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SFG75 · Posted: Sun Oct 02, 2005 11:21 am Post subject: How do we die?

C-SPAN's book t.v. "in-depth" program is featuring a wonderful academic and writer who has recently published a book on death and how we die. To hear this enlightening dialogue, check out: http://www.booktv.org/indepth/

Sitaram · Site Admin Joined: 14 Sep 2005 Posts: 1079

On PBS, a discussion of an upcoming Supreme Court decision on physician assisted death laws in Oregon.

How curious that you should post this today. Yesterday I had thoughts of writing on this.

My fellow classmate from 4 years of St. Johns became a physician. We recently debated mildly debated the issue.

His position is that he would not assist in a death because of his hippocratic oath to protect life. I had what I thought is an interesting counter argument, based on my personal beliefs. The interesting thing about my position, is that it, in a sense, demonstrates how my friend, the doctor's, position is LESS Christlike, than my position, in the sense that I would choose to take upon myself the sin of assisted death, for the sake of alleviating the suffering of another, rather than leave another to suffer, simply so that I myself might remain untainted by wrongdoing.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Sitaram/message/1244

http://www.sulekha.com/chpost.asp...ilosophy&show=0&cid=51376

I watched a news item about "Dignitas", an organization in Switzerland which welcomes foreigners who come their on "suicide vacations" for the purpose of ending their lives. Many such people are elderly and terminally or chronically ill.

Laws in Switzerland are quite liberal with regard to physician assisted
suicide.

What are your thoughts on this topic.

How does the question of the right to terminate ones own life compare with the issue of the right to abort a fetus?

As you answer, consider various things like the Jain practice of Sallekhana
ritual starvation), Martyrdom for beliefs in various religions (including
suicide attacks), the suicide of the Jews at Masada (to escape the Romans
around 70 AD), and even such things as Jesus' and Socrates' willing submission to a death sentence (which they could have escaped, presumably).

Even consider from Buddhist Jakarta texts the account of Buddha sacrificing his life out of compassion for a hungry lioness and her cubs, so that his body might be food for them (and compare this with the Christian Eucharist).

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Sitaram/message/1482

Epilogue:

I am reminded of a recent conversation with an old college mate of mine who became a physician. I have always perceived him as a model of ethics and compassion. We were discussing the topic of physician assisted death. I argued that a long slow death by removal of feeding tubes and hydration was more cruel and degrading to the patient than a quick death by the administration of a drug overdose. My friend argued that the cessation of feeding and hydration was more ethical, since a doctor is not ethically obligated to extend life artificially when there is no hope of recovery, and that the doctor is simply ceasing all intervention allowing nature to take its course. This is death caused through inaction rather than the overt act of administering an overdose.

I realize that my friend is a devout Christian and has no notions of karma or rebirth, but it seems to me that the physician who elects to simply pull the plug and stand back is in on some level doing so to avoid the karmic
consequences of taking a positive action to hasten death and diminish suffering. Actions cause us to become implicated and involved.

I suppose I would not be a very good doctor, but were I a doctor in such a
situation, I would prefer to take upon myself the sin of euthanasia, the sin of action, for the sake of the other, to diminish suffering, rather than choose the sanctity and blamelessness of inaction.

In an odd way, one may see Christ's submission to the authorities, allowing himself to be captured and crucified, as a form of suicide. Presumably, if we foresee our execution, but do not take measures to prevent it or escape it, then we are suicidal in our actions. Socrates is another example of someone who might have escaped his death sentence and survived, but chose to stay and submit to the judgement. Various Cristian theologians assert that Christ BECOMES sin, in that he takes upon himself the sins of all mankind throughout all past present and future.

If this is so, then there is something very Christ-like about someone who would willingly take sin upon themselves for the sake of alleviating the suffering of another.

=============
On todays PBS Religioin and Ethics in World News, an Oncologist explained that, in his field, a good death, at home, with pain properly managed, and a death where the patient feels in control rather than a victim, is, for an oncologist (specialist in cancers) a success and not a failure. Furthermore, in terminal illness, it is the only form of success one can hope for, since one cannot hope for a cure.

SFG75 · Posted: Sun Oct 02, 2005 1:26 pm Post subject:

When it comes to euthanasia, I'm of the agreement that other than a second opinion and a written contract-it should be legal for anyone to do. It's amazing to me at times how the practice of medicine can be so antithetical to common sense. My wife's mother had a terminal brain tumor and the hospital staff didn't want to give her a powerful, addictive pain reliever as they were afraid she would becoem addicted. As if that was the real problem in the room and in her life. :roll: To me, the question isn't about life, it's about quality of life. If a person is in great pain or knows they are a goner, why shouldn't they have that right?

The comparison to abortion is more problematic for me. In the case of euthanasia, it is an act a person does to themselves. In abortion, it's done to another being, which is my main problem with it. Turn a gun on yourself, it can be neurosis or greatful relief. Turn it on another, it's murder-apt comparison IMHO.
_________________
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Sitaram · Site Admin Joined: 14 Sep 2005 Posts: 1079

Regarding abortion, I think in this age of sophisticated birth control, people should not have to get into a situation of an unwanted pregnancy, where they consider abortion, but, perhaps there is something I am not seeing in people's circumstances.

SFG75

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