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
Let he who is without sin cast the first stone. Observe that Our Lord did not say "he who is without lust" or "he who has never fornicated," but "he who is without sin."
Let us also remember what he said to the adulterer: "Go and sin no more".
I think some are inconsistent. I would think libertarians would not approve of the non-family members going over the parents and interfering in a family. Parents have responsibilities and rights over minor children they have to support. These people were wrong for at least that reason alone. They aren't paying his bills, they should have kept out.
But man is a supernatural creation.
I can understand Jack not talking to his parents here.
Would you have granted the kid's dying wish if he had wanted to sleep with someone closer to his age, say a 14 year old?
There are times between a devotee and his God where every pore becomes a sexual organ through which one enjoys the most perfect bliss. Question: Why will the jealous libertines have no idea of what I am talking about? Answer: Because they are jealous libertines.
It is where he and I live. It's immoral. IN YOUR PERSONAL CODE OF MORALITY( WHICH I AM SURE IS HONORABLE AND GOOD)
In the community where he lived, hence the controversy.
It's wrong. NOT FOR HIM
Especially for him.
It violates the laws of God. WHICH THERE ARE MANY INTERPRETATIONS OF
There are many interpetations, but only one truth.
ITS HIS LIFE!!!!
That's true. He's free to do what he wants. Doesn't make it right though.
Good question. It can be drawn where we choose to draw it, or where God does.
I think I'll stick with God. He has much more knowledge and experience than I do.
We all really need to relax....
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.