Is it Wrong to Deny Sick People Health Care?
Dear God,
I work for an insurance company. It is my job to maximize profits by reducing expenditures. I didn’t think anything was wrong with that, until about a year ago. That was when I reduced expenditures by refusing coverage to a patient who was diagnosed with cancer, on the basis that his condition was “not life threatening.” Six months later, he died of it. I can’t forget him. I can’t sleep. I feel like I’ve done something terrible. Was what I did ethical, God?
-Cassandra
Dear Cassandra,
You did your job, Cassandra. Don’t worry about it. Treatment for this man’s cancer would have cost a lot of money. You start letting people like that live, and pretty soon executives and shareholders are going to have to start selling their vacation homes and boats. Is that the kind of world you want to live in? The Bible does not forbid you to deny health care benefits to sick people who are entitled to them; therefore it is ethical to do so.
Here is all you need to know about ethics, Cassandra. I existed before anything was created. I had a son. His mother was a virgin. He died two thousand years ago. He is still alive. If you believe this, you will be happy forever after you die. Honestly. If you do not believe this, you will suffer forever after you die. Swear to Me. That’s all you’ve got to know about ethics. Don’t worry about anything other than that.
-God
