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How should the end come? (Euthanasia in the U.K.)
BBC News ^ | 8/15/08 | Katharine Whitehorn

Posted on 08/16/2008 10:03:22 AM PDT by wagglebee

The Queen no longer sends telegrams to people on their 100th birthday - it's cards these days, and at the present rate it won't be long before she's just about keeping the Post Office in business.

Some of the people who reach that age - or even mere chicks of 80 and 90 - lead vigorous and fulfilling lives. But an awful lot don't, so it's small wonder that the question of how they should live comes up more and more.

Not surprising, either, that Mary Warnock, who had to wrestle with the issues of the start of life, embryos and all that, and Elizabeth Macdonald, a distinguished oncologist at Guy's Hospital in London, have turned their attention to how we should die. The question is how and if life should be brought to an end.

This summer they've been on the stump at literary festivals for their thoughtful and enlightened book Easeful Death, most recently at the Edinburgh Book Festival. There's been more than one bill defeated in Parliament that was designed to make it easier for a really awful life to be ended, but they think that, in spite of the difficulties, our views on human life generally have developed enough for one to succeed now.

It seems certain, anyway, since we can now thwart death in so many ways and live so long, that we're going to have to rethink the end of life the way we have, effectively, re-thought the beginning, what with contraceptives and abortions and IVF.

(Excerpt) Read more at news.bbc.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; United Kingdom
KEYWORDS: euthanasia; healthcare; moralabsolutes; prolife
Everyone wrung their hands and said how awful it was - but what could be better than a very swift death, together, without the long agony of one losing the other, of operations and care homes, hearing and sight gradually going wrong, pain only just controlled.

What could be "better" is LIVING the life that God intended for you and that INCLUDES dying as He intends.

1 posted on 08/16/2008 10:03:22 AM PDT by wagglebee
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To: cgk; Coleus; cpforlife.org; narses; 8mmMauser

Pro-Life Ping


2 posted on 08/16/2008 10:03:49 AM PDT by wagglebee ("A political party cannot be all things to all people." -- Ronald Reagan, 3/1/75)
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To: BykrBayb; floriduh voter; Sun; Dante3; Lesforlife

Ping.


3 posted on 08/16/2008 10:04:15 AM PDT by wagglebee ("A political party cannot be all things to all people." -- Ronald Reagan, 3/1/75)
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To: 230FMJ; 50mm; 69ConvertibleFirebird; Aleighanne; Alexander Rubin; An American In Dairyland; ...
Moral Absolutes Ping!

Freepmail wagglebee to subscribe or unsubscribe from the moral absolutes ping list.

FreeRepublic moral absolutes keyword search
[ Add keyword moral absolutes to flag FR articles to this ping list ]


4 posted on 08/16/2008 10:04:44 AM PDT by wagglebee ("A political party cannot be all things to all people." -- Ronald Reagan, 3/1/75)
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To: wagglebee
one bill defeated in Parliament that was designed to make it easier for a really awful life to be ended, but they

Reading this article was a really huge bad idea to start out my morning waggle. Pro Life ping is right and my next huge mistake will be giving in to my curiosity later to come back and read the pro death posts and screaming at my webtv screen. Like that is going to help. Paging all my Catholic apologetic experts on the white courtesy ping line... Good Luck waggs. May you and my brethen be Blessed with fortitude on this one.
5 posted on 08/16/2008 10:26:25 AM PDT by Global2010 (OKIE DOKIE)
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To: wagglebee

Leave it up to God.

Do not murder people.


6 posted on 08/16/2008 10:28:11 AM PDT by nmh (Intelligent people recognize Intelligent Design (God).)
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To: wagglebee

For most of the human population, the only things in life that matter are comfort and convenience. Almost noon has higher aspirations than being comfortable and wealthy.

Spiritual things and the actual value of things that are supposed to matter are mostly if not totally disregarded. It takes real courage to fight through end-of-life pain in order to stick to principles. It takes no courage at all to commit suicide when already dying.


7 posted on 08/16/2008 10:30:24 AM PDT by Soothesayer (I'm breaking out of this hand basket!)
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To: wagglebee

“SOYLENT GREEN IS PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!”


8 posted on 08/16/2008 10:31:11 AM PDT by phoenix07
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To: wagglebee
...make it easier for a really awful life to be ended...

That whole idea comes from a mindset that's nauseating to civilized people. Instead of offering help to improve someone's life, they want to just kill them and be done with it.

9 posted on 08/16/2008 10:34:34 AM PDT by BykrBayb (We're a non Soros non lefitst supporting maverick Gang of 2, who won't be voting for McCain. ~ Þ)
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To: wagglebee

This is the other angle of the abortion debate.

Liberals want to dictate who should live and who should die.

Since they don’t care much about God the Giver of life, they ask ‘what’s there to debate ?’ To them, if another life is inconveniencing the rest of the population, then snuff it out.

That is sad, indeed.


10 posted on 08/16/2008 10:39:51 AM PDT by Ben Reyes
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To: BykrBayb

People still believe in the concept of a “life unworthy of living” and have learned absolutely nothing from WWII.


11 posted on 08/16/2008 10:43:01 AM PDT by Soothesayer (I'm breaking out of this hand basket!)
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To: Ben Reyes

They claim that the “worthless lives” in question are not really persons. Apparently “personhood” is defined as being just like everyone else, in the same condition as everyone else. Life itself is worthless meat, a meat resource to be exploited by the first person who can make the choice to exploit it.


12 posted on 08/16/2008 10:45:40 AM PDT by Soothesayer (I'm breaking out of this hand basket!)
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To: wagglebee
I will leave this Earth with
the same things I came into it.

Nothing.

The life I live is a Gift
I do not own it
I have a better thing

Stewardship.

Any Gift that is given can
Just as easily be removed
It was never “mine”
nor can I destroy it honorably

Gratitude is not only the greatest of all Virtues,
It is the Parent of all the rest
Pro Plancio 82
Cicero circa 58 BC

It is the height of ingratitude
To dishonor the Giver of all Gifts
By throwing away the gift of our existence
Just because it is no longer convenient,
a pleasure to serve within,
Or - shutter - by the action of the burdened "Loved Ones"

13 posted on 08/16/2008 10:52:50 AM PDT by HangnJudge
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To: HangnJudge

I couldn’t agree more!


14 posted on 08/16/2008 10:57:28 AM PDT by wagglebee ("A political party cannot be all things to all people." -- Ronald Reagan, 3/1/75)
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To: wagglebee
One tradition in Buddhist cultures is that
The elderly and infirm are
Honored as Teachers

They teach the young to Love
by themselves needing
physical Love and caring

There is much Wisdom in this...

15 posted on 08/16/2008 10:58:55 AM PDT by HangnJudge
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To: wagglebee
I couldn't’ agree more!

Then, my son, you will receive
my personal Benediction...

Live in Peace
Live in Victory
Know that there is also Love in this World

I must now return to the demands of task
AFK

16 posted on 08/16/2008 11:05:46 AM PDT by HangnJudge
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To: wagglebee

I think this is a golden opportunity for those opposed to euthanasia. They can phrase their arguments in a way to make the English twitch.

That is, the Queen is an older woman, should the government kill her?

Lots of other royals were traditionally killed, and in some very interesting ways. This was euthanasia, too. Maybe the Queen should be drowned in a vat of Malmsey wine, like the First Duke of Clarence? It would clear the way for King Charles whatever his number would be, the first Muslim king of England.

But Charles is getting on in years as well. A lot of people would be in favor of him being euthanized, so that William could ascend the throne.

And the euthanasia of Princess Diana probably prevented a huge embarrassment, so should be seen as a good thing as well.

Maybe the Queen could be euthanized liked Charles I, and England could have a Protector who would clean up the place, kick out the foreigners and hang tens of thousands of criminals.

In for a penny, in for a pound, as far as euthanasia goes. Why just pick on the weak and helpless?

/firmly tongue in cheek


17 posted on 08/16/2008 11:15:02 AM PDT by yefragetuwrabrumuy
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To: wagglebee; informavoracious; larose; RJR_fan; Prospero; Conservative Vermont Vet; ...
What could be "better" is LIVING the life that God intended for you and that INCLUDES dying as He intends.
+

Freep-mail me to get on or off my pro-life and Catholic List:

Add me / Remove me

Please ping me to note-worthy Pro-Life or Catholic threads, or other threads of interest.

18 posted on 08/16/2008 11:15:28 AM PDT by narses (...the spirit of Trent is abroad once more.)
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To: wagglebee

your answer is true, and wise...
but the modern world has no desire for wisdom, patience or suffering. So notice what the underlying idea is that a “useful” life is best, not a holy life...


19 posted on 08/16/2008 6:39:03 PM PDT by LadyDoc (liberals only love politically correct poor people)
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To: wagglebee
Pinged from Terri Dailies

8mm


20 posted on 08/17/2008 4:36:07 AM PDT by 8mmMauser (Jezu ufam tobie...Jesus I trust in Thee)
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