Brittany Maynard's Death

[CHRISTINE77]

This is pure speculation, but I imagine it is possible that she simply stated that she was considering postponing things to reduce the amount of scrutiny she was under by the media. As the day approached, I can only imagine she was getting more and more phone calls when what she would have wanted to do is spend her final moments in private with her family. Saying that she was going to push it back would have given her more space on the actual day.

Or maybe she just changed her mind again.

Well, I guess we can all speculate!

 

[chero23]

I saw on Spanish news that the Vatican condemned her action. Ill try to find an English news source.

 

[chero23]

^^^^^^^^^^

catholicnews.com/data/briefs/cns/20141103.htm#head5

 

[glendab]

Hello Christine.

Supposing someone profits from her death - insurance policy? Well, maybe I’m wrong, but it sure would make a good story!

Anyway euthanasia is completely wrong. Doctors are supposed to save lives, not take them!

Actually you bring up a good point - life insurance and the death benefit. Suicide doesn’t pay in insurance land, but if they legalize assisted suicide for terminal illness, then I suppose the insurance companies will have to start paying. They’ll have new lines to draw their picture in I suppose. But insurance companies tend to want to hang on to their money. If the law says that assisted suicide in the case of terminal illness is an acceptable death, then depending upon how the actual laws are worded the insurance companies could be made to fork over the money. Interesting. Morbid but interesting.

Glenda

 

[Seraphim73]

None of us can judge Brittany. She has a Savior who loves her and all we can do for her is pray. But we do have to say this is not what God would have us do and we have to stand up for that no matter how much opposition we face. God’s power is revealed in the Cross and Christ crucified is the great victory. Our death and suffering can be a victory too if we unite it to Him. It doesn’t have to be meaningless and we must always proclaim that.

 

[tskrobacz]

I suspect just one more blasphemy against the sacraments. In this case, Euthanasia is a blasphemy against the Anointing of The Sick which strengthens us in sickness and prepares us to meet death with confidence. Its sacramental grace comforts us in our our sufferings, by supporting us in any final temptations that may assail us, enables us to face eternity unafraid.

Similarly, abortion is a blasphemy against the Eucharist. In the Eucharist, Jesus says this is my body…in abortion, the woman says, “No, this is my body and so is that of my unborn child”…the devil is diabolical in his attack on each of our fountains of grace.

Correction…Euthanasia is also a blasphemy against the Eucharist. Like abortion, the person is saying “No, this is my body”…

 

[edwest2]

The Vatican has responded:

ncregister.com/daily-news/P16

Peace,
Ed

 

[vz71]

She had a terminal illness.

All of us are terminal.

Before each of us dies, I am certain there will be terrible pain and suffering.

There is dignity and grace to holding on to the precious gift of life as long as God allows it.

 

[elsker]

This may sound odd but bear with me…

I have been depressed since Mrs. Maynard’s death. Not just sad or disappointed but deeply depressed. I was hoping and praying that some miracle of grace would touch the hearts of those involved and that she would change her mind and that God would by his own hand take her swiftly and gently and that there would be no gratification for the DWD advocates who were using her as a lobbiest for their cause. When I read the headline that she had taken her own life, I felt such a wave of grief sweep over me and it has not lifted.

I was not putting God to the test. He gives us all the gift of free will and an intellect that is capable of using our free will as we see fit. What crushed me was how obstinate a person can be when they are set on an idea or acting out of fear of the unknown or feel that they should not surrender not one ounce of themselves to anything outside of themselves. What hurt more still was no amount of love, understanding or reasoning was able to penetrate the hearts of any of the involved persons. I wasn’t putting Father God to the test, I was putting that flickering spark of love that might have still been burning in the soul to the test. I realized that in this case the only love that burned was love of self, fear of surrendering to a power that we are not in control of but that formed us in love so that we might find salvation, and contempt of suffering as if to say : “I am too perfect and too special to suffer and suffering is ugly and deplorable and I refuse to endure it!”

To even think such a thing and to take such steps avoid it to the point of suicide is to say: “A God (if he exist at all) will think I am above suffering and will spare me from pain by giving me a miracle cure so I can continue to believe that I am special and perfect. If I don’t get what I demand then there is no God and if there is then HE will never get my love or my soul and if I can cause HIM pain by destroying my own life than he deserves it because HE let me down.”

I know my assessment either sounds harsh, exaggerated or even funny but it is what I’ve come away with from watching this media circus that surrounded this event and hearing from her own mouth the amount of self pity and self worship that this short life was in bondage to. I, like all of us here, have known and will know trials, suffering, loss and grief. I have accepted that as my lot in life since I was old enough to grasp the concepts of God, Salvation, suffering and redemption. I grieve for this young woman because she could have been anyone’s daughter-yours, mine.

I have been thinking of her mother who had to or rather chose to witness and play a part in this horrible act. Just like the fairytale wedding that we all saw pictures of, this woman also crafted a fairytale death that her mother and husband also had to play a part in. My question is: How can anyone claim to love others while propping them up like play things to take part in not only their dreams but their horrifying nightmares? This will haunt the witnesses there for the rest of their lives, whether they want to ever admit it or not. Then there is the issue of material cooperation, if that be the case then is it more than one person’s salvation in jeopardy? Is anything worth losing eternity? The whims of a child even one of my own dear children is not worth theirs or my own salvation.

My daughter said to me: You’re upset because you see her death as God’s loss while other people just see it as a choice." I would also add, I feel contrition that isn’t mine to feel and therefore I cannot ask for God’s absolution of her sin and because of this I feel that I and the entire body of Christ have lost someone and suffered a wound that might never be healed.

Blessings Elsker, Mary

 

[Sarcelle]

This may sound odd but bear with me…

I have been depressed since Mrs. Maynard’s death. Not just sad or disappointed but deeply depressed. I was hoping and praying that some miracle of grace would touch the hearts of those involved and that she would change her mind and that God would by his own hand take her swiftly and gently and that there would be no gratification for the DWD advocates who were using her as a lobbiest for their cause. When I read the headline that she had taken her own life, I felt such a wave of grief sweep over me and it has not lifted.

I was not putting God to the test. He gives us all the gift of free will and an intellect that is capable of using our free will as we see fit. What crushed me was how obstinate a person can be when they are set on an idea or acting out of fear of the unknown or feel that they should not surrender not one ounce of themselves to anything outside of themselves. What hurt more still was no amount of love, understanding or reasoning was able to penetrate the hearts of any of the involved persons. I wasn’t putting Father God to the test, I was putting that flickering spark of love that might have still been burning in the soul to the test. I realized that in this case the only love that burned was love of self, fear of surrendering to a power that we are not in control of but that formed us in love so that we might find salvation, and contempt of suffering as if to say : “I am too perfect and too special to suffer and suffering is ugly and deplorable and I refuse to endure it!”

To even think such a thing and to take such steps avoid it to the point of suicide is to say: “A God (if he exist at all) will think I am above suffering and will spare me from pain by giving me a miracle cure so I can continue to believe that I am special and perfect. If I don’t get what I demand then there is no God and if there is then HE will never get my love or my soul and if I can cause HIM pain by destroying my own life than he deserves it because HE let me down.”

I know my assessment either sounds harsh, exaggerated or even funny but it is what I’ve come away with from watching this media circus that surrounded this event and hearing from her own mouth the amount of self pity and self worship that this short life was in bondage to. I, like all of us here, have known and will know trials, suffering, loss and grief. I have accepted that as my lot in life since I was old enough to grasp the concepts of God, Salvation, suffering and redemption. I grieve for this young woman because she could have been anyone’s daughter-yours, mine.

I have been thinking of her mother who had to or rather chose to witness and play a part in this horrible act. Just like the fairytale wedding that we all saw pictures of, this woman also crafted a fairytale death that her mother and husband also had to play a part in. My question is: How can anyone claim to love others while propping them up like play things to take part in not only their dreams but their horrifying nightmares? This will haunt the witnesses there for the rest of their lives, whether they want to ever admit it or not. Then there is the issue of material cooperation, if that be the case then is it more than one person’s salvation in jeopardy? Is anything worth losing eternity? The whims of a child even one of my own dear children is not worth theirs or my own salvation.

My daughter said to me: You’re upset because you see her death as God’s loss while other people just see it as a choice." I would also add, I feel contrition that isn’t mine to feel and therefore I cannot ask for God’s absolution of her sin and because of this I feel that I and the entire body of Christ have lost someone and suffered a wound that might never be healed.

Blessings Elsker, Mary

We who see her death as God’s loss will also be upset. I am with you on this.

All we can do right now is to entrust her and all others who died at their own hand to God’s mercy.

 

[elsker]

Sarcelle, thank you.

Well said though I must remind myself and the rest of us of one thing in regards to the Father’s mercy:
His mercy is absolute but is not given if we ourselves through our own deeds and disposition concerning our attitude towards God, salvation, repentance and forgiveness of sin cuts ourselves off from Him. If a person commits suicide and even as they are dying asks for God’s mercy recognizing the mortal sin that they’ve committed, it is believed that HE will forgive our offense and we will be saved even if our death was by our own hand. That is how great a father we have that even if we commit the greatest of evils we need only recognize His love for us for an instant to be saved.

However, if we commit evil out of spite, malice, self hatred or hatred of God and even as we are dying we persist in our defiance of HIM, we have willingly severed our relationship with HIM. HE still loves us to our last breath but if we persist in turning our backs to HIM and cutting HIM off and out of our hearts and minds, sad to say, it is futile for you or me to hope that a person who has gone to their suicide obstinate, unrepentant and unwilling to relinquish their own will to the Fathers hand could possibly be saved just because the reality of damnation is too terrible to imagine.

I hope and pray that the tumor left her insane and that she was pardoned because she was out of her mind.
I also hope and pray that in that last second someone told her to reach out to Jesus-and that she did.
But, if none of those things was true then we are warned of what the alternative is.

The souls lost to Hell may very well have regretted their choice to turn away from salvation but they won’t be saved. God will not undo our decision if we find that we’ve chosen to use our free will to turn against Him.

Unless we sinners have the contrition of the Good Thief, we may not be with Jesus in paradise on our last day.

Blessings, Elsker, Mary

 

[anibal]

Murder, including of oneself, is never a solution, even for an atheist.

This 29 year old woman has committed suicide. Oregon law allows terminally ill people to commit suicide and over 100 people in Oregon have done so since the law was allowed. This woman’s case is getting international attention (Spain TV and Radio is covering this) because she televised her intent.

But I want to raise something though I know that it will offend. I have had 2 dogs and both were euthanized after they became terminally ill. I had the first dog for over 12 years (1985 to 1997) when I was in high school (15 years old) to adulthood (27). The 2nd dog I had was euthanized in 2005 and I had that dog from 1999 to 2005 though it was my parents dog as I moved out in 1999. Some have said that animals don’t have souls, but since God created animals, my guess would be that the 2 dogs went to heaven.

Most Christians have said that they do not oppose mercifully killing an animal who is terminally ill or in pain. Yet mercy killing of people who are terminally ill is regarded as sin. Christians have debated whether mercy killing in a war such as U.S. Marines shooting and killing Japanese women and children in Okinawa as the Japanese women and children jumping off of cliffs is sinful though most Christians say it is sinful. God is said to be the 1 who creates life and only God can take life. God again created animals and most Christians don’t think it’s sinful to take a terminally ill pet dog or cat to the Vet to be euthanized. Yet it’s sinful for this 29 year old terminally ill woman to commit suicide. Yes, people are made in God’s images though again, it must be said that God created animals. Some Christians have said that if an animal dies, it just dies and does not go anywhere else as it’s believed the snake in Eden’s Garden (believed to be Lucifer in animal form) just died and went nowhere upon death.

 

[anibal]

Correction…Euthanasia is also a blasphemy against the Eucharist. Like abortion, the person is saying “No, this is my body”…

what about mercy killing in a war? In Iwo Jima during the 2nd World War, a U.S. Marine talked of how he saw Japanese women and children committing suicide by jumping off of cliffs. Sometimes the women and children did not immediately die when they hit the rocks below. The U.S. Marine talked of how he shot and killed Japanese women and children as they were leaping from the cliffs so that they would be dead when they hit the rocks rather than not die and move around.

War is hell, so how would Christians judge this U.S. Marine’s actions. The Japanese women were killing their children in addition to suicides in Iwo Jima. Also what about mercy killing a soldier in a war. Let’s say a soldier is wounded by gunfire, lost their hand or limbs in an explosion and is screaming in pain. If you do nothing, then the soldier’s screams can alert enemies of your position. Is it then acceptable for another soldier to mercifully kill the screaming wounded soldier so that his screams won’t alert the enemy of position?

 

[LoganBice]

This 29 year old woman has committed suicide. Oregon law allows terminally ill people to commit suicide and over 100 people in Oregon have done so since the law was allowed. This woman’s case is getting international attention (Spain TV and Radio is covering this) because she televised her intent.

But I want to raise something though I know that it will offend. I have had 2 dogs and both were euthanized after they became terminally ill. I had the first dog for over 12 years (1985 to 1997) when I was in high school (15 years old) to adulthood (27). The 2nd dog I had was euthanized in 2005 and I had that dog from 1999 to 2005 though it was my parents dog as I moved out in 1999. Some have said that animals don’t have souls, but since God created animals, my guess would be that the 2 dogs went to heaven.

Most Christians have said that they do not oppose mercifully killing an animal who is terminally ill or in pain. Yet mercy killing of people who are terminally ill is regarded as sin. Christians have debated whether mercy killing in a war such as U.S. Marines shooting and killing Japanese women and children in Okinawa as the Japanese women and children jumping off of cliffs is sinful though most Christians say it is sinful. God is said to be the 1 who creates life and only God can take life. God again created animals and most Christians don’t think it’s sinful to take a terminally ill pet dog or cat to the Vet to be euthanized. Yet it’s sinful for this 29 year old terminally ill woman to commit suicide. Yes, people are made in God’s images though again, it must be said that God created animals. Some Christians have said that if an animal dies, it just dies and does not go anywhere else as it’s believed the snake in Eden’s Garden (believed to be Lucifer in animal form) just died and went nowhere upon death.

Animals are sentient but do not have sapience. Sapience is the ability to reason and use logic. Animals are instinctual creatures completely enslaved to their passions and instinct. They have what is called a material soul but do not have a eternal soul. God created animals for us and we are the stewards of this world. When people suffer they may offer there suffering up while animals just suffer with no thought process at all.
Animals do not go anywhere when they die . The snake in the garden isn’t nessecarily a literal talking snake but a representation of the temptation by satan to Eve. A snake is a dangerous and sneaky animal so it is fitting to use it as a metaphoric tool to portray satan. But furthermore even if it was a literal snake it was satan not just some random animal. Also what would a dog do in heaven? The notion of heaven isn’t even suitable for animals. But this is not to say animals won’t be recreated by God on the new earth. Also the difference of euthanisa for animals opposed to humans is that people can go to hell. Animals cannot. So ending that suffering here on earth be nothing compared to the suffering that could potentially be cast into.

 

[LoganBice]

what about mercy killing in a war? In Iwo Jima during the 2nd World War, a U.S. Marine talked of how he saw Japanese women and children committing suicide by jumping off of cliffs. Sometimes the women and children did not immediately die when they hit the rocks below. The U.S. Marine talked of how he shot and killed Japanese women and children as they were leaping from the cliffs so that they would be dead when they hit the rocks rather than not die and move around.

War is hell, so how would Christians judge this U.S. Marine’s actions. The Japanese women were killing their children in addition to suicides in Iwo Jima. Also what about mercy killing a soldier in a war. Let’s say a soldier is wounded by gunfire, lost their hand or limbs in an explosion and is screaming in pain. If you do nothing, then the soldier’s screams can alert enemies of your position. Is it then acceptable for another soldier to mercifully kill the screaming wounded soldier so that his screams won’t alert the enemy of position?

If a soilder is screaming in pain from being recently shot and blown apart then obviously the enemy already knows there position… It is also acceptable (if he is going to die any way) to give him large amounts of morphine to ease the pain.

Also just because war is hell dosnt negate the universals morality in place.

 

[tskrobacz]

what about mercy killing in a war? In Iwo Jima during the 2nd World War, a U.S. Marine talked of how he saw Japanese women and children committing suicide by jumping off of cliffs. Sometimes the women and children did not immediately die when they hit the rocks below. The U.S. Marine talked of how he shot and killed Japanese women and children as they were leaping from the cliffs so that they would be dead when they hit the rocks rather than not die and move around.

War is hell, so how would Christians judge this U.S. Marine’s actions. The Japanese women were killing their children in addition to suicides in Iwo Jima. Also what about mercy killing a soldier in a war. Let’s say a soldier is wounded by gunfire, lost their hand or limbs in an explosion and is screaming in pain. If you do nothing, then the soldier’s screams can alert enemies of your position. Is it then acceptable for another soldier to mercifully kill the screaming wounded soldier so that his screams won’t alert the enemy of position?

The Church does not recognize “mercy killing” as a justification for murder. Your body does not belong to you…it is not ours to decide who lives and who dies.

 

[Sarcelle]

Sarcelle, thank you.

Well said though I must remind myself and the rest of us of one thing in regards to the Father’s mercy:
His mercy is absolute but is not given if we ourselves through our own deeds and disposition concerning our attitude towards God, salvation, repentance and forgiveness of sin cuts ourselves off from Him. If a person commits suicide and even as they are dying asks for God’s mercy recognizing the mortal sin that they’ve committed, it is believed that HE will forgive our offense and we will be saved even if our death was by our own hand. That is how great a father we have that even if we commit the greatest of evils we need only recognize His love for us for an instant to be saved.

However, if we commit evil out of spite, malice, self hatred or hatred of God and even as we are dying we persist in our defiance of HIM, we have willingly severed our relationship with HIM. HE still loves us to our last breath but if we persist in turning our backs to HIM and cutting HIM off and out of our hearts and minds, sad to say, it is futile for you or me to hope that a person who has gone to their suicide obstinate, unrepentant and unwilling to relinquish their own will to the Fathers hand could possibly be saved just because the reality of damnation is too terrible to imagine.

I hope and pray that the tumor left her insane and that she was pardoned because she was out of her mind.
I also hope and pray that in that last second someone told her to reach out to Jesus-and that she did.
But, if none of those things was true then we are warned of what the alternative is.

The souls lost to Hell may very well have regretted their choice to turn away from salvation but they won’t be saved. God will not undo our decision if we find that we’ve chosen to use our free will to turn against Him.

Unless we sinners have the contrition of the Good Thief, we may not be with Jesus in paradise on our last day.

Blessings, Elsker, Mary

Yes, if we turn our back on God’s mercy there is nothing He can do but respect our choice.

I remember reading in St. Faustina’s diary about Jesus telling her on the bitter grief Jesus feels on a soul’s rejection of His mercy.

 

[elsker]

I’m afraid that as other events take center stage we will ignore this discussion. It is not a pleasant one, I know but nowadays people sidestep or try to play down the urgency of threats that are facing people in the world.

This incident almost seemed to be tailor made propaganda. A pretty young girl (someone the masses would have pity for-she was telegenic and had a certain appeal, like someone you’d see on a tv show or commercial). If an elderly dementia patient or a person who was impoverished would have been the face of this Right To Death campaign no one would have batted an eye or wasted time debating this issue in the court of public opinion. But now that we do have this unfortunate event at the front of our minds we need to do whatever we can to ensure that the evil that Oregonians have been so quick to embrace does not spread openly to other places in America.

I know Abortion is the pet issue of the church but its time we started expanding our efforts and focus on all forms of extermination of human beings, regardless of the stage of life. The people contemplating these acts are hidden, in private homes or nursing facilities. You will not see them walking into clinics where they can be engaged more easily. As soon as this dies down these people who are either choosing suicide or are being coerced by spouses, children to take the premature way out will be lost from our view unless we take what we’ve seen and run with it. We can contact our elected officials, we can align our efforts with other religious or non religious organizations who share our view on this. We can also become more aware of those around us who are ill and might be losing hope or feeling pressure to make a decision to not seek treatment or pallative care in order that their death be hastened.

I’m not trying to anger anyone or belabour my point but I am afraid that we will slip back into caring about what we are accustomed and conditioned to instead of becoming more alert, aware and attune to the new threats to salvation that are being introduced to the world by way of legislature and the pervasive moral decline. The more people who turn away from God, the more people who will set their sights on turning others away from God as well.
Blessings Elsker, Mary

 

[John_Matrix]

Et Cetera:

Quote:

Originally Posted by CHRISTINE77

Just a few days ago she was going to postpone this. She was feeling better.

bbc.com/news/blogs-echochambers-29843929

I wonder if someone goaded her or forced to commit suicide???

Are you trying to stir up drama with this?

Please.

The woman drew national attention to her “laudable” decision to kill herself.

No amount of posts on a message board could create even an iota of the drama she already causes.

Posted from Catholic.com App for Android

 

[elsker]

Please.

The woman drew national attention to her “laudable” decision to kill herself.

No amount of posts on a message board could create even an iota of the drama she already causes.

Posted from Catholic.com App for Android

We’ll if she became the darling of the DWD movement they very well couldn’t have her backing out. She had “promised” the world they would get a suicide on a certain date and I don’t think these DWD associations would have wanted egg on their face if she decided to back away from their philosophy. So I’m sure for every kind word or positive witness she received the DWD movement probably made sure to keep the pressure up so that she would be focused on the end game.

I’ve been thinking about cults and what it must have been like in the Jim Jones cult and Heaven’s Gate cult. How many of those members maybe had second thoughts and maybe wanted to get away but were set back in line. Makes me sad to think that there are people who are doing things not out of free will or choice but because they are coerced, guilted, nagged, incentivised or threatened or confused until they hold up their end of the bargain.

On a side note-The poor ladies who are being mutilated and murdered in India by the government at these horrific sterilization ghettos. Ladies undergoing horrific, unsanitary procedures then being dumped unconscious in a field to die or they would be stuffed into vans to go home to die, leaving young children behind all for the chance to win cookware or cars. It was the actions of a cruel government that thinks it better to kill young mothers instead of do better for their population by way of creating more jobs, educational opportunities, teaching families to delay marriage until there are resources to properly raise children. Instead taking away the gift of fertility by coercing poor women through cash and making them covet material possessions is the way solve over population in the region instead of making the society better as a whole instead of just smaller in number.

I know I’ve gone on and on but this has touched me deeply and I can see parallels in the various ways society shows its contempt for life and its need to direct the actions of others. And the more comfortable and immune we get to atheistic sensibilities the less horrifying and the more normal these types of things will become. The world will become a world of logic not love and ones value will be based on whether he is a burden or an asset instead of a human being made in the likeness and image of God who is mafe for and is entitled to life and love.

Blessings Elsker, Mary