Amish, Muslims to be excused from Obamacare mandate?

American Thinker ^ | March 24, 2010 | WordWayze

[COUNTrecount]

The Senate health care bill just signed contains some exemptions to the "pay-or-play" mandate requiring purchase of Obamacare-approved health insurance or payment of a penalty fine. As Fox News has pointed out, for instance, the Amish are excused from the mandate:

So while most Americans would be required to sign up with insurance companies or government insurance plans, the church would serve as something of an informal insurance plan for the Amish.

Law experts say that kind of exemption withstands scrutiny.

"Here the statute is going to say that people who are conscientiously opposed to paying for health insurance don't have to do it where the conscientious objection arises from religion," said Mark Tushnet a Harvard law professor. "And that's perfectly constitutional."

Apparently, this exemption will apply similarly to believers in Islam, which considers health insurance - and, for that matter, any form of risk insurance - to be haraam (forbidden).

Steve Gilbert of Sweetness & Light calls our attention to the probability that Muslims will also be exempt. According to a March 23 publication on an authoritative Islamic Web site managed by Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid, various fatwas (religious decrees) absolutely forbid Muslim participation in any sort of health care or other risk insurance:

Health insurance is haraam like other types of commercial insurance, because it is based on ambiguity, gambling and riba (usury). This is what is stated in fatwas by the senior scholars.

In Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah (15/277) there is a quotation of a statement of the Council of Senior Scholars concerning the prohibition on insurance and why it is haraam:

It says in Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah (15/251):

Firstly: Commercial insurance of all types is haraam because it involves ambiguity, riba, uncertainty, gambling and consuming people's wealth unlawfully, and other shar'i

Secondly: It is not permissible for the Muslim to get involved with insurance companies by working in administration or otherwise, because working in them comes under the heading of cooperating in sin and transgression, and Allaah forbids that as He says: "but do not help one another in sin and transgression. And fear Allaah. Verily, Allaah is Severe in punishment"

[al-Maa'idah 5:2]. End quote.

reservations. And Allaah knows best.

So, it turns out that observant Muslims are not only strictly forbidden from buying any health insurance under the ObamaCare mandate, but may also not even work for any company that provides such insurance or any other form of commercial insurance.

It is not made clear whether or not it is religiously okay to accept "free" non-insured medical care such as that offered in hospital ERs and to some who are covered by Medicaid.

Whether it's all right to serve as a doctor, nurse, or orderly caring for patients whose medical services are being paid for by insurance is not covered in the present response - but one could probably obtain a religious ruling from the Sheikh, whose site welcomes the submission of questions about Islamic law and practices.

WordWayze is the nom de plume of a freelance writer and political pundit who would prefer not to become the object of any attention such has been paid to the Mohammed cartoonists of Denmark and others.

[RadiationRomeo]

When I said Amish made a moderately good living I meant it. But I consider lower middle class a moderately good living. Maybe that’s because I spent a good part of my life extremely poor. We all have different perspectives.

[mjp]

Libtards are always bragging about how they believe in justice as fairness, equality, and nondiscrimination.Making these exceptions is another example of libtard hypocrisy.

[GenXteacher]

Interesting...the government offering an incentive to become Muslim....

[VOA]

“
Amish, Muslims to be excused from Obamacare mandate?
“

A couple of years ago The Wall Street Journal had an extensive article
about the interaction of The Amish with the health care system.
They don’t buy health care insurance, but do get SWEET deals with
healthcare providers and hospital.

I admit I got a bit jealous when I saw the discounts they get...
in other words, we subsidize healthcare for the Amish by picking up
a fair chunk of their bills.

[DonaldC]

“in other words, we subsidize healthcare for the Amish by picking up a fair chunk of their bills.”

Or they are getting billed at something closer to the actual costs.

[Liberty1970]

I haven't seen it mentioned here, but there are Christian co-ops that you can also participate in, that would allow you to be exempt from Obamacare. I wish I could remember the names of them ('Samaritan' was part of one, and I think 'Medi-Share' is another).

They've been around for a number of years, very small but rapidly growing. The idea sounds weird but it is work - everyone sends in their elligible bills each month, and each month the co-op tells you who to mail a check to and the amount. I understand it runs about $300-400/month for a family plan, which is a huge amount cheaper than traditional health plans. Of course this is really just for major healthcare costs (I think one popular plan covered issues over $911).

The big 'catch' is that you have to live a healthy lifestyle - smokers, sexually immoral and so on need not apply. But for a lot of us, it may be our best bet if Obamacare cannot be stopped.

[Psalm 144]

If I didn’t know better...I would think this bill is designed to convert Americans to muslim or amish.

***************

One a blood cult the others pacifists. I wonder who will dominate in that dichotomy?

[Ueriah]

I’m thinking of declaring myself to be Almish and leaving it up to the government to Prove that I’m not. Just because I struggle daily to maintain a technology free life, and *occassionally* have my digressions and end up playing video games and watching crappy tv shows, who is the government to tell me that I’m not devout enough to be exempt?

That kind of puts the shoe on the other foot. Does the government then go around and say “you are not a devout almish, so you have to pay!”?

[Ueriah]

I’m thinking of declaring myself to be Almish and leaving it up to the government to Prove that I’m not. Just because I struggle daily to maintain a technology free life, and *occassionally* have my digressions and end up playing video games and watching crappy tv shows, who is the government to tell me that I’m not devout enough to be exempt?

That kind of puts the shoe on the other foot. Does the government then go around and say “you are not a devout almish, so you have to pay!”?

[Rumplemeyer]

Excellent point, I also am Catholic, so me too.

[Gator113]

While I don’t mind not shaving and I look good in black, but it’s going to be tough for me to get used to those goofy Amish hats.

[TexasRepublic]

I think my name will be Mohammed Stoltzfus from now on.

[Political Junkie Too]

"Here the statute is going to say that people who are conscientiously opposed to paying for health insurance don't have to do it where the conscientious objection arises from religion," said Mark Tushnet a Harvard law professor. "And that's perfectly constitutional."

How can this be true when parents who deny their children needed medical care claim they are doing so because of their religion, and the government then moves to take their children away?

So, in the name of religion the government will allow you to opt out of paying for health care, but then against the name of religion the government will force health care on you?

This is madness...

-PJ

[COUNTrecount]

LOL!