The Rev. Jim Gill’s letter, “Health care for ‘the least’ exemplifies Christian way,” exemplifies the continued departure of Maine’s pastors from biblical authority and submission to the Word of God.

While Gill’s sentiments may feel warm-hearted, I believe they are in no way representative of Jesus Christ or his written Word.

The Bible urges us to “add to our faith, virtue” (2 Peter 1:5). Virtue is behavior that bestows goodness, compassion and sacrifice to another by one’s own free will. Virtue is achieved only through a heart that gladly suffers loss on the behalf of the less fortunate.

Obamacare accomplishes none of this. In fact, this law is the opposite of virtue. I believe it is evil.

Conscripted giving at the point of financial or criminal penalty is not virtuous behavior. Mandated action will never gain God’s approval. Taking another person’s earned wealth by force and redistributing it hardly “exemplifies the Christian way.”

On the contrary, I believe it exemplifies the way of Satan, who is said to come to “steal, kill and destroy” (John 10:10). Taking another person’s wealth by force is theft and destroys their life’s work. The Bible says it is sin to take away the reward of a man’s hard work (1 Corinthians 9:9; 1 Timothy 5:18).

I believe Obamacare is like Judas, who wanted to force Mary to sell her private property to give to the poor (John 12:1-8). Jesus rebuked Judas for such behavior then, and he would do the same today. Jesus also reminded Judas that such redistribution of wealth never works and the poor will “always be with us.” The Bible shows that poverty will always exist because of the poor choices of people (Proverbs 24:30-34).

Rev. Jeremy Hiltz

Chelsea