Posted on 07/21/2006 5:59:52 AM PDT by Mrs. Don-o
A medical resident--we called her "Dr. Death"--at the Intensive Care Unit at Long Island's North Shore Hospital chased us down the hallway.
"Your husband wants to die," she told my mother, again. Just minutes before I had asked her to leave us alone.
"He can't even talk," I reminded her.
...My father, 85, ... was not in a "persistent vegetative state" (itself a phrase subject to broad interpretation), that magic point at which family members are required to pull the plug--or risk the accusation that they are right-wing Christians.
..Then a light bulb went off in my head. We could devise a strategy to fend off the death-happy residents: We would tell them we were [indeed religious]: Orthodox Jews.
My little ruse worked. During the few days after I announced this faux fact, it was as though an invisible fence had been drawn around my mother, my sister and me. No one dared mutter that hateful phrase "death with dignity."
... My [atheist]father, who had long ago rejected Orthodox Judaism, was now under its protection. [snip]
I'm offended that so many conservative Christians believe that theirs is the only path to salvation. I'm sick of being proselytized. But this experience with my father has given me a new appreciation for the fight many evangelicals have waged against euthanasia.
[snip] On Father's Day, we packed my father's hospital room: his wife, daughters, grandchildren, each of us regaling him with our successes large and small. "Life's not so bad, after all," the atheist said. I wanted to go back to ICU, find Dr. Death, drag her to my father's room and say: "This is the life you wanted to end." But if I'm really to be a person of faith, I'll have to tackle forgiveness.
(Excerpt) Read more at opinionjournal.com ...
All in all, I'll take the pink-faced, somewhat irritating proselytizing Christians. They're offering to give you, for free, something their believe to be of permanent and infinite value. Whereas Dr. Death chases your loved ones down the hall, and then what does he give you? Bupkis.
The arrogance of the medical profession never ceases to astound me. Oh, they believe in God, alright. After all, they see Him every morning in the bathroom mirror.
from the article:
"But I'm offended that so many conservative Christians believe that theirs is the only path to salvation. I'm sick of being proselytized. We Jews enjoy a more basic type of faith, a direct relationship to God that requires no salvation, no penitence, no supplication. We do not proselytize. And we don't worry about the next life; we conduct mitzvahs--good deeds--that enhance life for ourselves and others in the here and now. Religion is said to have no grandparents--meaning, we each find our own path to (or away from) faith. Yet it's my grandparents' faith--and not my father's Jewish atheism--to which I find myself being drawn."
Interesting.
As a conservative Christian, I find the author's willingness to take offense perplexing. Indeed, were I to emulate him, I would find his unbelief in the salvation of Christ to be equally offensive. Billions of people believe things I don't every day and it doesn't bother me in the least.
Further in the article, she says she dropped out of synagogue membership when the yearly "dues" hit $1000... our church doesn't have "dues" or "membership fees", but instead runs on a voluntary tithe--and people give far more generously when it's voluntary than when it's demanded.
Sad that she didn't have enough faith in her own convictions about life to simply say, "There is no conflicting message from family. We don't wish to have our father killed. Please do not harass us further." No need to hide behind any religion... just state your own position!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.