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Tag: End our Life Well
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
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.”
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
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”
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?
MAiD – Failure to Protect Conscience Rights
In a deliberate ploy, on the part of the current federal government, Bill C14, the legislation to implement Medical Aid in Dying (MAiD) across Canada failed to include protection of conscience rights for medical professionals who object to participation in MAiD based on their personal, deeply held faith and religious beliefs. (See: July 18 Blog Post below for more info.)
Already the fallout from the lack of legislative protection when the legislation was introduced is being seen across Canada. The very real danger is that this failure to guard and protect the conscience rights of those involved with MAiD will spread, jeopardizing the well being of those who wish to practice their medical professions in accordance with the dictates of their consciences.
While the Canadian Charter of Rights & Freedoms, in Section 2: (a), clearly delineates the freedom of conscience and religion as one of the four “Fundamental Freedom,” the Superior Court of Ontario recently ruled in favor of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario to uphold the policy they have adopted that requires CPSO members to refer patients for MAiD, regardless of their personal beliefs. The Court decision says the individual right of the patient to medical care trumps the conscience rights of the attending medical personnel.
This erosion of conscience rights has widespread consequences on the professional practice of physicians and surgeons practicing in Ontario. It could cause them to leave their profession or leave the province of Ontario to practice elsewhere, as has happened in other jurisdictions where conscience rights have not been protected.
While in Alberta, AHS has adopted an ‘opt in’ policy that provides for those who are favor and support MAiD to elect to become practitioners. The ‘opt in’ policy serves to protect anyone who, in good conscience, does not want to become engaged in the practice. However, it is necessary to remain alert to what is happening here. Given the legal judgment in favor of the policy of the Ontario College of Physicians and Surgeons, it would not be outside the realm of possibility that the practice of requiring involvement could change in the future here in Alberta, as well.
To protect it’s medical practitioners, the Province of Manitoba has adopted specific legislation that protects their conscience rights, even if the professional body were to adopt a policy reflecting the one enacted by the CPSO. Other provincial jurisdictions should be lobbied to enact similar legislation to guard against medical professionals being forced into the untenable position they find themselves in in Ontario.
To be sure, I am certain that if the ‘death with dignity’ lobbyists who want widened access to MAiD have their way, they will put pressure on governments and healthcare systems its institutions to abandon the protection of conscience rights altogether in an effort to spread the practice of MAiD as far and wide as possible.
We live in perilous times when the aging, ill and dying are unprotected from pressure to end their lives, and our medical professionals are being equally pressured to assist in promoting the widening of this ‘culture of death’ activity, even at the expense of the protection of their own consciences.
How have we gotten so far off track as to believe no one has the right to guard and protect their personal beliefs if it interferes with another’s freedom to have what I want, regardless?
References:
Ending Our Life Well 