pro life?

[Reid]

The Terri Schivo case brought a lot of attention to the pro life argumentand debates with all of us. I realized that I nor anyone else would ever want to be put in that situation.

But after lots of prayer and deep thinking I do have a few questions.

Today we have the technology to keep us living, whether by a breathing tube, or a feeding tube and many other ways we can keep people alive. The question on whether or not to pull the plug or the tube or any other means to volunteer to end ones life, to me is not the question we must ask. But have we in our current modern technology already gone to far? If the Terri situation happened prior to todays technology she would have died, so have we gone too far in allowing techology and doctors to keep us a live? And if we have where did we need to draw the line?

We are told that we cannot use birth control and condoms because it prevents life, do other modern techonlogy and just common since in the same respect prevent God’s plan for our death?

I hope and pray that the Catholic Church can come out and speak ex cathedra on this subject, when can we keep one of our loved ones a live by our current and future technology wonders, and when must we let go and allow God produce his miracle through death by giving us all I hope eternal life.

Can Pro Life go to far?

Something to think about, pray about and talk about, I look forward to reading the various comments

 

[UnworthySoul]

It’s my understanding that our Catholic beliefs allow for us to decide not to go to extraordinary means to sustain our lives. A feeding tube is not considered “extraordinary” so if that is all that’s needed to keep us alive, we should use it. I might be wrong but I think that’s correct.

 

[LSK]

That is how I understand it also…feeding tubes are not ‘extraordinary’.

My problem is that I am really ignorant of what would be considered extraordinary. Are there any Catholic physicians out there in the forum that might provide some guidance?

 

[MonicaC]

The Church Does have this defined. I found this artical. I hope this helps:

Pope John Paul II (bio - news)'s 1995 encyclical Evangelium Vitae (doc) when trying to define extraordinary means. “The Pope uses two sets of terms. For treatment to be considered extraordinary, death must be ‘imminent and inevitable’ and the treatment would result in ‘precarious and burdensome prolongation of life.’” An example might be a cancer victim who, after several rounds of treatment, has found chemotherapy to be ineffective and foregoes the treatment in order to avoid its side effects.

Just like the previous post have said Food and water are nor extraordinary means. As stated here:

“food and water should always be seen as basic care,” a teaching made abundantly clear in an address by Pope John Paul II in March, 2004, he said.

I got this from
cwnews.com/news/viewstory.cfm?recnum=36179