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Outrage as Church backs calls for severely disabled babies to be killed at birth
Daily Mail ^ | 12 Nov 06 | Neil Sears

Posted on 11/12/2006 5:21:18 PM PST by xzins

The Church of England has broken with tradition dogma by calling for doctors to be allowed to let sick newborn babies die.

Christians have long argued that life should preserved at all costs - but a bishop representing the national church has now sparked controversy by arguing that there are occasions when it is compassionate to leave a severely disabled child to die.

And the Bishop of Southwark, Tom Butler, who is the vice chair of the Church of England's Mission and Public Affairs Council, has also argued that the high financial cost of keeping desperately ill babies alive should be a factor in life or death decisions.

The shock new policy from the church has caused outrage among the disabled.

A spokeswoman for the UK Disabled People's Council, which represents tens of thousands of members in 140 different organisations, said: "How can the Church of England say that Christian compassion includes killing of disabled babies either through the withdrawing or withholding of treatment or by active euthanasia?

"It is not for doctors or indeed anyone else to determine whether a baby’s life is worthwhile simply on the grounds of impairment or health condition."

The church's surprise call comes just a week after the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecology sparked fury by calling for a debate on the mercy killing of disabled infants.

But it has been made in a carefully thought out official Church of England paper written by Bishop Butler for a public inquiry into the ethical issues surrounding the care of long premature or desperately ill newborn babies.

The inquiry, by the Nuffield Council on Bioethics, began two years ago and its findings are due to be published in London - but the church's contribution to the debate has been leaked in advance.

The Nuffield Council, an independent body which issues ethical guidelines for doctors, began the inquiry to take account of scientific advances which mean increasingly disabled and premature babies can technically be kept alive.

In practice, doing so can be controversial - with the three months premature Charlotte Wyatt a case in point.

The Portsmouth baby weighed just 1lb at birth, and had severe brain and lung damage. Doctors wanted to be allowed to leave her to die, but her parents successfully campaigned through the courts against them.

Now that the child is three, however, and could be cared for at home, her parents have separated and are considered unsuitable to look after. In future cases doctors may work to guidelines proposed by the Nuffield inquiry.

In the Church of England's contribution to the inquiry, Bishop Butler wrote: "It may in some circumstances be right to choose to withold or withdraw treatment, knowing it will possibly, probably, or even certainly result in death."

The church stressed that it was not saying some lives were not worth living, but said there were "strong proportionate reasons" for "overriding the presupposition that life should be maintained".

The bishop's submission continued: "There may be occasions where, for a Christian, compassion will override the 'rule' that life should inevitably be preserved.

"Disproportionate treatment for the sake of prolonging life is an example of this.

The church said it would support the potentially fatal withdrawal of treatment only if all alternatives had been considered, "so that the possibly lethal act would only be performed with manifest reluctance."

Yet the Revd Butler's submission makes clear that there are a wide range of acceptable reasons to withdraw care from a child - with the cost of the care among the considerations.

"Great caution should be exercised in brining questions of cost into the equation when considering what treatment might be provided," he wrote.

"The principle of justice inevitably means that the potential cost of treatment itself, the longer term costs of health care and education and opportunity cost to the NHS in terms of saving other lives have to be considered."

The church also urges all the parties involved in care for critically ill babies should be realistic in their expectations, demands, and claims.

The submission says: "The principle of humility asks that members of the medical profession restrain themselves from claiming greater powers to heal than they can deliver.

"It asks that parents restrain themselves from demanding the impossible.":

UK Disabled Peoples Council spokeswoman Simone Aspis said the group's members were appalled that the Church was joining doctors in calling for disabled babies to be left to die.

"It appears that the whole debate on whether disabled babies are worth keeping alive is being dominated by professionals and religious people without any consultation with disabled people," she said.

Out of babies born at just 22 weeks of pregnancy or less, 98 per cent currently die. In Holland babies born before 25 weeks are not given medial treatment.


TOPICS: Front Page News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: abortion; anglican; church; ecusa; infanticide; prolife; protestants
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To: xzins
Amazing. Total return to the days of pagans who exposed their retarded babies.

Christians have long argued that life should preserved at all costs

This is not accurate, either.

121 posted on 11/13/2006 7:14:09 AM PST by The Old Hoosier (Right makes might.)
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To: Screamname

Number of killed unborn Americans by Liberals is much bigger then number of American soldiers killed in all wars. That is why Liberals are a Terrorists. They are cruel, without mercy and any human or ethical values. Conservative Americans made big mistake that they allowed these evil demons to control US government. They did not come to resolve any problems, but they came to create more problems because they are a terrorists. Only blood can satisfy them because these are a demons with unclean spirits and they will punish all American Patriots for making their best efforts to protect this country from terrorism. Our President and Vice President are now left alone to fight terrorism. Liberals will made their best effort to destroy them, place them in jail or kill them if they can so that they can place their Socialist Queen New Speaker Pelosi on the throne as a President of USA. Liberals know that this is their last chance for their Communist Revolution before 2008 Election. That is why President Bush, Vice President Cheney and all American patriots are now in grave danger because Demons wants blood of the innocent and pure hearted, they want human sacrifice for their master - Satan.


122 posted on 11/13/2006 7:51:00 AM PST by Marianland (Refugee from Socialism)
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To: xzins
disconnect from the root --> wither and die.

Never fails.

123 posted on 11/13/2006 10:12:37 AM PST by the invisib1e hand (* nuke * the * jihad *)
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To: COEXERJ145

Thank you for your reasoned comments amid the hysteria.


124 posted on 11/13/2006 10:25:00 AM PST by workerbee (Democrats are a waste of tax money and good oxygen.)
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To: xzins

"Jesus Wept" John, Chapter 11:35


125 posted on 11/13/2006 5:51:10 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet (Second To None!)
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To: workerbee

see #33


126 posted on 11/13/2006 5:54:52 PM PST by xzins (Retired Army Chaplain and proud of it! Supporting our troops means praying for them to WIN!)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Thank you. You are absolutely correct.


127 posted on 11/13/2006 5:55:28 PM PST by xzins (Retired Army Chaplain and proud of it! Supporting our troops means praying for them to WIN!)
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To: xzins

You are welcome, Padre. Another verse that came to mind: "It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones."


128 posted on 11/13/2006 6:17:19 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet (Second To None!)
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To: xzins

Isn't this the same church that appoints bishops who are perverts (habitually practice homosexual behavior) in the US? Why wouldn't a pagan church be all for sacrificing babies?


129 posted on 11/13/2006 6:20:35 PM PST by John O (God Save America (Please))
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To: John O

Yes, it is.

And they're splitting their own church....because they don't give a rip about Christ or His Church.

They don't believe in the reality of Jesus, and the church to them is just a "profession."


130 posted on 11/13/2006 6:28:22 PM PST by xzins (Retired Army Chaplain and proud of it! Supporting our troops means praying for them to WIN!)
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To: xzins

Praise all creatures there below,
Praise all creatures great and small
Praise all members of his heavenly host
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.

Those crazy Anglicans. They used to believe all sorts of crazy things. Like The Apostles' Creed, for example.


131 posted on 11/14/2006 4:36:01 AM PST by .cnI redruM (2008 is another day and another battle.)
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To: xzins
Re #33, you're implying that the clergyman advocates the murder of a 3-yr-old child. That is not the case. I think it boils down to a warning that doctors (and parents) not pretend to be God. "Death with dignity" is not just liberal schlock.

The submission says: "The principle of humility asks that members of the medical profession restrain themselves from claiming greater powers to heal than they can deliver. "It asks that parents restrain themselves from demanding the impossible."

132 posted on 11/14/2006 7:20:53 AM PST by workerbee (Democrats are a waste of tax money and good oxygen.)
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To: workerbee; 2ndDivisionVet; .cnI redruM; Salvation; OrthodoxPresbyterian

No, I am saying that that particular child LIVED to be 3 years old, and is still living.

Our job is to attempt the good works that God places before us that He prepared ahead of time for us to do.

Simply allowing a child to lie there and die is NOT making that effort.

Make the effort and let God provide the result


133 posted on 11/14/2006 8:00:49 AM PST by xzins (Retired Army Chaplain and proud of it! Supporting our troops means praying for them to WIN!)
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To: xzins; 4lifeandliberty; AbsoluteGrace; afraidfortherepublic; Alamo-Girl; anniegetyourgun; applex; ..

Pro-Life/Pro-Baby ping!

Thread 2, same article, for further discussion...


Please FReepmail me if you would like to be added to, or removed from, the Pro-Life/Pro-Baby ping list...

134 posted on 11/14/2006 4:40:23 PM PST by cgk (I don't see myself as a conservative. I see myself as a religious, right-wing, wacko extremist.)
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To: xzins
In Holland babies born before 25 weeks are not given medial treatment.

The joys of socialized medicine.

135 posted on 11/14/2006 5:09:34 PM PST by Blood of Tyrants (G-d is not a Republican. But Satan is definitely a Democrat.)
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To: xzins

A return to paganism.

* sigh *


136 posted on 11/14/2006 5:14:43 PM PST by sitetest (If Roe is not overturned, no unborn child will ever be protected in law.)
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To: Coleus; nickcarraway; narses; Mr. Silverback; Canticle_of_Deborah; TenthAmendmentChampion; ...
" From the moment of conception, the life of every human being is to be respected in an absolute way because man is the only creature on earth that God has "wished for himself" and the spiritual soul of each man is "immediately created" by God; his whole being bears the image of the Creator. Human life is sacred because from its beginning it involves the creative action of God and it remains forever in a special relationship with the Creator, Who is its sole end. God alone is the Lord of life from its beginning until its end: no one can under any circumstance claim for himself the right directly to destroy an innocent human being"
--The Gift of Life (Donum Vitae) No. 5 of introduction. Published by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, February 22, 1987. http://www.usccb.org/prolife/tdocs/donumvitae.htm


Catechism of the Catholic Church 2274 Since it must be treated from conception as a person, the embryo must be defended in its integrity, cared for, and healed, as far as possible, like any other human being. Prenatal diagnosis is morally licit, "if it respects the life and integrity of the embryo and the human fetus and is directed toward its safe guarding or healing as an individual. . . . It is gravely opposed to the moral law when this is done with the thought of possibly inducing an abortion, depending upon the results: a diagnosis must not be the equivalent of a death sentence." http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/pt3sect2chpt2art5.htm#2274
137 posted on 11/14/2006 5:25:50 PM PST by cpforlife.org (A Catholic Respect Life Curriculum is available at KnightsForLife.org)
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To: cpforlife.org

but Barbaro is doing quite well.....


138 posted on 11/14/2006 5:48:08 PM PST by ken5050
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To: xzins

i am not surprised! there were many reporters in South Dakota reporting on the VOTE YES ON 6 issue. They were here from other countries!! When asked why they were here, their response was that this same issue of abortion is ripping their countries apart, as well.

It was truth spoken, when we were told that not only were all eyes in the US but across the world were on SD. It was true!! It was also true that there were brothers and sisters in Christ, in prayer over the issue and SD, in over 150 other countries.

This thing that Satan has perpetrated covers and rocks the entire world!


139 posted on 11/14/2006 6:18:34 PM PST by MountainFlower
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To: COEXERJ145

Thank you.


140 posted on 11/14/2006 9:33:26 PM PST by Jaded ("I have a mustard- seed; and I am not afraid to use it."- Joseph Ratzinger)
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