How is euthanasia "dying with dignity"

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MetalMark

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As we all know, euthanasia supporters like to throw that phrase around. But my question is, how is it dignified?

Is just quitting and refusing to keep fighting your disease dignified? No, it’s not.

Is your family saying “pull the plug” on you and letting you die dignified? No, it’s not.

Is the doctors decided you are too inconvenient and letting you die dignified? No, it’s not.

To die with dignity would to be to fight the disease to the end, with love and support from your family, friends, and doctors, until it finally becomes impossible to live with the disease, and you die naturally. Not being killed for the financial convenience of others or your personal convenience.

With these thoughts presented, can any explain why some people would believe euthanasia is “death with dignity”?
 
It is not. At this point this is a political football just as abortion has come to be.

Over the past several weeks I have talked with a cross section of people and I am surprised by many who are confusing the issue. Obama is convincing many that our lives are to be lived for the good of the masses. Read the words and thoughts of one of his closest advisers Dr. Zeke Emanual, Rahm’s brother. It is freightening…chilling to say the least.

We must pray. We must be vocal. May God be with us, because as Our Blessed Mother has told us, she may not be able to hold back the arm of her Son.
 
I have had the privilege to work in heath care for almost ten years. I know people who tell me, “If I end up like that, just pull the plug.” What do they mean?

Senile dementia distorts the perceptions of the person who has it. They may think something is true when it isn’t. They may act on it and end up arrested by the police.

Parkinson’s, along with the trembling, leads to other complications.

Alzheimer’s, where you forget who your loved ones are.

Cancer, which involves pain.

It began with the idea of “quality of life.” Depending on who you talk to, some would rather be dead than endure a certain level of suffering, or the loss of recognition of friends and family. So, depending on the individual, some have decided that once their “quality of life” drops below a certain level, it’s time to go.

Then, in Michigan, a man named Jack Kevorkian decided to help people end their lives through “assisted suicide.” A movie to further the cause starring Al Pacino is coming soon.

A pragmatic look shows that most of the money spent in health care involves the last nine months of someone’s life. Instead of promoting the excellent painkilling drugs and methods available today to alleviate suffering, the culture of death approach is being promoted. It frees up hospital beds and besides, you’ll be dead in a few months anyway.

The Church supports life until natural death. The Church believes in miracles. I asked a hospital chaplain if he had seen miracles and he replied that he had.

Hope this helps,
Ed
 
Exactomundo. Dying at the hands of “Dr.” Kevorkian in the back of a rusted out old van is hardly dignified.

He once called our old (now closed) veterinary clinic in Southfield wanting to come and observe dogs being euthanized. Truly a creepy, evil man who needs our prayers.
 
MetalMark said:
With these thoughts presented, can any explain why some people would believe euthanasia is “death with dignity”?
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I want to preface my answer with saying that I am answering your question, and I do not actually believe that Euthanasia is “death with dignity”…

The notion however is based on the modern, essentially atheistic conception of humans (Though there are theists who hold the position), as totally independent beings. The process of dying often makes us dependent upon others for extended periods of time. Therefore choosing to die allows someone one last chance to assert one’s will.

Further, the dying process often leaves one dependent upon others in a very radical way. This contrasts sharply on the notion that we are independent beings. We don’t want to be dependent on others because it forces us to take look at how we view ourselves. To many, it would be a serious loss of dignity to admit that we have always depended on God and others for what we do and how we live.

–
Bill
 
One thing we should never forget is that alot of people who argue for euthanasia have nothing but the best intentions. They really do mean well. Are they committing evil? In my view, yes, but they may not be aware of it. At first, there seems to be a very moral and compassionate argument for letting terminally ill people who are suffering beyond comapre meet their maker. Like I said in another post, for what it’s worth, I agree 100 % with the church on this one, euthanasia is wrong, wrong, wrong. But let’s just try to remember where the other person is coming from.
 
Rascalking said:
One thing we should never forget is that alot of people who argue for euthanasia have nothing but the best intentions. They really do mean well. Are they committing evil? In my view, yes, but they may not be aware of it. At first, there seems to be a very moral and compassionate argument for letting terminally ill people who are suffering beyond comapre meet their maker. Like I said in another post, for what it’s worth, I agree 100 % with the church on this one, euthanasia is wrong, wrong, wrong. But let’s just try to remember where the other person is coming from.
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First rule of any good discussion both parties must first understand one another’s position. Unfortunately it rarely happens in today’s world.
 
Euthanasia and “dying with dignity” is about choosing the time and place to die. It is correct that part of that is due to not wanting to be a burden to others. Also, it is a way to end possible decline due to illness. Like someone with untreatable cancer, or something like that. They know they’ll die anyway, why postpone it?

This is not to say I agree with it. It’s scary because some sections of society see this as unselfish. It would be selfish to put others through the anguish of watching them die slowly. And it would save us from the pain. It is, perhaps, fear of tomorrow. Who knows what tormorrow will bring? We might as well get the dying over with.
 
Christy_Beth said:
Euthanasia and “dying with dignity” is about choosing the time and place to die. It is correct that part of that is due to not wanting to be a burden to others. Also, it is a way to end possible decline due to illness. Like someone with untreatable cancer, or something like that. They know they’ll die anyway, why postpone it?
This is not to say I agree with it. It’s scary because some sections of society see this as unselfish. It would be selfish to put others through the anguish of watching them die slowly. And it would save us from the pain. It is, perhaps, fear of tomorrow. Who knows what tormorrow will bring? We might as well get the dying over with.
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Unfortunately, Obamacare has an answer for this. 😦
 
Newbie2 said:
Unfortunately, Obamacare has an answer for this. 😦
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Can you quote the page and paragraph from the bill (which is linked to in this thread) that gives an answer to the passage you highlighted please?
 
Page 425 Lines 4-12 - Government mandates Advance Care Planning Consults. Think Senior Citizens end of life.

Page 425 Lines 17-19 - Government will instruct and consult regarding living wills, durable powers of attorney. Mandatory!

Page 425 Lines 22-25, 426 Lines 1-3 - Government provides approved list of end of life resources, guiding you in death.

Page 427 Lines 15-24 - Government mandates program for orders for end of life. The Government has a say in how your life ends.

Page 429 Lines 1-9 - An “Advanced Care Planning Consultant” will be used frequently as patients health deteriorates.

Page 429 Lines 10-12 - “advanced care consultation” may include an ORDER for end of life plans. AN ORDER from Government!

Page 429 Lines 13-25 - The Government will specify which Doctors can write an end of life order.

Page 430 Lines 11-15 - The Government will decide what level of treatment you will have at end of life.

There’s another thread dealing with this legislation; I don’t mean to hijack this one. 🙂
 
Christy_Beth said:
Euthanasia and “dying with dignity” is about choosing the time and place to die. It is correct that part of that is due to not wanting to be a burden to others. Also, it is a way to end possible decline due to illness. Like someone with untreatable cancer, or something like that. They know they’ll die anyway, why postpone it?

This is not to say I agree with it. It’s scary because some sections of society see this as unselfish. It would be selfish to put others through the anguish of watching them die slowly. And it would save us from the pain. It is, perhaps, fear of tomorrow. Who knows what tormorrow will bring? We might as well get the dying over with.
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The time, place and means of our death is God’s choosing. No other. The life belongs to God.
 
Newbie2 said:
Page 425 Lines 4-12 - Government mandates Advance Care Planning Consults. Think Senior Citizens end of life.

Page 425 Lines 17-19 - Government will instruct and consult regarding living wills, durable powers of attorney. Mandatory!

Page 425 Lines 22-25, 426 Lines 1-3 - Government provides approved list of end of life resources, guiding you in death.

Page 427 Lines 15-24 - Government mandates program for orders for end of life. The Government has a say in how your life ends.

Page 429 Lines 1-9 - An “Advanced Care Planning Consultant” will be used frequently as patients health deteriorates.

Page 429 Lines 10-12 - “advanced care consultation” may include an ORDER for end of life plans. AN ORDER from Government!

Page 429 Lines 13-25 - The Government will specify which Doctors can write an end of life order.

Page 430 Lines 11-15 - The Government will decide what level of treatment you will have at end of life.

There’s another thread dealing with this legislation; I don’t mean to hijack this one. 🙂
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I think you should look up living wills and end of life orders. I think that you are misunderstanding what those terms, legally speaking, mean.
 
Understood. It seemed a little unclear with the questions posed within the statement.
 
MetalMark said:
With these thoughts presented, can any explain why some people would believe euthanasia is “death with dignity”?
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Most folks are confused about these things because, in my opinion, our smaller families allow our exposure to death and dying to be minimized.

In my own situation, I was old enough to be a grandfather before I ever lost one single person who I was close to. Up to that point I assumed I knew it all about these issues.

Thank God that we have a Church who has thought these matters through and teach us. The teachings of the CCC are just beautiful:

usccb.org/catechism/text/pt3sect2chpt2art5.shtml
 
Drawmack said:
I think you should look up living wills and end of life orders. I think that you are misunderstanding what those terms, legally speaking, mean.
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I’m quite familiar with living wills and advanced directives. What is being proposed is new. Please don’t be naive. “Advanced care consultation” means “let’s hasten death to save money”. They don’t have the political support to use language like “active euthanasia”, but make no mistake, there are those who are behind this legislation who would off you and me in a second if we were infirmed and not useful to society i.e. couldn’t work and pay taxes.

That’s the way it’s being ushered in; start with Grandma or Grandpa who are “old” and have “lived a good life”…let’s just give them a little help, you know, ease their suffering. After all, what kind of life is it to just sit around in a wheelchair all day long, eh? The most expensive days of your life are the day you’re born and the day you die. Just think of the savings in not having to keep thousands and eventually millions of people alive for that last week of their life. They’re going to die anyway, eh?

Same thing with “defective” babies. They’re going to die anyway. Spina bifida, the list goes on and on. Why spend all that money…oops, I mean why let them suffer through a few weeks or months of life. We can help them out. Hey, if we can detect these horrible diseases through amniocentesis, why should these children even be allowed to be born?

Giving the Federal Government the authority to decide how we live or die is a very bad idea. Their idea of dying with dignity is more like Assisted Suicide Jack than what God has in mind, methinks.
 
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