Posted on 12/23/2001 6:26:24 AM PST by Mopp4
A terminally ill boy had his dying wish granted in Australia this month, but ethicists are still at odds over whether it was the right thing to do.
The wish was not for a trip to Disneyland or to meet a famous sports star. Instead, the 15-year-old wanted to lose his virginity before he died of cancer. The boy, who remains anonymous but was called Jack by the Australian media, did not want his parents to know about his request. Because of his many years spent in the hospital, he had no girlfriend or female friends.
Jack died last week, but not before having his last wish granted. Without the knowledge of his parents or hospital staff, friends arranged an encounter with a prostitute outside of hospital premises. All precautions were taken, and the organizers made sure the act was fully consensual. The issue has sparked fierce debate over the legal and ethical implications of granting the boy's request. By law, Jack was still a child, and the woman involved could in theory face charges for having sex with a minor. The debate was sparked by the hospital's child psychologist, who wrote a letter to "Life Matters," a radio show in which academics debate ethical and moral dilemmas. The scenario was presented in the abstract, with no details about the boy's identity.
"He had been sick for quite a long period, and his schooling was very disrupted, so he hadn't had many opportunities to acquire and retain friends, and his access to young women was pretty poor," the psychologist said recently in an interview with Australia's Daily Telegraph newspaper. "But he was very interested in young women and was experiencing that surge of testosterone that teenage boys have." Hospital staff initially wanted to pool donations to pay for a prostitute, but the ethical and legal implications prevented them from doing so. The psychologist presented members of the clergy with the dilemma and found no clear answer. "It really polarized them," he said. "About half said, 'What's your problem?' And the other half said [it] demeans women and reduces the sexual act to being just a physical one."
Dr. Stephen Leeder, dean of medicine at the University of Sydney and a "Life Matters" panelist, said the issue was a difficult one. "I pointed out that public hospitals operated under the expectation that they would abide by state law," he said. "While various things doubtless are done that are at the edge of that, it's important the public has confidence that the law will be followed." Jack's psychologist, who works with children in palliative care, said the desire was driven in part by a need for basic human contact. "In a child dying over a long period of time, there is often a condition we call 'skin hunger,'" he said. The terminally ill child yearns for non-clinical contact because "mostly when people touch them, it's to do something unpleasant, something that might hurt." Leeder called the diagnosis "improbable." Judy Lumby, the show's other panelist and the executive director of the New South Wales College of Nursing, argued that the details as presented made it abundantly clear the boy's wish ought to be granted. "I said that I would try my darndest as a nurse to do whatever I could to make sure his wish came true," she said. "I just think we are so archaic in the way we treat people in institutions. Certainly, if any of my three daughters were dying, I'd do whatever I could, and I'm sure that you would, too." National Post
I don't see what the big deal is about the kid wanting to get some before he goes. If you aren't a virgin now, you don't really have room to blame, do you?
I am an old woman now. In my life, I have noticed that those who are the first and worst to condemn others are either jealous or self-conscious. It's people like that who have driven kids like Marilyn Manson away from Our Lord and into the hands of Satan! They will face a more dreaded punishment than some poor dying 15 year old kid who just wanted to "be a man" before he died.
Also, what people are ignoring is the instinctual urge to procreate when facing death. Studies have revealed that to be the reason why soldiers have been known to be guilty of rape throughout the centuries. I just imagine it is the same for those dying of disease.
Poor Kid. If he accepted Christ as his Personal Savior, I know that Jesus welcomed him with open arms!
It seems some people dont take the time to read the "first half" of the Bible. If they did, they'd find out pretty quick how drastically much G-d "changed" His mind regarding the rules in just a day or two (according to the Psalmists interpretation of God's time line (ie, 'thousand years as but a day').
Oh well. Kind of reminds you of Daniel's (?) prophecy of a man who would attempt to 'change the seasons and the Law', doesn't it?
And whats with the Sixth Commandment mentioned above? I have them memorized and darnit', me thinks that the Sixth says "Do not Murder". Which would make alot more sense seeing how it is the first Commandment of the Second Tablet; which of course, correlates with the First Commandment of the First Tablet.
Whether this is a real situation or a set-up by the psychiatrist, I'm all for the people who hired the hooker. I'd pay into _that_ "make a wish" foundation in a heartbeat.
Get real. Some people here think with their wrong head and it shows. It's not something to brag about.
And you would know this because? Ever been dead or dying before? Ever had sex before?
Lucifer felt the same way.
When you're 15, sex is one of life's great mysteries. You know everybody but you is having it, and you wished you knew what it was all about.
I actually think this was a fine request and am glad that the boy was granted that request before he died.
I would imagine that somebody who found this to be an abomination can't possibly have an ounce of compassion for their fellow man. And that's what's wierd. God made us human. That's what we are. The idea that we cease to become human if we turn to God is more troubling than it is comforting.
I can find nowhere in the Bible where it says we are to become unfeeling, discompassionate robots after we're saved.
The prostitute that accomodated this boy is infinitely more compassionate and understanding than you. Need I remind you who Jesus hung out with?
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