religious freedom is what protects our rights to live, speak, and act according to our beliefs both publicly and privately.
Save your time!
We can take care of your essay
- Proper editing and formatting
- Free revision, title page, and bibliography
- Flexible prices and money-back guarantee
Place an order
The Affordable Care Act causes more government control - forcing compliances and individual mandates. The individual mandate began its effect on January 1, 2014. It is a requirement that most American citizens and legal residents have to have health insurance and the people who do not have health insurance must be able to obtain it or must pay a penalty. Government subsidies are a big contribution when it comes to government control. A government subsidy is a sum of money granted by the government to a public body to assist an industry or business so that the price of a commodity or service may remain low or competitive (Dictionary). Freedom means that we have the power to say, think, and speak without any type of restraint. However, the Affordable Care Act is holding us in the bondage of being able to make our own decisions. They say that they allow us to make our own decisions; however, if you do not make the decision that they want you to make then penalties come with it. When we do not have the ability to make our own choices based on our future, then we are in bondage and servitude (Hazlitt). Bondage is a form of evilness. 1 Corinthians 7:23 states “Ye were bought with a price; become not bondservants of men” (1 Corinthians 7:23, NIV). God provided us with freedom so that we can make the best decision for ourselves along with the future ahead of us. For instance, we can choose to pay for health insurance or we can choose to not pay for health insurance and have to deal with the future consequences. God provided us with the ability and freedom to be able to work and provide for ourselves.
The Affordable Care Act takes away Christians' responsibilities to help and care for the sick. The government’s job is to protect individual rights and freedom and enforce laws. They are not responsible for taking care of those who are in need because if they do so then they can intrude upon the lives of American citizens. The government, family, and church each have their own separate responsibilities and roles from each other. The role of the government is to protect its citizens and establish order within a society, and not to care for the sick (The Family Leader).
The Affordable Care Act has also caused an obscene amount of debt. The Affordable Care Act has increased our national debt to a point where the Affordable Care Act will be one-fifth to one–sixth of our national economy (The Family Leader). Our nation is increasingly spending money, which is causing us to grow more and more into debt. It is a sin to be in debt and it carries a burden on our economy. We should be smart with our money. Romans 13:8 states “Owe no man anything, save to love one another: for him, that loved his neighbor hath fulfilled the law” (Romans 13:8, NIV).
Bibliography
- Hazlitt, H. (1979). Economics in One Lesson: The Shortest and Surest Way to Understand Basic Economics. New York, NY: Crown Publishers.
- Holy Bible: New International Version. New York: American Bible Society. 1978. Print.
- Merriam - Webster. Dictionary. https://www.merriam-webster.com/
- “7 Things the Bible Says About Obamacare.” The FAMiLY LEADER, thefamilyleader.com/7-things-the-bible-says-about-Obamacare/.