Have you ever gotten really angry.. and thought about leaving the RC Church?

[JimR-OCDS]

Jim, perhaps the words of Christ will help you understand the Church’s teaching on not refusing food and water to the disabled.

Sorry Becky, but I don’t see those Scripture verses supporting keeping a person alive in a permanent vegetated state, where there is no hope of them ever recovering. Those verses have to do with the poor and hungry, not the dying.

Fact is, early in her predicament, Terri Shriavo went through periods where she was near death from complications caused by her state. There were DNR orders in the room, but they pushed the doctors and medical staff, to continue to use extraordinary means to keep her body alive. Had they allowed her to die then, they would not have ended up with Terri in the state she was in when we came to know of her.

There are times, that allowing a person to die, is the more compassionate thing. They stopped artificially feeding Pope John Paul II, because it was the compassionate thing to do.

I worked as a hospice volunteer, and my wife was a hospice nurse. Sometimes family members, through no fault of their own, cause their love one to suffer more than they would have to. They call an ambulance, without having DNR orders, so the EMT’s have to use life saving measure to bring back a person who is dying. The person ends up going through the process of death again, because their loved one’s just wouldn’t let go.

Jim

 

[beckycmarie]

Sorry Becky, but I don’t see those Scripture verses supporting keeping a person alive in a permanent vegetated state, where there is no hope of them ever recovering. Those verses have to do with the poor and hungry, not the dying.

No, those verses have to do with the hungry and thirsty, whether they are dying or not. If we have a family member dying of cancer, we don’t tell them we will no longer feed them because we want to hasten their death. Doing so would increase the dying person’s suffering.

We don’t starve people to death as an act of mercy simply because we think their life is worthless. God wills for these people to live - their suffering has meaning. For us to withhold food and water from them is murder, not mercy.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

beckycmarie;

No, those verses have to do with the hungry and thirsty, whether they are dying or not. If we have a family member dying of cancer, we don’t tell them we will no longer feed them because we want to hasten their death. Doing so would increase the dying person’s suffering.

Actually there comes a point where food should not be given to a person dying from cancer, who is on their death bed. Water, usually from a swabbed dipped in water, is allowed. When people are dying their internal organs begin to shut down, and their bodies will stop processing food. They too feel hunger, but feeding them would cause them extraordinary amounts of suffering.

We don’t starve people to death as an act of mercy simply because we think their life is worthless. God wills for these people to live - their suffering has meaning. For us to withhold food and water from them is murder, not mercy.

I think it depends on the state the person is in.

We would not starve a person, who can take food through the mouth and their body will process it for nourishment.

However, sending a feeding tube down a person’s throat, and sending down processed liquid, merely to maintain their permanent vegetated state, I have a hard time accepting as being compassionate. It certainly isn’t logical, in my mind.

Don’t get me wrong. I understand what the Church teaches on it, and I’m bound to follow it. I just have a hard time accepting this teaching.

Assiad from all this;

If anyone wants to do something as a ministry of service, become a hospice volunteer. You’re local visiting nurses association usually has a hospice team, where they will train you and coordinate your placement.

I only did it for three years, but what I learned about death and dying, was amazing. Death, like birth, is a natural process.
I’ve seen what are described as, beautiful deaths, and I’ve seen horrible deaths. The beautiful deaths, have all been of people who had faith. The horrible deaths have all been people who have no faith.

Jim

 

[beckycmarie]

Actually there comes a point where food should not be given to a person dying from cancer, who is on their death bed. Water, usually from a swabbed dipped in water, is allowed. When people are dying their internal organs begin to shut down, and their bodies will stop processing food. They too feel hunger, but feeding them would cause them extraordinary amounts of suffering.

You are correct. The Church has no problem with limiting nourishment if the person’s organs are shutting down and the food and water are no longer doing what they are supposed to do (and instead are filling the lungs with fluid for example). In that situation the right thing to do is cut back on the liquid, otherwise you will kill them with too much food.