Republicans have way to protest party's takeover by religious right

Omaha World Herald/Omaha.com ^ | 3-27-05 | Harold Andersen

[stan_sipple]

the (relatively silent) majority of Americans feel(s) that the most compassionate treatment for Terri Schiavo - as well as the proper legal course of action - is to let her vegetative existence end, as advocated by her legal guardian, her husband.

For Republicans who consider their party a captive of the religious right on matters like medical research and right-to-die legislation and now legislative intrusion into the judicial system, there is a way to at least feel more comfortable with their political consciences.

That way is to leave a party whose leadership is currently attempting to leave behind in the dust of American constitutional history the principle of separation of powers that has served this country well for more than 200 years.

the religious conservatives deeply involved in the case believe in an afterlife - eternal life in circumstances considerably more appealing than lying in a hospital bed in a vegetative state for 15 years, being kept alive by food and liquids fed into your body through a hole in your abdomen.

Wouldn't the more compassionate course be to release Terri from a vegetative existence in the belief you are sending her on to a better life after death?

[goldstategop]

Paul Krugman wants moderates and liberals to stand up to those Holly Roller hayseed hicks. You know, the ones imposing their values on the rest of the country. Lest we lose what's left of our freedoms. He seems to overlook the fact we're already losing the most fundamental freedom of all to judicial tyrants who run this country in complete disregard of moral law, common sense and the separation of powers.

(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)

[nosofar]

Let's let the County Club Republicans take over again. They were so good as the minority. /sarcasm

Maybe that's the point. They prefer to be the minority again. That way all they have to worry about is bitching about the Democrats.

[mugs99]

Deists--Founders who believe in God--would hardly approve of the secular juggernaut imposed on Americans of faith

That's true, but Deists also disapprove of the theist juggernaut imposed by zealots of all revealed religions, be it Jesus or Mahomet.
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[nosofar]

It doesnt matter what you, me, the husband or even Terri whether she wants to die or not. If I ask someone to kill me, no matter how much I truly mean it, if the person kills me it is murder plain and simple.

Hmmm. If someone is in prison, then goes on a fast (to protest something perhaps) and he dies of starvation even though food and water were provided, is that murder? I suspect the ACLU would jump on it, yet it's no different than Schivo's case in that legally you have a person (the guardian on behalf of T.S.) making a consious choice to die.

[mugs99]

What I can't live with is them telling fellow republicans who don't agree with them on every social issue that they aren't REAL republicans

I agree. Domination of the GOP by any religious order will only destroy the party.
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[Liz]

Wow.......spoken like a true Christian-hating liberal......I'm so impressed (gag).

[ATOMIC_PUNK]

I can see it here in FR. The religious right is treated at times like the minorities are in the DNC. Just vote straight ticket, and "we know what is best."

What a load of BS do they shove prayers down the throats of others or force feed you morals you may not want to follow.?

Lmao some people beleive that any mention of religion in public or in an open area is just to much must be rough to beleive in God and not want to be bothered with it !!

[shhrubbery!]

Questions for pro-death RINOS :

1. Is Mark Levin, who supports Terri's right to life, a member of the "religious right"?

2. Is Ralph Nader, who supports Terri's right to life, a member of the "religious right"?

3. Is Jesse Jackson, who supports Terri's right to life, a member of the "religious right"?

4. Is David Boies, who supports Terri's right to life, a member of the "religious right"?

5. Is Joe Lieberman, who supports Terri's right to life, a member of the "religious right"?

6. Is Tom Harkin, who supports Terri's right to life, a member of the "religious right"?

Answer key (for those who are so bigoted and intolerant that they refuse to answer) : 1. No 2. No. 3. No. 4. No. 5. No. 6. No.

[nosofar]

Discouraged Christian pro-lifers might join a real, honest to God NO COMPROMISE EVER pro-life party, though, if the option were there.

It would still come down to backing politicians (if they wanted to win) that were not perfectly in sync with the platform of the party. Really not any different than what you have now.

[AlbertaBeef]

"Man's law has defined food and water as medical treatment, natural law does not"

Man's law? where in "man's law" does it state that?

Ok so if you withdrawl food and water from your kids when they cant fend for themselves, you should be able to get away with starving them because you can claim you didnt want to provide medical treatment? I think not! Youd be locked up buddy-boy.

There is no way that besic needs of life are considered medical treatment ie "luxury".

[rabidralph]

There's an idea, why don't I just throw myself under a bus so I can be with my Lord more quickly? *Sheesh*

[AlbertaBeef]

"Hmmm. If someone is in prison, then goes on a fast (to protest something perhaps) and he dies of starvation even though food and water were provided, is that murder? "

Since when is Terri fasting...?

You arent seeing the point, your example is completely different. If a guardian knowingly withdrawls food from their kids that cant fend for themselves and they starve then its murder.

People are allowed to fast (hold food from themselves) but you cannot knowlingly withold the basic needs of life (food and water, not medical treatment) from a person under your care that cant fend for themselves.

[nosofar]

If the GOP decides the "civil" thing to do is to fold in the face of the Democrats' unconstitutional filibuster, Christians may walk.

Yes. What does it matter if we go to Hell (figuratively speaking) tomorrow or next year.

[nosofar]

Her case has consumed thousands of hours of judicial time and millions of dollars of medical costs.

While not agreeing or disagreeing on whether 'due process' was followed, I think your statement here is irrelevant. We should not be measuring 'due process' in terms of man-hours or dollars spent on a case. It may take only a few days, or a few years, or it may take more. Likewise, due process is not necessarily met merely by reaching some pre-determined monetary limit.

[mugs99]

Wow.......spoken like a true Christian-hating liberal......I'm so impressed (gag).

ROFL!
How do you get Christian-hating liberal from my reply?
I've been a Conservative Republican voter for over forty years. I am a Deist, but I do not push my Deist beliefs on others. I do not try to legislate my religious beliefs or claim America is a Deist nation. If I did, I would call you a Deist-hating Liberal.
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[nosofar]

Terri is not "disabled" under any rational meaning of the term.

After a quick online search for the legal definition of 'disable' I came up with the following link:

http://www.mediate.com/articles/blankK1.cfm

The key sentence is "There, in the world’s foremost law dictionary, a disabled person is defined as one who by virtue of his or her impairment is “disabled from acting on his or her behalf."

I'm sure there's a better definition someplace. I'll check my Black's Law Dictionary when I get home.

[nosofar]

If they choose not to, it's a choice of their own free will.

Then they'll be choosing to be a minority party again.

[nosofar]

Domination of the GOP by any religious order will only destroy the party.

But domination by any non-religion ideology is apparently just find by you.

[nosofar]

What a load of BS do they shove prayers down the throats of others or force feed you morals you may not want to follow.?

Of course. Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. All terribly inconvenient. :)

[nosofar]

Since when is Terri fasting...?

Legally Michael Schiavo is Terri's guardian. It appears that essentially his decisions as being treated as though they are Terri's decisions. In this case, it would be like fasting. Even given this scenario, would a prisoner who chose to fast (given Terri is assumed to have 'chosen' to do this based on Michael Shiavo's word) be allowed to starve to death? If not, then it would be even less so in Terri Schiavo's case.