Posted on 03/30/2005 10:06:04 AM PST by paltz
A pair of respected religious figures have made a new plea on behalf of life for Terri Schiavo, saying that at a minimum her parents, Bob and Mary Schindler, should be allowed to take over her care.
Rabbi Marc Gellman and Monsignor Tom Hartman, popularly known as "The God Squad," in an appearance on Don Imus' top-10 radio program, decried the treatment of the brain-damaged Florida woman who, after a ruling by a state judge more than 11 days ago, has had her feeding tube removed and is slowly dying of starvation and dehydration.
"[The case] is really an outrageous moral offense. The issue really is, what does it mean to be alive, and whether nutrition and hydration fed through a feeding tube is ordinary care or extraordinary care," Gellman said, pointing out that both he and the church believe it is merely "ordinary care" that should be provided.
Gellman said one issue that plagues him is why Terri can't be cared for by her parents.
"What harm is done by putting her in the care of her parents?" Gellman asked, to which the I-man – who has suggested this repeatedly over the course of covering Terri's condition – answered, "None – it makes common sense."
"Exactly," Gellman responded. But since Terri's husband, Michael – her custodian, though he lives with another woman with whom he has two children – won't agree to that, the rabbi said, rhetorically: "What's at stake here? I think there's deeper stuff there."
Gellman said American culture today attempts to "define certain people, certain human beings, as not being human, and say their lives are not worth anything – and only because we decide to say so."
Gellman and Hartman both emphasized that questions of life and death – even for persons in a persistent vegetative state – are not simple. "What do we owe these people?" Gellman offered.
He said even if people had previously signed living wills – instructions to courts and family members should a person's health deteriorate or a vegetative state develop – life is still precious and must be viewed as such.
"Tom and I come from a tradition in which what you want doesn't matter," Gellman said. "You are the recipient of a gift – an unbelievable, precious gift – that you have no right to take from others, and you have no right to take from yourself."
The I-man said some people would argue with Gellman on that point, which the rabbi acknowledged.
But, Hartman said, "Life is like a candle – you can't blow it out. You have to let God extinguish it when it's time."
When pressed by the I-man about the issue of people deciding for themselves if they want to live or die, Gellman said that while he understands the legalities of the issue, "what's more important is that we live in a human community, and we have an obligation to people who are innocent, alive and mute," as is the case with Terri. "She's not brain-dead, she's not committed a crime that would in any way justify her being starved to death, and she can't express her will."
"What if we had some evidence – as opposed to just her husband's word – for example, a living will ... what if [Terri] said she wanted people to pull the plug?" Imus asked. "Should her wishes be adhered to?"
"That debate," Gellman said, "that question, is really the question of suicide. It is not a simple question. It is not an easy question."
Said Hartman, "In this instance, I think insofar as the parents have expressed the desire, they who brought the child into the world, they who nurtured her longer than her husband, and they're willing to, at their own expense, take care of her, I think they should" be able to.
"But what is your view on whether a person's wishes should be adhered to?" Imus pressed.
"I think that the person's wishes should be adhered to, to the extent that they are doing something moral," Hartman replied. He said that on four occasions he had to sit with a family and help them decide to "pull the plug" on a family member, which were "still hard decisions to make."
But in those instances, he continued, "it only happens when you have brain-death readings three times in a row, and even then the family has to be prepared for it."
That is the essential problem.
Beautifully stated.
They did speak up earlier. I saw them make supportive statements of Terri last week.
Unfortunately, the monsignor and the rabbi both omitted mention of the ONE PERSON who has the duty and the ability to save Terri's life. It is not "society" or "we" who have the duty to save Terri's life, because "we" can't.
Governor Jeb Bush is "just following orders" and is collaborating in the murder of Terri Schiavo.
Russian philosopher Peter D. Ouspensky (1878-1947) helps us understand why much of the nation (like Governor Bush) yawns as Terri Schiavo is starved to death:
"In existing criminology there are concepts: a criminal man, a criminal profession, a criminal society, a criminal sect and a criminal tribe, but there is no concept of a criminal state, or a criminal government, or criminal legislation. Consequently, the biggest crimes actually escape being called crimes."
Governor Bush is a former Catholic--because he rejects the teaching of the Second Vatican Council, in Gaudium et Spes: "Abortion and euthanasia are abominable crimes." If Governor Bush believed that Terri Schiavo is the victim of a crime, he would intervene to save her life. By not saving Terri Schiavo's life, Governor Bush places himself out of communion with the Catholic Church.
Governor Bush also rejects the teaching in Gaudium et Spes that "blind obedience cannot excuse" those who obey criminal commands. Governor Bush stubbornly insists on obeying the criminal command to collaborate in the murder of Terri Schiavo, even though, according to the teaching of the Catholic Church, those commands are "null," and must be disobeyed.
Governor Bush has so far placed his personal ambitions and comfort above his duty to save the life of Terri Schiavo. Unless he repents of this grave sin, which separates him from the Catholic Church, he has no reasonable hope of salvation. And he is a criminal who should be removed from public office.
This is the video that should be shown on the news everynight - it is even more powerful than the balloon video.
http://web.tampabay.rr.com/ccb/videos/Terri_Big_Eyes.rm
You need Real Player to watch this, available free on the internet.
This is not reflex action - she heard the doctor, she opened her eyes as wide as she could to impress him.
Even Fox news has ignored this clip.
The Germans called those they considered less than human 'untermenchen'. It was that rationalization that allowed those stationed at concentration camps to do the vile deeds they did. Their victims weren't human, and therefore not eligible for human rights and dignity.
Many here dislike the equation of this case to the German atrocities of WW II. All I can say is... Truth hurts, doesn't it?
Until Terri's lawsuits were won and the money came in, her then husband maintained the notion that he wanted to take care of her for the rest of her life, thus monies were awarded to care for her for 51 years. There is evidence that her then husband began affairs with more than one woman during that lawsuit period. It becamse apparent to her then husband that she was never going to fully recover, though the videos show clearly from that peirod when she was receiving therapy that she was improving, responding and even shown swallowing on her own. When her then husband decided he wanted to get on with his life, he decided that Terri was useless baggage, but the funds set aside for her could not accrue to him if he divorced her or she continued to live a very long time, so he set about to have her put down if not put away cheaply. He then husband most likely didn't anticipate the difficulty he would run into in getting her put down. He has spent the vast majority of Terri's funds on lawyers in his efforts to be rid of her. The euthanansia movement has latched onto Terri's low level of cognition, painted her as dead for fifteen years (in their eyes, she has been, but that is grist for another millstone), and worked tirelessly to have laws changed in order to have her put down in their increasing efforts to change the way Americans consider the severely disabled. Sadly, a screwed up rubber stamp court system in Florida has aided and abetted this twisted agenda and the governor of that state hasn't the fortitude to confront a constitutional crisis in need of confrontation and cure.
I heard that exchange. Imus even carried them over into the 8 o'clock hour, which I missed. Thing is, Terri has put the questions right before us all.
Folks are starting to getting their minds around the issues and distinctions.
No argument with that Arthur.
But, where is the bishop that will enforce excommunication when Kerry has already made mockery of the Church's teachings and directives?
Last I heard, Lynch had left the country.
Lynch is in Indonesia surveying the earthquake damage.
Very convenient. From the beginning, his pronouncements on the Schiavo matter have amounted to nothing more than "can't we all quit fighting and come to some agreement."
Mrs. don-o and I did that at her parish. I told her to run it by the priest; (we just thought it up the night before). So, as he was preparaing, she got to him, showed the flyer. He looked at for about 15 seconds and said, "Of course."
That's interesting. I wonder what he was running away from? The Terri matter? Another lawsuit?
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