Posted on 03/25/2005 5:21:18 AM PST by mhking
My position on the Schiavo matter has vascilated back and forth over the past few days as I've agonized over the matter.
Should she be given a chance at life? If so, what kind of life are we talking about? Is there a chance at rehabilitation? Is Michael Schiavo an evil S.O.B., or is he simply a heart-broken man?
Conversely, is she truly in a vegetative state? A virtual zombie with eyes open, and nothing inside? Are her parents and family in denial about her pain and suffering? Are the evangelicals coming to her aid getting so worked up that they are looking past the true nature of this situation?
Difficult questions these. Who wins? Who loses?
There is no winner here. This situation is heartbreaking at the core. A vibrant woman struck down in the prime of her life. A myriad of doctors, most of whom have indicated that much of her brain tissue has deteriorated and possibly even liquified inside her skull. CAT scans that support that diagnosis.
Conversely, we see her eyes focusing on a balloon, we see her apparently responding to people entering her limited field of vision.
What do we believe?
After 22 different judges have agonized over this, they all have come to the same decision: that her husband has the right to make that agonizing decision.
Talk show host Neil Boortz has taken the stance that Terri Schiavo has earned her place in heaven, and that we, as a people, should let her go home.
Do you believe in God’s promise of everlasting life? Do you believe that the reward for a life well spent on this earth is a life with God in heaven after you die? If you do, then a few more questions if you will.Jesus awaits Terri Schiavo at the gates of heaven with open arms. He will grant her eternal rest. He loves all, no matter which side of this sad story the people are on.Do you believe that the human soul can make the transition to everlasting life while the human body that carried that soul through life clings to life on this earth? If you do, then you must surely believe that Terri Schiavo has earned and is already enjoying her reward in heaven. That being the case, why is it so important to you that the now-unneeded body of Terri Schiavo is kept alive?
But perhaps you believe, as I do, that the human soul is so connected to and integrated with its earthly body that any transition will not be made until that body ceases functioning -- until death occurs.. That being the case, why do you so ardently desire that the soul of Terri Schiavo spend five, ten, perhaps 30 years or more trapped in a useless and non-functioning body, unable to move on to whatever reward awaits her? Isn’t 15 years enough?
Where do your concerns truly lie, with the eternal soul of Terri Schiavo, or with her earthly body?
Let her go home. We can only commend her spirit among the angels for the journey.
Sadly, those who damn the judges and politicians and those of us who wish her spirit to move on are going to fracture the fragile fabric of the conservative wing of the GOP. In their zeal to ignore the rule of law and the Constitutional process, they are sliding down the slippery slope of anarchy toward mob rule.
This is a land of laws, not men. And the political problems that are surfacing -- on both sides -- point toward the deterioration of our constitutional republic. Are you ready for that? Are you ready for that will mean in the future?
I weep for Terri Schiavo today. But I fear for more tears in our future, thanks to those who would wad up the Constitutional protections and freedoms wrought by the notion of ignoring the rule of law, simply because those in power didn't get their way.
Beautiful post sara.
That is my question.
I sometimes think we all seem to think we want to know Fathers' will so much that we make his will fit our needs.
The only thing I really know about Fathers' will is that people need the Lord and relationship with Him,through Christ Alone.
Father God will use things and people we could never imagine to draw people to Christ.
I didn't see what you wrote in #36. but I'm sure whoever did appreciates the apology. I can understand why some people may be angry. I just think it's unproductive at this point.
"As for the judges, Michael Schaivo, George Felos, and the others, the Lord knows their inner thoughts and motivations and will deal with them in His own time in accordance with His judgment. He is the best judge and we should rely on his judgment, which is far better than ours."TOTAL TRUTH!!!!!!THANK YOU"Captain Rhino"
Sorry -- I don't see the point of this -- a murder is taking place and you are suggesting that its a good thing? You want to provide a touchy-feeling answer that ignores the real issue?
For me, the Terri Schiavo story has reinforced the idea that we are not living in a Republic. When we've come to the place where a lone judge can usurp the right of the Legislative branch of Government, we all lose.
i agree with you. all believers want to go to be with Jesus, that doesn't mean we are going to drink the Jim Jones koolaid and do it from now. that is the problem i had with Boortz' take on this. of course heaven is better than earth, so what are we all still doing here? I am Catholic also and the Church's teaching on end of life is very clear and easy to follow. and moral.
However, Judge Greer's fiat-justice handling of this case has already been discussed elsewhere. At the very least, the possibility that the husband is in an adulterous relationship demands, from the POV of common law, not statutory law, that the Judge consider the possibility of conflict-of-interest and appoint someone (not himself) as a GAL to represent Terri's interest's, not Michael's.
That's just sanity. If 765.404, and the rest of the Florida code, doesn't permit sanity, show me.
she is not being "let go"...she is being KILLED
Congratulations! When I posted the same sentiment that we should allow Terri to die and return to God, the Admin Moderator censored it by pulling the entire thread and told me not to re-post.
Perhaps some sanity has finally returned to Free Republic.
It's a good question. We can only think in our earthly terms. We cannot imagine what God's plan is.
God's will will be done.
Thank you Michael.
I heard that too, from FOX as well as from other sources.
Big difference between that and someone who has been in a PVS for 15 years, don't you think?
Can't drink or eat for 15 years except through a tube, can't go to the bathroom by herself for 15 years, has had no conscious thought in her mind in 15 years.
She doesn't even know her name or realize her existence for 15 years. And this person also expressed a desire not to be kept alive by artificial means as well.
I'd say there is a great difference between them.
I have heard that if you picture Heaven in you head and make it the most beautiful place you can imagine, the real Heaven will be hundreds of times more beatiful, and it will not lack one thing that will make us happy. I believe that with all my heart. That is what is what is waiting Terri.
Now for a little political commentary from me:
We did every thing we could to save Terri but at this point there is no hope for saving her. The dyeing process in her body has already begun, so we should start speaking about her and this story in the past tense. I feel very sorry for her and her parents and I hope they prevail in a wrongful death lawsuit, but this fight to keep her alive is now getting beyond crazy, and is doing more harm than good for the right to life fight and all conservative causes. I watched ABC & NBC News last night and they were showing a crazed activist that was going on every camera he could find so he could put the blame for her death on Jeb and George Bush because they refuse to send in the military to forcibly rescue her. For the news media this is all about using this to bring down Bush. A payback. Even that supposed memo that surfaced last week stating that the Republicans can use this to their advantage, is now suspected of being a fake and is under investigation. The major media has not mentioned it the follow-up story at all.
Instead we should be focusing on how to prevent something like this from happening again, and most importantly reign in the power these judges now have. When one trial judge has more power than the United States Congress something is terribly wrong. That is not the way it was supposed to be.
NO kidding.
Why not let a baby "go home" by refusing to feed it?
I guess you could argue Scott Peterson was helping Lacey Peterson and her unborn child "go home." After all, aren't they better off in God's care than in a household with Scott Peterson?
We can start sending a lot of people "home," especially in view of how cruel is this world and how much better off most folks will be in the next.
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