Category: Resources – Recommended Reading

With Godlessness, Anything Goes…

“Times, they are a-changing…”

There has been a dramatic political and moral shift across our nation of Canada in the past few years. While it is a shift that has been in the making since the sexual revolution of the 60’s, in many ways it has caught those of us who are ‘of an age’ off guard. (See July 18 Post for further info.)

We never thought or expected to see physician assisted death being touted in some cases as a ‘treatment option’ nor to find ourselves as one of the few/only developed nations who have approved nation wide legal consumption of marijuana. The implications of such legislative actions are going to be widespread and insidiously endemic. It makes the fictional work of Dr. James Dobson, & co-author, Kurt Bruner, all the more compelling.

Godlessness…

I am well into finishing reading their trilogy of books I introduced in the July 27, 2018 Blog posting. There are three titles in the series,  Fatherless, Childless, and Godless.

In the Author’s Note at the beginning of the third book, Godless, Kurt Bruner identifies today’s beliefs that have shaped their fictional projection into the future and fueled their speculation of what the world of the 2040’s will be like. He adds, “…we confront the chilling implications of Dostoevsky’s claim that without God all things are possible.” The books depict this chilling ‘new world’ and the implications in, what continues to be, albeit currently a total fictionalization of reality, an all too likely scenario facing us in the not too distant future, especially if we do nothing  NOW.

Getting back to this trilogy of books, the authors are examining our world two to three decades in the future through a fictional scenario that highlights the impact of the population pyramid flipping to where the elderly population numbers, the tail end of the baby boomers, far outstrips the number of able body younger people. The drop in fertility rates for decades, coupled with the lack of replacement population, has placed an inordinate, heavy burden on the existing workforce. It has negatively impacted economic growth, precipitating desperate measures on the part of governments to off-set those deleterious effects.

One of the answers, posited by the elected officials of the day, to enhance transferring their financial resources from the aging population to the upcoming generation facing economic stress, is to encourage ‘heroic’ volunteers to ‘transition.’ That means to accept euthanasia, or assisted suicide, rather than using up their financial resources on their care as elderly, aging, and possibly ill, individuals — otherwise termed, in popular parlance of the (projected) day, as ‘debits.’

All ‘debits’, i.e. anyone who is not actively contributing to the economy but is draining limited resources, are encouraged to do the heroic, loving, caring thing and opt for allowing themselves to be put to death, whether they are failing, aging individuals or disabled, anyone who is unable to contribute to the economy is encouraged to ‘transition’.

Interestingly, the philosophical and theological underpinnings for transitioning are built upon the ancient philosophy of Manicheanism, a recycling of the belief that the body is evil and the spirit it good. To be freed from the decaying body and released to a higher spiritual plane is preferable to the suffering of aging, illness or disabling disease. We are seeing traces of the emergence of this belief even in our day.

All three books in the trilogy, published between 2011 and 2014, reflect this sobering theme, which, as I titled the earlier Blog post, depict very real possibilities that I find ‘chilling.’

What does this mean for me?

While I have read innumerable Christian thrillers, murder mysteries, and suspenseful action themed books, which have reflected all kinds of unsavory scenarios, none of them have been able to ‘creep me out’ like these particular books have. I think it is because the other scenarios would not be ones that I, personally, would be likely to encounter. But, here, in this instance, given my age and any unfavorable projected health prognosis, I could, very realistically, as an aging member of the baby boomers, personally face what is being depicted in these novels.

That is especially true with the advent of MAiD being so readily available, across Canada, and, as I mentioned, it being offered to patients, or suggested to family or close friends, as one of the legal treatment options available under the current restricted circumstances, which are bound to change, to those with a terminal illness.

I think we all become very vulnerable to the pressures to end our lives, both to avoid our own suffering, and to refrain from putting our loved ones through the anguish of watching. And, it is not unthinkable, that it could also be for the sake of the economic reasons, to potentially save our loved ones from having to invest our own hard earned financial resources, or theirs, into our ongoing care as we age or are afflicted with debilitating or terminal illness.

The pressure to take action and end our lives is, as these books depict, beginning to be viewed as the compassionate and caring thing to do. We should not have to ‘suffer’ our way through to a demeaning dependence that robs us of our dignity and casts us upon the care of others, instead of being healthy and robust and savoring our independence. The language of promoting euthanasia and MAiD as caring and compassionate is deceptive. While it sounds good, it does not perceive or respect the inherent dignity of the individual created in the image of our loving God, nor seek to protect and promote and support living until we die. Instead, as a patient who was offered MAiD pointed out, he wanted support to live, not support to die.

Capital Punishment is seen, and lobbied against, because it is barbaric and sears the consciences and lives of those who provide it. How can we think that to sanitize the killing of another person, albeit one who requests it, is acceptable because we move it out of the penal facility into a sterile hospital setting and surround the person with a medical team who will help this go quickly and well? What makes it less barbaric than to take the life of a convicted, perhaps unrepentant, criminal?

Defies reason, as far as I can see. But, I digress.

The Future is Now…

It strikes me that we have already taken the long walk down the road to ending life in Canada for too long to turn around. But, how do we protect and preserve the dignity and safety of those who do not want to take this, currently, elective option to end their lives when there has been a terminal diagnosis? What must we do to preserve the caring and ‘do no harm’ of the Hippocratic Oath, sworn by our medical professionals, so that pressure is not there to end one’s life prematurely and caring to the natural end of life is available for those who believe it is the way to finish their days?

It begs the issue of the funding of better and more available palliative and hospice care across Canada. More on that another time.

Promoting a Culture of Death or Preserving a Culture of Life.

The battle against ‘life’ in our current Canadian society has heated up another notch. It has taken a giant step forward, from the frontal attack and assault on pre-born life, the taking of innocent life in the womb for any reason, at any time, to promoting voluntary death by the elderly, aging and unwell. We have consolidated and condoned the sacrificing of sacred life on the altar of convenience, comfort and ease.

Only if we resolve to put ourselves, and our conscience beliefs, on the line to contend against the proliferation of this Culture of Death, which was spoken of by St. John Paul II so succinctly some two decades ago, can we hope to see the Culture of Life prevail. It is incumbent on us to stand up and be counted as for life, not against it.

How Shall we then Live….

Peter, writing in the first century Roman world, reminds his readers that the world as it is, not only the political reality, but the material reality, as well, is passing away. He poses the question, “How shall we then live?” (2 Pet. 3: 10-12) His answer is, “…in leading lives of holiness and godliness….” (NRSV) or, “…holy in your conduct and devotion,…” (NAB)

Living in the times we do, with the things that are happening around us, there couldn’t be a more relevant reminder! Unholiness and ungodliness are rampant in the culture around us.

Children Dying

We live in a time when it is acceptable in Belgium to take the life of a 9 yr. old child because they have Cystic Fibrosis — a threat and challenge to every child, and every parent of a child, with cystic fibrosis or any other disabling disease.

Why a 9 Year Old was Euthanized

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/health/medical/why-a-nine-year-old-has-been-legally-euthanised/ar-BBLGZU6?li=AAggNb9&ocid=mailsignout

Euthanasia in Belgium: updates on a social experiment.

https://www.mercatornet.com/careful/view/euthanasia-in-belgium-updates-on-a-social-experiment/21655

And, many of us agonized and watched in horror as the British authorities determined that, due to their disabilities, two toddlers, Charlie Gard & Alfie Evans, should die because, in their estimation, neither could ever have an acceptable quality of life that warranted further medical intervention to sustain their lives. This, even though other foreign governments/facilities were willing to intervene and provide additional medical interventions for each of them, at no expense to the British state.

British Hospital to Gard Parents: “You Alone Cannot Decide Your Child’s Fate.”

http://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2017/july/british-hospital-to-gards-parents-you-alone-cannot-decide-childs-fate

Pope Speaks on Dying Baby

http://www.newser.com/story/245140/pope-parents-should-be-allowed-to-treat-dying-baby.html

“Legal” Reason UK can for Alfie Evans to Die

http://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2018/april/heres-the-legal-reason-why-the-uk-can-force-alfie-evans-to-die

Abortion as ‘Self-Care’ and a Benefit to US Economy

Recently, a pro-choice group in Texas paid for billboards touting that Abortion can, now, among other things, be seen as “Self-Care.”

Black Women encouraged to view Abortion as “Self-Care”

http://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2018/august/abortion-is-self-care-shocking-billboard-targets-black-women-for-abortions?cpid=EU_CBNNEWSPM&cpid=EU_CBNNEWSPM

At the same time, Chelsea Clinton, the ‘former’ First Daughter (Bill and Hilary Clinton’s only child), following in her famous Mom’s pro-choice footsteps, goes a step further, saying that abortion has been an incredible economic benefit for America.

Clinton Credits Abortion with Saving American Economy

https://www.dailywire.com/news/34496/chelsea-clinton-credits-abortion-saving-american-emily-zanotti

Call to Holiness

Heeding the call from Peter in his 1st letter, we need to consider what holiness might look like.

Writing at the beginning of the 20th Century, in his classic Christian devotional, My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers, in his Sept. 1 devotion under the title,  Destined to be Holy, says, “Holiness means absolute purity of your walk before God, the words coming out of your mouth, and every thought in your mind — placing every detail of your life under the scrutiny of God Himself.”

Reading from the same book, for the following day, under the heading, A Life of Pure and Holy Sacrifice, Chambers adds that God’s purpose for our lives is not simply to have us be luscious, plump grapes, but rather to be grapes from which the savoury sweetness of holiness can be squeezed out of us. His challenge to us, not unlike Peter’s in his epistle, is, “Are we prepared to pour out our lives for Him?”

Watching the Catholic University of America’s School Opening Mass of the Holy Spirit recently, which aired on EWTN, I was encouraged by the forthright approach of the University Chaplain, Rev. Jude DeAngelo’s message in his homily, which was backed up by the remarks of the University President, John Garvie. Both addressed the issue of Clergy Sexual Abuse that is currently raging in the Catholic Church.

President Garvie ended his message by calling us all, individually, to not look at what is happening around us, but to strive for personal holiness as our own antidote to the mess our world seems to have gotten itself into.

Both messages are well worth reading or listening to:

Rev. Jude DeAngelo, O.F.M. Conv

https://www.catholic.edu/speeches-and-homilies/2018/homily-mass-of-holy-spirit.html

John Garvie, President, Catholic University of America

https://www.catholic.edu/speeches-and-homilies/2018/president-mass-of-holy-spirit.html

On this particular day, September 11, as we commemorate the devastating effects of terrorism in our world, and the painful and personal cost of the countless number of human lives lost in senseless violence around the world, the question we face is: Is our response anger and indignation, or are we moved with the resolve to personally live more holy, godly, and loving lives — in imitation of the One who gave His own life for us, for every terrorist and abuser who walks the face of this earth, and for every victim of their violence and abuse, Our Lord Jesus — Savior and Redeemer of the whole World?

Chillingly Real!

Chilling! Unsettling! Unthinkable! Yet, all too real!

A couple of weeks ago I picked up a book from the shelves of Christian fiction at our local library. I chose it for a two reasons: Dr. James Dobson’s name was prominently displayed as the co-author — and though I knew him to be a prolific writer of more than 50 titles on family life issues, I was unaware of his having delved into writing fiction; and, the title caught my eye – Fatherless. During my years of Seminary study, in the mid-1990’s, I had done a research paper on the Men’s Movement — which included a cursory exploration of the impact and effect of fatherlessness on family life and the society of the day.

So, without much thought, I added it to the pile of books I balanced in my arms, with the expectation it would provide some relaxing summer reading, and checked it out.

Later that evening, as my husband was wandering aimlessly around, looking for something to read, I offered Dobson’s book to him. Within the first few pages, he looked up and asked, “Do you know what this is about?” I had to plead innocence because I had only given a cursory glance at the blurb on the back of the book and it didn’t reference any specifics as to the topic.

I was incredulous when he said, “It’s about MAiD!”

Sure enough!

Published in 2013, the authors, Dobson & co-author, Kurt Bruner, set the book 30 years in the future. Fast forwarding to the 2040’s, the protagonist is a freshman US Congressman, Kevin Tolbert, who still believes in the Christian God, the sanctity of life, and marriage and family. His nemesis is a 30 something, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, Julia Davidson. With a younger journalist nipping at her heels, wanting to garner her own glory, and threatening to take over Julia’s role as the go-to media columnist who reflects the avant garde values of the culture, Julia needs the next stellar topic to keep her on top.

Decrying the old fashioned views represented by the religious conservatives who embrace being married, having children, and eschew participating in ‘transitioning’ — voluntarily accepting euthanasia to protect and pass on economic assets to the next generation, Julia stumbles on a story that may be her next ‘big’ one, and may nip in the bud Tolbert’s ‘Bright Spot’ agenda which would introduce tax measures to recoup the losses and put the Party back on top of the polls.

The last of the baby boomers is aging out, the economy is in the tank, and, with the drastic decline in the birth rate, the ‘replacement population’ of workers is lacking, which means there is an onerous burden on existing taxpayers to continue to fund services to the elderly and ill. Given these circumstances, those who fall into certain categories — the elderly whose health is beginning to decline, and those with disabling diseases who are termed “debits” — are being encouraged to be ‘heroic volunteers’ to accept transitioning to protect and pass on their wealth for the next generation.

Many long-term care facilities have been turned into comfortable, welcoming ‘transition sites’ to accommodate the fact they are no longer needed to house the elderly or disabled. And, it’s a win-win-win situation, for the heirs who are left the inheritances, the facilities who thrive monetarily from this business, and even the government who benefit when a portion of the estate comes into their coffers with every person who willingly volunteers to die.

This had to be one of the hardest ‘reads’ I have had occasion to engage in, of late. In the back of my mind was the constant, unsettling realization that this is where MAiD could go! It reverberated in my mind and heart as a very real possibility.

What would have been unthinkable, highly unlikely, and purely fictional, only a few short years ago, has suddenly become a scenario that is all too plausible and real, especially for us here in Canada with the introduction of MAiD.

With the tip of the iceberg of a shifting population base that is not replacing the current level of tax paying workers, will ‘transitioning,’ nobly and heroically, become part of the future for ourselves, as the razor edge of the baby boomer population?

Chilling! Unsettling! Unthinkable! — Or, maybe not.

Check out the book! It won’t be a relaxing summer read, but it is well worth taking the fictional journey into this suddenly emerging social maze.

A real eye-opener on what might be facing us in the not too distant future as Canada embraces MAiD and probably moves beyond the current ‘restrictions’ in place today.