Paul Ryan: ACA Law Should Be Repealed Because Only God Can Grant Rights (VIDEO)
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During an ABC This Week interview today (seen below), Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) told host George Stephanopoulos: “We [Republicans] disagree with the notion that our rights come from government, that the government can now grant us and define our rights. Those are ours, they come from nature and God, according to the Declaration of Independence — a huge difference in philosophy.”
Really Mr. Ryan? Let’s take a look at what the Declaration of Independence has to say about our rights:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, –That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.
So while our Rights are endowed by our Creator, the government is tasked with securing these rights. Additionally, they are to do this in a way “most likely to effect their [our] Safety and Happiness.” Is not having affordable healthcare for all people, people who are created equal in the site of God, most likely to accomplish that end? What can secure our safety and happiness more than being protected in the knowledge that we are not one illness or injury away from financial devastation? According to a study in an article that will published this August in The American Journal of Medicine more than 60% of bankruptcies are the result of medical bills. Safety and Security are directly linked to affordable healthcare. Bankruptcies are not happy events for anyone, or for the economy. Fear of being counted among the statistics of 1.5 million mostly middle-class, educated Americans who become financially devastated as a result of overwhelming medical expenses is unquestionably an impediment to the pursuit of happiness.
Rep. Ryan has conveniently left one Constitutional document out of his argument; The Bill of Rights, which constitutes the first 10 Amendments of the Constitution, addresses the rights of the people which are to be secured by the government. The word “Right” is used over 3000 times within the Articles of Constitution and amendments. Why is it so hard for Ryan, who is the House Budget Committee Chair, to get his mind around the philosophical idea that affordable healthcare is a Right that should be secured by the government. He states, “We’re going to repeal the entire law and then we’re going to advance patient-centered reforms that address these kinds of issues.” Ryan further stated that “If you take a look at some of the comprehensive plans that some of us have authored, it does address these things [responding to the interviewer’s questions about keeping some of the provisions already in place in ACA].
I checked Rep. Ryan’s online site and could find no such “plan”. The Republican’s Budget Alternative does propose decreasing corporate tax rates, suspending capital gains taxes through 2010 and increasing the defense budget by 5 Billion dollars, but there is no mention of anything to provide healthcare provisions.
Rep. Ryan’s argument that government cannot grant us and define our rights is ludicrous. The government granted us the Right to Bear Arms, the Right to a Speedy Trial, the Right to Vote despite race or gender. The Right to affordable healthcare is not a philosophical argument. Perhaps Rep. Ryan believes that God could just heal everybody, and those He does not heal don’t deserve healing. I suspect that the real philosophy that Ryan supports is the one that protects corporations instead of establishing and ensuring the Right to Life and safety to the people. The greatest threat to our country today is not the Taliban; its pious fools like this who hostage the reins to our Rights.
WE THINK NOT!!!
Quoting BoysManDog:To the left, government is god.
Duh---thanks for pointing out the obvious rightie conclusion! 
Quoting candlegal:Just a guess but I believe she is talking about the 50 million babies that have been slaughtered through abortions.
Quoting _Kissy_:Killing children? where does that fit into this discussion? Theres been plenty of people that claims god told them to kill their children. and a bunch of sickos who have killed their children.
Im not a Christian but I do believe in a higher power, and if the christians want to keep God in politics, then maybe they should start acting like God is in Politics.
Quoting BoysManDog:
Most Christians do these things daily through charity.
Now, whose voice is it that says it is OK to kill your own child?
Quoting _Kissy_:
Quoting Arroree:
Quoting candlegal:Wow, I really like you. I have been saying that for years. Those that look for the government to take care of them usually vote democrat. Those that put their faith in themselves and in God, usually vote republican.
Quoting BoysManDog:To the left, government is god.
Quoting Pema_Jampa:Well why doesn't he wait for God to repeal it. Til then I will be going to the doctor and taking care of my health.
Quoting candlegal:You are welcome :)
Quoting romalove:
Quoting candlegal:
Quoting romalove:
Quoting candlegal:
Wow, I really like you. I have been saying that for years. Those that look for the government to take care of them usually vote democrat. Those that put their faith in themselves and in God, usually vote republican.
Quoting BoysManDog:
To the left, government is god.
There is no God and I have no faith whatsoever in our government. I have faith in us, in ourselves, to do for ourselves.
Oh woe, not to fit in a little box....
It is okay Roma, I understand. Not everyone is given the Gift of Faith to believe in God.
How nice and condescending of you.
Quoting AdrianneHill:
To think that only God can grant rights is nice way to make sense of the world to yourself, but don't expect the rest of the world to follow your lead.
If god did create the rights, he hasn't done much to make sure people were able to enjoy those rights. So if he isn't helping, it doesn't really matter what he did or didn't do. People are in charge of securing and maintaining their rights so to sweep away rights that you don't want people to have by appealing to god seems silly. If god doesn't want people to have access to healthcare, he surely is capable of doing something about it.
And why does he only care about Americans? What about all of the other countries with universal healthcare? As much as some people are trying to say that those countries are all circling the toilet, that isn't really true. Why hasn't God done some smiting on Belgium, Canada, or the myriad of other countries who all have civil rights, food on the table, and health care?
Or because we are American and the new chosen people of god, are we held to a higher standard by God and that's why we have to shun the poor in all their forms, especially if we are a member of the icky poverty stricken? I mean that is what Jesus says to do.
We, the not one percent, owe a better lifestyle to our social betters that we support with our little money and should expect nothing in return except what they want to bless us with. Of course they are better than us or god wouldn't have allowed them to be successful.
My sister in spirit... 
" The jaws of power are always open to devour, and her arm is always stretched out, if possible, to destroy the freedom of thinking, speaking and writing" - John Adams
So which one is it, CG?
Quoting candlegal:"For I say, through the grace given unto me.God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith" (Romans 12:3). The grace of faith.
Quoting SlightlyPerfect:What is the source of this "gift"?
Quoting candlegal:It is okay Roma, I understand. Not everyone is given the Gift of Faith to believe in God.
Ultimately, if our rights are given by God, then man has no right to take them away. Not in the form of government; not in the form of church. The problem has come with people having different ideas what those god-given rights are. There has to be a balance of freedom and licentiousness, and law and responsibility. Unfortunately, it's why it was correctly stated that our government will only sustain with responsible or religious people.
Quoting krysstizzle:But saying rights come from god still puts someone in charge of those rights, and it's not God, it's the church, which is as real an entity as the government. I prefer to think that my rights are just inherent facts of life, that I have every right to do whatever in the world I could possibly dream of doing. I choose to not do certain things (give up those rights) as a social compact; it's part of being human and living in a society. If I disagree with what rights the government thinks I should give up, I can work to change that.
Quoting cammibear:
No, actually it doesn't matter if you believe in God or not. You still benefit from the ideology that rights come from God, and not from the government. If government gives you rights, then government can take those rights away. Slippery slope if you value freedom and liberty.
Quoting mikiemom:Ah of course and I guess those that don't believe in his particular God have not rights. Who the fuck elects these morons to office. Since government doesn't define our rights, I guess we don't need one and this moron is now one of the millions of unemployed americans. IDIOT>
Much of your argument is assuming that morality derives solely from the belief in god. I don't believe that's true.
For clarification, what did we try initially that failed?
Quoting cammibear:
If rights don't come from God, then they come from man. Rights from man come in two forms. Anarchy or totalitarianism. If everybody lives how they please, we will end up with total chaos (remember we tried this initially, and we are WAY more diverse now, no?). Chaos will ultimately mean government steps in and tells us what we can and cannot do. That's not freedom. If government gives us our rights, then government can take those rights away. I don't want my freedom and liberty in the hands of potentially evil men.
Ultimately, if our rights are given by God, then man has no right to take them away. Not in the form of government; not in the form of church. The problem has come with people having different ideas what those god-given rights are. There has to be a balance of freedom and licentiousness, and law and responsibility. Unfortunately, it's why it was correctly stated that our government will only sustain with responsible or religious people.
Quoting krysstizzle:But saying rights come from god still puts someone in charge of those rights, and it's not God, it's the church, which is as real an entity as the government. I prefer to think that my rights are just inherent facts of life, that I have every right to do whatever in the world I could possibly dream of doing. I choose to not do certain things (give up those rights) as a social compact; it's part of being human and living in a society. If I disagree with what rights the government thinks I should give up, I can work to change that.
Quoting cammibear:
No, actually it doesn't matter if you believe in God or not. You still benefit from the ideology that rights come from God, and not from the government. If government gives you rights, then government can take those rights away. Slippery slope if you value freedom and liberty.
Quoting mikiemom:Ah of course and I guess those that don't believe in his particular God have not rights. Who the fuck elects these morons to office. Since government doesn't define our rights, I guess we don't need one and this moron is now one of the millions of unemployed americans. IDIOT>
Holder to investigate....Holder
- p1r4t3cr0pc1rcl
on Jul. 3, 2012 at 1:11 PM