Pope Declares Feeding Tube Removal Immoral

Associated Press ^ | 03/20/04 | The Pope

[FR_addict]

At the rate technology is going, perhaps we could keep hundreds of millions of elderly going for 50 or more years on the unnatural feeding tubes, until the age of 130, 140 or 150 or more. At a cost of $100,000 per person per year.

Or perhaps the families could take care of them. People use to take care of their loved ones. Not anymore, off to the hospices with them, where feeding tubes are inserted for the convenience of the nursing staff.

I am lucky and haven't had to take care of anyone for a long period of time in this shape and I know it must be a tremendous burden, but it sounds like there are lots of Freepers who take care of their disabled loved ones and do not consider it a burden, but do it out of love.

[LibertyAndJusticeForAll]

Bump!

[Destro]

Satan has taken over your keyboard? Do we keep people alive for all time? My statement again is this: Keeping people alive unaturaly for protracted periods without hope of recovery is torture and a sin. The infant is growing up, in the words of the Bible it is experiancing a "A time to be born". We then experiance "a time to die". To keep a person alive unnaturally with no hope of recovery via the use of machines to keep them alive for the sake of only keeping the body functions working - for example: with no brain activity apparent is a sin because it is torture.

I am against euthanasia - where death is applied via outside means. But if the brain is dead. The brain does not support the body functions and the brain does not comunicate - then the life is soon gone and the finite body God designed calls forth the soul. We all experiance "a time to die".

Abortion is still the elimination of a viable life and euthanasia is still murder.

[Destro]

knowing full well that the people on this thread are referring to Teri Schaivo.

Amd this article mentions the Pope's statement and my statement was in regards to the Pope's words. The Pope never mentioned Teri - I never mentioned her. That you are latched on to the Teri case and twisted my words to somehow reflect what I said as commenting on "Teri" is your fault and not mine.

[IMRight]

Satan has taken over your keyboard?

No. But if it makes you feel any better... he's rooting for you.

[Aquinasfan]

Providing food and water to such patients should be considered natural, ordinary and proportional care -- not artificial medical intervention, the pope told members of the conference,

Nothing newsworthy here. This has been the Church's position for as long as I can remember.

[Destro]

Can it not be said that Satan wishes to keep us in his world for as long as possible - suffering all the time?

[phenn]

Yet, they've not spoken out on cases like Terri's, Hugh Finn's, Robert Wendland's and so on.

This is news worthy. It needed to be said and made crystal clear.

[Aquinasfan]

Keeping people alive unnaturaly for protracted periods without hope of recovery is torture and a sin.

The Church's position is that food and water do not represent "extraordinary care." There's nothing torturous about giving a person food and water. The opposite is the case. "When I was thirsty..."

[Destro]

not artificial medical intervention

With this clarification it seems that I do agree with the Pope. If just feeding keeps the mind alive (brain dead is fully dead even if the body works) without artificial medical intervention then it is acceptable.

[Colonel Jim]

I would like to relate the following. There is a very real condition known to those of us in the medical profession as the “locked in patient”. The patient is fully aware but is unable to communicate and in some cases unable to move. The condition can be verified through EEG monitoring of CNS responses to verbal / visual stimulation. These folks have every right to live!

[thoughtomator]

It could be said... but it doesn't ring true, when the alternative is the death of a human being. God takes each person in his own time. If God has not reclaimed someone, it is not morally correct for man to assume that judgement.

[FR_addict]

The Pope never mentioned this Teri person. So try again.

The pope said that people in a vegetative state or in a coma should not be starved or dehydrated to death. Since Terri is not in pvs or in a coma, it's obvious she should not be starve or dehydrated to death.

The pope also said:
Similarly, he said that someone else's evaluation of the patient's quality of life in such a state couldn't justify letting them die of hunger or thirst. </i.

"If this is knowingly and deliberately carried out, this would result in a true euthanasia by omission," he said.

[Destro]

They have started creating medical implants that will allow the brain to communicate without use of the body. One day soon living minds will be able to communicate despite a destroyed body.

It might be something like Captain Pike from Star Trek - one beep for yes two beeps for no - but that is a hopeful leap.

[Colonel Jim]

See post 51.

[Colonel Jim]

Indeed!

[Destro]

I was talking about a machine keeping you alive - when the brain is dead.

[IMRight]

Can it not be said that Satan wishes to keep us in his world for as long as possible - suffering all the time?

Sure. It just can't be said truthfully

"And if children then also heirs. Heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ provided we suffer with Him".

Christians don't fear suffering. And Satan loves to give you ways to avoid suffering and live quite comfortably (for a short time). He want's you to avoid anything that might unite you to Christ.

[IMRight]

Amd this article mentions the Pope's statement and my statement was in regards to the Pope's words. The Pope never mentioned Teri - I never mentioned her. That you are latched on to the Teri case and twisted my words to somehow reflect what I said as commenting on "Teri" is your fault and not mine.

Ummm. No. You did not latch on to "the Pope's words". He does not mention "brain dead with no hope of recovery". He spoke of a persistent vegetative state - which is not the same thing. It is your argument that involves putting words in other's mouths.

http://www.onelegacy.org/prod/components/myths/braindeath.html
http://www.pntb.org/faq-bdth.html

[Aquinasfan]

I have an immediate family member who had to recieve TPN for over a year because of botched surgery after botched surgery.

My wife's uncle's family put him to death in this way. The wife and three children were in agreement. The two sons are doctors. I found out after the fact, and my wife and I had a big argument about it. She didn't believe that it was immoral since the family's priest gave them the go ahead.

Sad.