re: #130 Mattand

The idea that trying to make sure that people get easier access to health care is somehow an immoral act kinda makes me doubt the whole Buddhism angle.

Buddhism, like any other religious system of thought, can be worked around to justify just about anything. There is a long history of Buddhist thought valuing suffering, and seeing illnesses as karmic and there being importance in the experience of illness. In the best cases, this is a good philosophical exercise at realizing that life doesn’t need to be an unspoiled parade of happiness to be nifty, that suffering can produce something of value.

At the most extreme, it says to deny yourself medical care so as to embrace your karmic path.

It’s a testament to human creativity that you can come up with the same real-world output by starting inside virtually any of the major religions.