Punctured

If you get a chance, watch the movie "Puncture".  It is a true story about the medical supply industry and focuses solely on syringes.  Actually, the safety of syringes for medical professionals.  Health care professionals were getting infected by contaminated needles.  There was a retractable safety syringe which would make these same health care professionals safe, very low to no chance of being impacted by a contaminated needle.  Yet, the health care industry fought against it--they didn't care about the health care workers, they just cared about continued profits.

I would suspect that many in the industry who fought against the safe needles would claim they are "Christian".  But, they put profit over health and safety.  I still haven't found the Biblical verse where God puts profit over people.  However, the syringe manufacturers could have made the retractable safety syringe at a profit.  Health care workers everywhere would want to use them.  Sales would not drop and the syringe suppliers would probably charge a little more for these syringes.  As most people realize, these charges would be passed on to the "customer" (ie-patient) regarding their health care coverage.

The manufacturer ended up settling an anti-trust suit for $150 million and retractable syringe sales are available.  The question is why did it have to come to this?  I suspect many involved in this situation would claim they are Christian, go to church on Sunday and do other activities with their church--especially in Texas.  So, we need to ask ourselves--"how can people claim to be Christians when their actions actually harm people for money?"

And I think the answer comes from 1 Timothy 6: 2b-10--

These are the things you are to teach and insist on.
3 If anyone teaches otherwise and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching,
4 they are conceited and understand nothing. They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions 
5 and constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.
6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.
7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.
8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.
9 Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 
10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.


They love money first and foremost. Going to church is just a show (we have always had Pharisees in the Church and quite often they are the ones running it).  God sees through our shallowness and remembers.  He remembers those who harm His children for profit.  Unfortunately, this is not unique in America, it is more of the normal.  We can have compassionate capitalism in the United States of America where corporations and businesses make a profit and people aren't harmed.  However, too often money is the #1 priority and if there is a negative outcome--too bad, sue me!  Then when corporations get sued, we get Republican politicians telling us how bad Trial Lawyers are.  Yet, true to form, Republicans won't offer any legislation that helps average Americans but Republicans are the ones to claim they love Christ more than you and go to Church as much as possible (or so they claim).

Here is a link to the Syringe Manufacturer settling in 2004--

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/03/business/03buyer.html?scp=16&sq=Retractable%20Technologies%20Inc&st=cse