Posted on 03/29/2005 8:07:57 PM PST by Palladin
A professor at a Bible college near Scranton, Pa., was arrested Tuesday as he tried to storm into the hospice caring for Terri Schiavo.
Dow Pursley, 56, was zapped with a Taser stun gun and tackled to the ground by officers before he reached the door, Pinellas Park police said. He became the 47th protester arrested.
Pursley, who is on the faculty of the Baptist Bible College & Seminary in Clarks Summit, Pa., had two bottles of water with him, police said. He was charged with attempted burglary and resisting arrest.
Baptist Bible College officials said in a written statement that Pursley was not acting on the school's behalf and had traveled to Florida on his personal time.
"He is a dedicated man with strong beliefs and God-given convictions," the statement said.
Pursley is the clinical director of counseling programs for the theological college's graduate school. He also helps oversee a campus clinic that offers psychological counseling based on biblical teaching.
Baptist Bible College spokesman Mark Robbins said that while the college "believes in the sanctity of life," it has not taken an official position on the Schiavo case.
Doctors said that Schiavo, 41, would probably die within a week or two after the tube was removed on March 18. She suffered catastrophic brain damage in 1990 when her heart stopped for several minutes because of a chemical imbalance.
Ummmm no. He's in the hospital, actually. Not doing well, I'm afraid.
The Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops made their own (public) statment, and in that statement they reiterrated what the Vatican had said about Terri Schiavo as well. In fact, the Vatican has since issued a SECOND STATEMENT, (see below), roundly condemning the murder of Terri Schiavo. I would remind you that Jeb Bush is a Roman Catholic.
"Continued Concerns for Terri Schiavo" (from the eight Catholic Bishops of Florida)
"Terri Schindler Schiavo has been the center of national media attention, and the focus of a debate that touches all three branches of government. Mrs. Schiavo is not "brain dead" or comatose. She has lived in a nursing home for years, presently a hospice facility, generally needing only nursing care and assistance in receiving nourishment. Some experts say she is in a "persistent vegetative state;" others say she is not. Her husband wants to remove her feeding tube, insisting she expressed clearly this would be her wish; her parents and siblings vigorously disagree, and have offered to care for her as long as she lives. Questions about her prognosis and wishes persist, raising doubt as to what she would truly want.
No longer able to speak on her own behalf, Mrs. Schiavo is a defenseless human being with inherent dignity, deserving of our respect, care and concern. Her plight dramatizes one of the most critical questions we face: To be a truly human society, how should we care for those we may not be able to cure?
In our past statements concerning Terri Schiavo, as well as those by Bishop Robert N. Lynch of the Diocese of St. Petersburg, we have made it clear that there should be a presumption in favor of providing nutrition and hydration even by artificial means as long as it is of sufficient benefit to outweigh the burdens involved to the patient. We reiterate our plea that Mrs. Schiavo continues to receive all treatments and care that will be of benefit to her.
In a statement provided in March 2004, Pope John Paul II urges us to see every patient in a so-called "vegetative" state as a fellow human being, retaining his or her full dignity despite diminished abilities. Regarding nourishment for such patients, he said:
'I should like particularly to underline how the administration of water and food, even when provided by artificial means, always represents a natural means of preserving life, not a medical act. Its use, furthermore, should be considered, in principle, ordinary and proportionate, and as such morally obligatory, insofar as and until it is seen to have attained its proper finality, which in the present case consists in providing nourishment to the patient and alleviation of his suffering.'
Simply put, we are called to provide basic means of sustenance such as food and water unless they are doing more harm than good to the patient, or are useless because the patient’s death is imminent. As long as they effectively provide nourishment and help provide comfort, we should see them as part of what we owe to all who are helpless and in our care. In certain situations a patient may morally refuse medical treatment and such decisions may properly be seen as an expression of our hope of union with God in the life to come.
We pray that Terri Schindler Schiavo's family and friends, and all who hold power over her fate, will see that she continues to receive nourishment, comfort and loving care".
Archbishop John C. Favalora Archdiocese of Miami ~ Bishop John J. Nevins Diocese of Venice ~ Bishop John H. Ricard, SSJ Diocese of Pensacola/Tallahassee ~ Bishop Robert N. Lynch Diocese of St. Petersburg ~ Bishop Victor Galeone Diocese of St. Augustine Bishop Gerald M. Barbarito, JCL Diocese of Palm Beach ~ Bishop Thomas G. Wenski Diocese of Orlando ~ Auxiliary Bishop Felipe J. Estévez Archdiocese of Miami
ROME, March 7, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The head of the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace has reiterated a call, first issued last month, to stop the withdrawal of nutrition and hydration from a cognitively disabled Florida woman. In startlingly urgent language, Cardinal Renato Martino today issued an urgent appeal against starving Terri Schiavo.
“She will die a horrible and cruel death. She will not simply die; she will have death inflicted upon her over a number of terrible days even weeks . . . how is it that this woman, who has done nothing wrong, will suffer a fate which society would never tolerate in the case of a convicted murderer or anyone else convicted of the most horrendous crimes?,” writes the Cardinal.
LifeSiteNews.com reproduces the full Statement from the Cardinal below:
Statement of Cardinal Renato Martino, President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace Vatican City
7 March 2005
The courts have ruled again and again. Unfortunately, the deadline for the removal of the tube delivering food and water to Terri Schiavo is quickly approaching. I am sorry to have to use the word “deadline” but this is the most accurate way to describe what will happen. Without the tube which is providing life-giving hydration and nutrition, Terri Schiavo will die. But it is not that simple. She will die a horrible and cruel death. She will not simply die; she will have death inflicted upon her over a number of terrible days, even weeks. How can anyone who claims to speak of the promotion and protection of human rights - of human life - remain silent? Is this not a question of the right to life? I believe that I must speak out about this in the same way that I would speak of the protection of the unborn and just as I would concerning any injustice.
Has due process in this case been truly served? Have all options been employed? Where is love? Where is human compassion? No one would ever wish to witness the suffering of another, especially a loved one. And I am sure that no one could ever choose to witness suffering or a cruel death being inflicted upon another, especially one who is loved. How then have we come to this point?
If it is true that the process has been fair and that all legal avenues have been exhausted, how is it that this woman, who has done nothing wrong, will suffer a fate which society would never tolerate in the case of a convicted murderer or anyone else convicted of the most horrendous crimes? Again, it is an issue of human rights. It is an issue of the right to life, and as I stated earlier, no one can be the arbiter of life except God himself!
The State of Florida has many laws on its books which protect animals, whether they be household pets, domesticated farm animals or animals destined for slaughter. (And please pardon me as I make this analogy. I am not comparing Terri to an animal. I only want to show the protection that the courts afford to animals in the State of Florida.) These laws “prohibit[s] anyone from intentionally committing an act to any animal which results in cruel death, or excessive or repeated infliction of unnecessary pain or suffering” (828.12). It is also unlawful to keep an animal in a place while failing to supply “a sufficient quantity of good and wholesome food and water”(828.13).
Are these laws not enforced by the same courts, are these not the same laws established by lawmakers in order to protect other creatures of God?
However, in just a few days, [if her husband and the courts have their way] this is exactly what will happen to Terri. She will be completely deprived of water and food. She will have excessive suffering and pain inflicted upon her which will lead to her cruel death. Yet we have come to the point of asking whether due process been fully carried out and all options exhausted on behalf of Terri? This is unbelievable! Is it not sufficient enough to say that there are still questions that must be answered? We plead, we make the urgent appeal for the life of a helpless human being...a person with whom we all share our God given human dignity. How can anyone say that her best interests have been taken into consideration?
In his Message for the Eleventh World Day of the Sick (11 February 2003) His Holiness Pope John Paul II stated: “And while palliative treatment in the final stage of life can be encouraged, avoiding a “treatment at all costs” mentality, it will never be permissible to resort to actions or omissions which by their nature or in the intention of the person acting are designed to bring about death.”
Palliative care, by its definition is the alleviation of suffering and relieving pain. In the last stage of life, it is this care for which we all must hope because, if the feeding tube is removed and Terri is forced to die this slow, terrible, painful death, we must ask ourselves, “And who will be next?” Will this open the door for a state to decide whether this or that incapacitated person should die...not be allowed to die a dignified death but that they should have death inflicted upon them?
It must stop here and now. The courts, the judges and everyone involved with this must understand that all of the questions involved in the case of Terri Schiavo have not yet been answered. Society must realize that we can never inflict this sort of death on a human being, on any other creature, without each and every one of us and society as a whole suffering a terrible fate.
jhw
Sorry to hear that. Here's hoping that Judge Greer doesn't get his hands on him.
That in a pluralistic society people may disagree on such controversies is to be expected. I don't understand posters who attack those Catholics on FR who take pro-life positions. The pro-life cause is a genuine and important part of the conservative movement. It played a MAJOR role in electing George Bush as president. It continues to play a major role in restoring moral values and Christian culture back to the center of American life (where they should be). And where they must be if we are to survive as a healthy society and a moral civilization.
Charges will be fropped because the prosecutor must know he would never find a jury to convict him.
For starters, he spends the vast majority of his time around here reviling and desecrating the memory of the first "GOP" president. Mention Abraham Lincoln, and watch him howl in rage and sputter semi-coherent gibberish that all boils down to this, at the end of the day: He despises the Union that was preserved by the resolute actions of the first "GOP" president, period.
"capitalist"? Hardly--the economy of the side he fervently wishes had "won" the Civil War was based upon slave labor, and had geared itself towards annexing whole new territories of the Western Hemisphere with the specific goal of advancing that slavocracy wherever possible. Capitalism is based upon the exact opposite notion, of course: free labor, free markets, and free men & women. Circa 1861-65, "GOPcapitalist" has little use for any of that. But don't take my word for it: just check out his posts...
He also routinely engages in the kind of semi-slur so cherished as a "debate" tactic by the Hardcore Left: he excels in the type of personal, unsubstantiated insults that hinge on slurring a person personally, though he offers no proof, no documentation, no hint of a verifiable whisper, or otherwise concrete means to ascertain his smarmy innuendos. In short, he makes crap up, and is the textbook description of a pathological liar poseur in this forum.
A troll of some sort, he no doubt is. A "GOPcapitalist" he most certainly is not.
Then sit down and calm down. I know it will be difficult for you and your euthanasia buds if Terri lives but I trust you'll deal with it.
There's always more heresy to post from the USCCB, right?
The Milgram Experiment
A lesson in depravity, peer pressure, and the power of authority
The aftermath of the Holocaust and the events leading up to World War II, the world was stunned with the happenings in Nazi German and their acquired surrounding territories that came out during the Eichmann Trials. Eichmann, a high ranking official of the Nazi Party, was on trial for war crimes and crimes against humanity. The questions is, "Could it be that Eichmann, and his million accomplices in the Holocaust were just following orders? Could we call them all accomplices?"
Stanley Milgram answered the call to this problem by performing a series of studies on the Obedience to Authority. Milgram's work began at Harvard where he was working towards his Ph.D. The experiments on which his initial research was based were done at Yale from 1961-1962.
In response to a newspaper ad offering $4.50 for one hour's work, an individual turns up to take part in a Psychology experiment investigating memory and learning. He is introduced to a stern looking experimenter in a white coat and a rather pleasant and friendly co-subject. The experimenter explains that the experiment will look into the role of punishment in learning, and that one will be the "teacher" and one will be the "learner." Lots are drawn to determine roles, and it is decided that the individual who answered the ad will become the "teacher."
Your co-subject is taken to a room where he is strapped in a chair to prevent movement and an electrode is placed on his arm. Next, the "teacher" is taken to an adjoining room which contains a generator. The "teacher" is instructed to read a list of two word pairs and ask the "learner" to read them back. If the "learner" gets the answer correct, then they move on to the next word. If the answer is incorrect, the "teacher" is supposed to shock the "learner" starting at 15 volts.
The generator has 30 switches in 15 volt increments, each is labeled with a voltage ranging from 15 up to 450 volts. Each switch also has a rating, ranging from "slight shock" to "danger: severe shock". The final two switches are labeled "XXX". The "teacher" automatically is supposed to increase the shock each time the "learner" misses a word in the list. Although the "teacher" thought that he/she was administering shocks to the "learner", the "learner" is actually a student or an actor who is never actually harmed. (The drawing of lots was rigged, so that the actor would always end up as the "learner.")
At times, the worried "teachers" questioned the experimenter, asking who was responsible for any harmful effects resulting from shocking the learner at such a high level. Upon receiving the answer that the experimenter assumed full responsibility, teachers seemed to accept the response and continue shocking, even though some were obviously extremely uncomfortable in doing so.
Today the field of psychology would deem this study highly unethical but, it revealed some extremely important findings. The theory that only the most severe monsters on the sadistic fringe of society would submit to such cruelty is disclaimed. Findings show that, "two-thirds of this studies participants fall into the category of ‘obedient' subjects, and that they represent ordinary people drawn from the working, managerial, and professional classes (Obedience to Authority)." Ultimately 65% of all of the "teachers" punished the "learners" to the maximum 450 volts. No subject stopped before reaching 300 volts!
Milgram also conducted several follow-up experiments to determine what might change the likelihood of maximum shock delivery. In one condition, the touch-proximity condition, the teacher was required to hold the hand of the learner on a "shock plate" in order to give him shocks above 150 volts.
The most amazing thing to note from this follow-up experiment is that 32% of the subjects in the proximity-touch condition held the hand of the learner on the shock plate while administering shocks in excess of 400 volts! Further experiments showed that teachers were less obedient when the experimenter communicated with them via the telephone versus in person, and males were just as likely to be obedient as females, although females tended to be more nervous.
Milgram's obedience experiment was replicated by other researchers. The experiments spanned a 25-year period from 1961 to 1985 and have been repeated in Australia, South Africa and in several European countries. In one study conducted in Germany, over 85% of the subjects administered a lethal electric shock to the learner.
After all this, when do we get around to pardoning the Nazis?
You do recall the concept of Higher Law, Deacon?
So now Florida is evil, too? It just gets worse out there on FR.
This is why I don't venture out more often.
Calling them "police" is wrong. They are exactly the same as Death Camp Guards.
Jeb's termed out. Next run is for President, or Senate.
All the MORE reason for him to have acted to save Terri.
So?
If he were a thug in Los Angeles fighting cops, he might be awarded a nice sum of money.
Sinky, it should be clear to you that those who advocate the lawlessness of Greer & Co. are the distinct minority on these boards.
Perhaps you should re-evaluate your Good Little Republican position in light of remarks made by (among others) the Pope, the Cardinal of Baltimore, Jesse Jackson, Pat Buchanan, Joe Farah, and others (now too numerous to mention.)
I don't even think thats possible. The attempted burglary charge is ridiclous. I would have thought a misdemeanor charge like unlawful trespass or something. Attempted burglarly is a felony in FLA, ain't it?
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