Posted on 01/17/2009 12:29:45 PM PST by wagglebee
Those who have embraced the culture of death had much to celebrate during 2008. By “culture of death,” I’m referring to those movements which would advance euthanasia, assisted suicide, abortion, fetal experimentation, and even population control.
Let’s take a quick look at the year gone by. I think you’ll see what I mean.
In the U.S., voters in Washington state approved the grotesquely named “Death with Dignity Act,” which will allow physicians to prescribe lethal doses of drugs to their terminally ill patients. Washington joins Oregon as the only states (for now) that have legalized assisted suicide. Two down, 48 to go.
Of course there was other significant news in the other Washington, Washington, DC, where the new administration began to set up shop in the White House—an administration that promised during the campaign to enact the “Freedom of Choice Act,” or FOCA.
FOCA will, in essence, eliminate most restrictions on abortion. Parental notification, informed consent, conscientious objection on behalf of healthcare providers, restrictions on late-term abortions, could well be things of the past. Not for nothing did the Catholic Bishops describe FOCA as “the most radical and extreme abortion legislation ever considered in the United States.”
And, of course, the new administration will do all that it can to promote the use of human embryos for stem cell research.
On the other side of the pond, legislators in the small nation of Luxembourg decided that the “right to death” was so important, that they stripped Grand Duke Henri of his constitutional right to veto legislation. Why? Because he dared to oppose a new euthanasia law. Well, I guess that’s better than what Europeans used to do when they didn’t like their monarch.
But it’s not enough that individuals can now legally find ways to kill themselves. No, now people can share their final moments with millions of onlookers. Britain’s Sky Network aired a documentary that showed the final minutes of the life of Craig Ewert, an American who suffered from Lou Gehrig’s disease. Ewert paid the Swiss assisted suicide group Dignitas 3,000 pounds to help him die. He had to travel to the little Alpine nation because Switzerland is the only country that opens the maw of death—excuse me—that opens its arms to foreigners who want to kill themselves.
And then there’s the horrible case of the 19-year-old Florida man who committed suicide while some 1,500 viewers watched online. The video spread all over the Web like wildfire.
Is this where we’ve really come to? When in the course of human events have so many made death their reason for living?
As Scripture says, God has set before us life and death. And our culture is choosing death.
As we begin 2009, the Church must renew its commitment to protecting the life and true dignity of every human—from natural conception until natural death.
But despite the euphemisms of euthanasia law and suicide organizations, true human dignity is not found in death (except in cases of great self-sacrifice). It is found in life! And in Him who is the author of all life.
Taft wasn't that bad.
More accurately, some people in every age have learned to suppress their evil impulses, while others have not. Part of it is an effect of culture (for instance, Western culture has marginalized the Fred Phelps version of Christianity into a tiny point-and-laugh-at cult; Arab and Persian cultures have so far failed to do so for the Phelps-equivalent versions of Islam).
Very true.
I also believe that (other than things like the Fred-Phelps version) Christianity has the best overall plan for moral behavior, even better than the non-Phelps Islamic view.
...I’m assuming you weren’t referring to Madison!
From a woman’s perspective, may I say that the Judeo/Christian culture is the only one that acknowledges that men and women are equal before God.
If we speak only of earthly living, you may think “mankind made it for so long without Christianity” but you aren’t looking at all sides of the experience.
Would you agree that it is govt. intrusion to force physicians to perform abortions and/or euthanasia?
You should be given the Hyperbole Award.
In order for policy to become law the government must be involved, whether on the local or federal level. Once policy is passed, it’s the governments responsibility to oversee the implementation and practice of policy, whether this involves abortion, euthanasia, or gun control, etc....
If an individual decides to take his life, that is his freedom.
“...laughable” What a moronic statement. I don’t even know who George Lane is. You also win the False Equivocation Award. Apples and oranges, my friend. We’re not talking about a man choosing to crawl up stairs and being arrested. We’re talking, or, I’m talking about government setting policy with an ulterior motive and using people and their desperation to do it.
“... your ghoulish laughter echos...”
You’re kidding me, right. What are ya, a drama queen? Humane my ass. Killing yourself, or having someone kill you; it’s all horrible. And while you’re at it, I’ve sat at the bedside of loved ones who were dying. They died with dignity, though not by the assistance of a physician, except to administer relief from pain.
“Maybe in your leftist...” Nice twist. You’re an award winning drama queen and ballerina.
“I suppose that’s why you want to control them.”
You can’t control people in the privacy of their own homes, but you sure can control them when they are in a vegetative state without a voice, eh. Terri Schiavo comes to mind. Or how about that doctor that kill all her patients in New Orleans. Oh, how humane of her, although they did not request death.
Click on a UK news agency and check out all those “humane” killings. How did that work out? Not very well for those patients, but hey, it was humane and loving.
Actually, that was a later formal statement. Church officials made the decision very early on that seeking martyrdom was a form of committing suicide, and hence not permissible. One had the duty to avoid being captured or killed, but if it happened, one had to bear it.
Over the centuries, various heresies that regarded suicide as something enlightened kept popping up, and the Church had to keep putting them down. Suicide seems to be a common urge among the illuminati.
The early Christian attitude to suicide was the same as the Jewish attitude.
Chuck Colson is great! He always brings a sound Christian perspective to issues.
I agree.
INDEED.
All the sadder given that we are almost all each other have left of any significance and closeness.
Joya is concerned he’s hell-bent on causing trouble for me at the college given that his . . . connection is high up in the state on some matters . . .
He may be deluded but I don’t think he’s that evil.
Besides, the Dean knows that I’m exceedingly scrupulous with my students and all the more so about anything controversial and particularly anything political.
And, at some point, it’s all in God’s hands anyway.
Still, it’s a sad thing. Hate to see it.
Typing this on the Acer Aspire netbook. Finally got it connected to the net.
Seems to work fine though the cursor is jumping around eratically . . . probably because I haven’t adjusted my big fingers to the tiny keyboard fully yet.
Think I’ll go back to Joya’s machine.
Thanks for your kind reply.
You have my prayers FRiend.
And how abhorrent it would be to overcome your ignorance!
“duty to die”
Absolutely. I had a disturbing conversation several years back with a fellow that is one of those animals rights types. He said that if a citizen isn’t contributing to society, and is sick, he should be put to sleep just as we would with dying animals. He was serious.
I guess you haven’t studied those with Life After Death experiences who committed suicide and were brought back.
Nor studied the case of the MD atheist . . . who found himself in hell . . .
Wow, quite a comeback.
I am sure that you know ALL individuals in such situations. You’re the one who brought him up.
I’m sure you know about an acquaintance of mine in Washington state. He took his own life while sitting on a lawn chair in the yard using a revolver.
As I said, Hyperbole, Drama, False Equivocation and Ballerina Award. You’re shining! You’re shining!
Thanks.
Much appreciated.
Scripture, however, is quite clear about our era being filled with children against parents; parents against children; brother against brother . . .
It was a bit funny . . . in his rant, he noted that half the Baptists voted one way and half the other both thinking they were doing God’s bidding.
Yet, he took no humility from that. Sad.
Still seems to have an obsessive and intense need to be 100% right and others 100% wrong. Very sad.
Much appreciate your prayers.
Indeed, I experience this in my life also.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.