I don't think anyone was really saying that lines should be
drawn based on whether someone requires artificial support to stay
alive, right?
I think they should be drawn based on whether someone is in
fact really 'alive' to begin with. If you require all the artificial
support in the world, but are conscious, and able to live and carry on an
existence, I don't think many people would say that this support should be
withdrawn - probably only the same crazy (imho) people who say we shouldn't take
any medicine whatsoever.
But a lot of people would say that if you're brain
dead with no hope of recovery, you're not really alive, and there's no reason to
keep an unconscious body alive artificially, you should let nature or god take
it's course at that point.
If none of us ever got any artificial life support, most of
us would be dead. I would have bled to death as a child rather than gotten
simple stitches. or died of an infection or allergy rather than taken
widely available medicine.
i don't think the debate is about whether you require
artificial support to live, it's about whether, after receiving that artificial
support, you can actually be considered to be living.
From: Jim Lubin [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Monday, March 28, 2005 2:57 PM
To: Lori Michaelson; Quad
Subject: Re: [QUAD-L] Playing God
You consider giving nutrition through a feeding tube to someone who is breathing on their own "Playing God".
You think a person on artificial life support (such as myself depending on a ventilator to breathe) should be taken off so the situation whether that person lives or dies is in God's hands.
You do not think that creating human embryos and In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) is "Playing God"
At 10:30 AM 3/28/2005, Lori Michaelson wrote:
Seems like everyone wants to play God in Terri's situation. And play God here on the list by stating what and why and where and when
Terri should live (or not live).
By taking her off artificial life support ... the situation now truly IS in God's hands. If she's meant to stay ... she'll come around and survive to tell about it. If she's meant to go ... God will take her when it's time.
It's an argument by using the Gods of science to keep her living or the God of religion to do as he/she/it sees fit or just plain fate. The latter we've all discussed before with our own injuries.
Terri is being a puppet and the puppet masters are pulling the strings (playing God).
I'm not a God but, if there be one, it's in his hands according to your reply :-)
Lori
-------Original Message-------
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
I'm a parent and once a parent always a parent. I would want to live as long
as God allowed and not a jif longer.
Hope that answered your question. If not, I'll make up one.... next time.
W
