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Terry Pratchett begins formal process to end his life
Blastr ^ | June 13, 2011 | Carol Pinchefsky

Posted on 06/15/2011 6:58:15 AM PDT by Abin Sur

Three and a half years ago, Terry Pratchett, the beloved author of the Discworld series, announced that he has early-onset Alzheimer's disease. Now he's made an even more startling announcement.

Pratchett, who has campaigned in his native United Kingdom for the right of assisted suicide, has begun the formal process of assisted suicide in Switzerland, one of the few countries in the world to legalize euthanasia. Specifically, this would take place at Dignitas, a clinic that provides qualified doctors and nurses to assist with the patients' suicides.

Dignitas has sent Pratchett the paperwork he needs to sign to begin the assisted suicide process—but he has yet to sign it.

(Excerpt) Read more at blastr.com ...


TOPICS: Health/Medicine; Society
KEYWORDS: assistedsuicide; discworld; euthanasia; homicide; moralabsolutes; napl; pratchett; prolife; pterry; pterrydont; sad; terrypratchett; tragic; zot
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To: wagglebee

You know that and I know that.
But the ‘right to die’ types have decided to deny that there is anything else out there or above us.
In their view, man is all there is.
A very ‘humanist’ idea that went hand in hand with the eugenics philosophy.


101 posted on 06/16/2011 7:00:27 AM PDT by Darksheare (You will never defeat Bok Choy!)
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To: Abin Sur; wagglebee; narses
I presume you used reason rather than force with your Airmen. I don't have the slightest problem with that.

Those who I took in for an intervention were politely informed that if they did not go willingly, they would be informed of their rights and escorted in with minimal force necessary.

So, should I have let them off themselves? After all, it was their right to choose.

102 posted on 06/16/2011 7:04:48 AM PDT by Grizzled Bear ("Does not play well with others.")
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To: rollo tomasi; Abin Sur
Look at the "Balls of Steel" Hunter S. Thompson displayed.

Didn't Thompson blow his brains out with his wife and daughter in the next room?

I think he also began taking alcohol through an enema because he could no longer drink it due to self destructive living. Sounds like the perfect "spokesman" for the "Die with Dignity" crowd.

103 posted on 06/16/2011 7:11:33 AM PDT by Grizzled Bear ("Does not play well with others.")
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To: wagglebee
Watching someone being tortured to death is helpful?

I've got to say that this post just told me everything I need to know about you.

I'm not a Christian, and the movie is about watching a man be tortured to death. I understand that Christians find this inspirational because it's Jesus Christ (whom they believe to be God incarnate) taking the sins of mankind upon himself, but please understand that to someone who doesn't believe that it just appears grotesque.

Are you aware that Free Republic is a PRO-LIFE forum?

It's also pro-God, but I haven't had any problem posting about being an atheist. I would describe myself as conservative in most areas, but leaning Libertarian on some issues. Does that disqualify me from posting on this board?

104 posted on 06/16/2011 7:26:41 AM PDT by Abin Sur
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To: mlizzy
Not just someone, but Jesus Christ. The movie allows one to see how much He suffered for us, so that we don't walk out on Him (suicide) when He allows us to suffer for His sake (and for our own souls).

Please understand that to a non-Christian the fact that it's Jesus Christ being tortured isn't particularly relevant.

105 posted on 06/16/2011 7:29:09 AM PDT by Abin Sur
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To: wagglebee
Really? Nobody is initiating anything?

If this is the case why is he going to Dignitas?

As I've said, no one is initiating force against an unwilling party.

Why has Dignitas been under criminal investigation by the Swiss authorities?

I haven't the faintest idea. The first time I'd heard of them was in the context of this article.

106 posted on 06/16/2011 7:32:46 AM PDT by Abin Sur
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To: wagglebee

more trolls I see......


107 posted on 06/16/2011 7:34:16 AM PDT by surroundedbyblue (Live the message of Fatima - pray & do penance!)
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To: Abin Sur

Euthanizing humans isn’t as dignified as you would have us believe.
The Germans did that sort of thing in the 40’s.
And some of the same buzwords were bandied about.
And it is a mere short shuffle from ‘right to die’ to ‘duty to die, you have no choice’.


108 posted on 06/16/2011 7:35:10 AM PDT by Darksheare (You will never defeat Bok Choy!)
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To: DJ MacWoW
If you think disease is horrible just wait until these people get a load of hell.

I don't see the relevance of the supernatural in the discussion, but then, I don't believe in the supernatural...so there you go.

109 posted on 06/16/2011 7:36:26 AM PDT by Abin Sur
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To: Abin Sur; DJ MacWoW

Okay, we’ll play it this way: when ‘right to die’ becomes ‘duty to die’ will you willingly allow yourself to be a sacrifice at the governments convenience?
You don’t ‘believe’ in the ‘supernatural’ yet you are on FR which is a CONSERVATIVE website that is Pro-God.
The Founders stated that our rights come not from man but from God.
Deny God, we then have no native natural rights.
And then, thus, your life and your achievments then mean nothing.
So you might as well die and dcrease the surplus population, eh?


110 posted on 06/16/2011 7:40:28 AM PDT by Darksheare (You will never defeat Bok Choy!)
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To: Abin Sur

You’re in for a rude and painful surprise. Remember that you bet your soul on it.


111 posted on 06/16/2011 7:41:59 AM PDT by DJ MacWoW (America! The wolves are at your door! How will you answer the knock?)
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To: rollo tomasi
Why does Pratchett go through Dignitas? There are many ways to kill yourself in the privacy of your own home. Plus, the kicker is that the deed is a lot less expensive then Dignitas.

I don't think money is an issue for Mr. Pratchett, given that he's one of the most popular writers in the United Kingdom over the last 30 years. That having been said, I agree with your overall point. Someone earlier on this thread said that one could simply jump off a high building, but that leaves a mess for people to clean up.

Why not simply find the most remote wilderness spot available, locate a suitably high cliff, and jump? Scavengers will take care of the mess.

112 posted on 06/16/2011 7:42:19 AM PDT by Abin Sur
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To: Abin Sur; wagglebee; Darksheare
It's also pro-God, but I haven't had any problem posting about being an atheist. I would describe myself as conservative in most areas, but leaning Libertarian on some issues. Does that disqualify me from posting on this board?

Don't worry. Nobody is gonna go Jihad on your butt.

Consider this, if someone truly believes in Jesus, Salvation, Heaven and Hell, the most evil thing they could do is to resist sharing the Gospel with you. Think about it. How much would they have to hate you in order to not warn you?

113 posted on 06/16/2011 7:42:31 AM PDT by Grizzled Bear ("Does not play well with others.")
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To: Darksheare
And it is a mere short shuffle from ‘right to die’ to ‘duty to die, you have no choice’.

Bump.

114 posted on 06/16/2011 7:44:07 AM PDT by dfwgator
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To: Ransomed; kaylar
I'll check out the "Dying Earth" series, it sounds great!

Here's a bit of trivia about it (I just looked at the article about it on Wikipedia): the magic system used in Dungeons & Dragons (and some other elements of the game) is based on the Dying Earth! Since I played D&D a lot 30 years ago, and still play other roleplaying games, it may seem strangely familiar.

115 posted on 06/16/2011 7:47:57 AM PDT by Abin Sur
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To: wagglebee; DJ MacWoW; Darksheare; Abin Sur; Revolting cat!; Dr. Brian Kopp; little jeremiah; All
Dignity goes to the core of a person's character and a person with dignity will understand that the sick and dying often don't appear DIGNIFIED, but this doesn't matter because dignity has nothing to do with appearance.

Of one follows the culture of death's mantra Adolf Hitler, who chose the exact time and place of death while dressed in his finest uniform, somehow "died with dignity." In contrast, Jesus Christ, stripped, bloodied, beaten, mocked and nailed to the Cross, did not die with dignity. That's the ONLY POSSIBLE CONCLUSION a person could reach from the culture of death's philosophy. However, the truth is that Hitler didn't have a shred of dignity, while Jesus Christ had more dignity than any of us can even imagine.

**********************************

Excellent post.

116 posted on 06/16/2011 7:50:22 AM PDT by trisham (Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
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To: Grizzled Bear
So, should I have let them off themselves? After all, it was their right to choose.

As I pointed out earlier, by voluntarily joining the military they entered into a contract in which they gave up some rights. Given that, your actions were just fine.

Had they been civilians, it would be different, of course.

117 posted on 06/16/2011 7:51:10 AM PDT by Abin Sur
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To: DJ MacWoW
You’re in for a rude and painful surprise. Remember that you bet your soul on it.

Given that I have no belief that "souls" exist, that's not much of a threat.

118 posted on 06/16/2011 7:54:46 AM PDT by Abin Sur
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To: Abin Sur; Grizzled Bear

No, no different at all.
Either you back right to die, or you don’t.
Make up your mind.


119 posted on 06/16/2011 7:55:15 AM PDT by Darksheare (You will never defeat Bok Choy!)
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To: Darksheare
But the ‘right to die’ types have decided to deny that there is anything else out there or above us.
In their view, man is all there is.
A very ‘humanist’ idea that went hand in hand with the eugenics philosophy.

Exactly, starting during the Renaissance and coming on with full force by the Enlightenment was the notion that there was NOTHING beyond the intellect of the "enlightened" and with this came the complete rejection of Judeo-Christian teachings.

It's nothing more than man playing god, it's a tool of Satan that is being used in an attempt to destroy mankind.

120 posted on 06/16/2011 8:00:41 AM PDT by wagglebee ("A political party cannot be all things to all people." -- Ronald Reagan, 3/1/75)
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