Posted on 11/12/2006 6:06:35 AM PST by NYer
Are you speaking of using YOUR money or MY money?
Ahh, so even if the mother's life is in danger a good Christian doctor would not recommend abortion because it is "murder"?
I know the family, and the doctor. He is a good man, and a faithful Christian. This baby was dead before it was born. The doctor was trying to spare it and the family needless suffering.
Complain to your bishop, in writing. Sounds like an event for the parish center not the sanctuary.
I think I will. The pastor at the Cathedral is totally clueless and came from a university parish with a heavy pro-gay agenda, hence his fondness for the Episcs. In addition, the music director he chose thinks of the Cathedral as simply a performance venue. And they just got a new "liturgist," a flaky lady who had some sort of "service" for All Souls where she came out in a black dress, set the Paschal Candle in front of the altar, and stood there staring at it with her hands out for about 5 minutes before she grabbed a bowl of incense and waved it around. Our bishop is very orthodox, but he is not at most functions in the Cathedral, so I don't think he's fully aware of what's going on.
Liturgical flakiness aside, I think it is highly inappropriate to have a group like the Episcopalians - the branch in my town is not even one of the conservative sets - on our altar. They share none of our moral teachings anymore, doctrine went a long time ago, and "Mother" so and so should not be parading around any Catholic church, much less a cathedral.
We are all dead before we are born. In our beginning is our end. What was the baby doing for the 18 months it was with us?
The baby has a soul. Who is to say that this life is worthless? Isn't the premise that every person is a child of God Christ's entire teaching in a nutshell? Jesus' message taught that life is not a commodity based on a worthwhile outcome or a person who must have some measurable economic worth as WE see it.
I see your point, however, we must try to attack the root cause, drug addiction and permissive sex in a culture out of control, and not "sacrifice" the result of this behavior which is an innocent child of God. If we follow the logic of worthiness, every person now in a wheel chair following a swimming pool accident with a fracture at C-5 has the same argument to look forward to in due course!
This alternative is sheer expediency and if you use that evil premise, we are back at eugenics and the Nazi era.
Is it any surprise their bishops are either homos, lesbians or nonbelievers?
I think everyone should use their own funds to help out on their own and not be forced to pay for anything, however regardless of costs babies shouldn't be thrown away, murdered because their isn't enough money to provide their care.
While I don't necessary disagree with you, where should the money come from?
Your explaination leaves that out.
Few realize that up until 1930, all Protestant denominations agreed with the Catholic Church’s teaching condemning contraception as sinful. At its 1930 Lambeth Conference, the Anglican church, swayed by growing social pressure, announced that contraception would be allowed in some circumstances.
I don't have an answer for that but I do know taxpayers shouldn't be forced to pay for that.
*************
Why is it that any issue subjected to the scrutiny of those in "bioethics" results in a death sentence for some poor unfortunate?
Always interesting to see possible and certainly in the same sentance. Demonic death cult.
I like your answer.
Everyday we are forced to decide between saving money or saving life. Generally, I think the system used here in the US to make those decisions is the fairest.
Because they are supposed to be impartial. Give it time, and mark my words. The peers of those whose lives were taken by abortion, will turn around when they are in power and 'euthanize' the aging boomers who enacted these laws. May God have mercy on us.
Thank you so very much for posting this response to the thread and apologies for not responding sooner. It's been quite a busy day.
They all have severely underdeveloped organs and have little chance of survival. Many are kept alive for months in intensive care and some who do survive are institutionalized for life. I believe that every life is priceless. However, the cost of this care is ENORMOUS.
Yes! I understand. In November 2004, a couple from my parish gave birth to their first child .. a boy! He was born at the normal gestational age. Despite all the pre-natal testing, the child was born with serious birth defects (no anus and heart problems). Our Maronite Catholic pastor was immediately summoned and administerd Last Rites, before the child was wheeled into emergency surgery. He not only survived the collostomy procedure but even rallied in its aftermath. As he began to grow however, the heart problem needed to be addressed. (Apologies, I don't have any more specific details other than what was told us through the grandmother).
Over the next 9 months, this child underwent several surgical procedures to correct various birth defects and rebounded after each one. The family was wealthy and could afford these procedures. The parish community that prayed for him, rode a rollercoaster. He was well and returned home; he had a relapse and was back in the hospital. On one particular Sunday, the grandmother approached me after Mass and asked me to pray for this grandchild and his parents. Seeing the look of concern on our faces, one of the elderly parishioners looked us both steadfastly in the face and said: "God's will be done!". That comment bored a hole in my heart. He was right. The outcome was in God's hands and God does not do anything without a purpose.
Several months later, word reached us that the baby had been flown to Boston Children's Hospital and was to undergo a 14 hour procedure to rectify his problems. Following surgery, the surgical team sat down with the parents to explain that every procedure known to man had been done to save the life of their first born child. He was a very sick child and nothing more could be done to salvage his life. Nine months to the day following his birth, Michael David was placed in the arms of his mother. The nurses removed life support and he died peacefully in her loving embrace.
His funeral is one I will NEVER forget. All the money in the world could not save the life of this child. The parents followed the tiny white coffin down the aisle of the Church, the young husband supporting his grieving bride. Hundreds of people filled the Church, including the teams of doctors both locally and from BCH, who had ministered to the child and his parents. Towards the end of the Mass, a relative stepped forward to read a letter written by the parents to their first born son. In it, they committed to preserving his memory forever, especially to any future siblings. The Mass concluded with the organist playing a plaintiff version of Brahm's lullabye.
Just days short of the first anniversary of Michael David's death, the parents welcomed into the world his brother, Daniel David. On the first anniversary of Michael David's death, the parents, grandparent and family from around the US gathered in church to remember Michael David. And here in our midst was their new son, Daniel David.
God acts in extraordinary ways to teach us lessons about life. Each life is unique, precious and priceless. We must never abandon hope, regardless of the cost of this care. I know of another couple whose child was prematurely born and now struggles through life but she succeeds! Ask anyone of these families if they would have aborted or insisted on the removal of life support for their children and the answer would be an unequivacal 'no'. Life is precious from conception until natural death. It is not up to us to interfere, but to learn from it.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.