As I watched my little pooch fall asleep and die, I thought to myself, "Now that's the way I'd like to go." Seriously. If one day I am suffering from a terminal disease and wracked by immense pain, what a blessing it would be simply to fall asleep and then drift away.
While most people favor euthanasia for animals, a lot of them come absolutely unglued when others suggest this methodology be used by humans with terminal illness. Conservative Christians as well as the Catholic Church fought strenuously against the Death with Dignity ballot initiatives in Oregon and Washington, though both still passed by large majorities.
While the religious opponents of Death with Dignity trot out a slew of objections, it just struck me that one of these contradicts one of their own core beliefs -- miracles.
In both Oregon & Washington, I remember seeing print and TV ads which played upon the "miracles" theme. According to this line of reasoning, miraculous cures come about every day. People who are diagnosed with terminal illnesses sometimes defy the odds to live long lives free of the disease that was supposed to kill them post haste. Consequently, terminally ill patients shouldn't be allowed to kill themselves because then there will be no chance for a miracle cure.
To this I say, why not?
According to the bible, Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. So, couldn't "God" raise Aunt Martha or cousin Bruce from the dead? I mean, if you want to talk about a miracle, wouldn't that be doggone dramatic?
God could work his miracle as the ill person tried to kill themselves. There they'd be taking the medicinal cocktail to end their life and yet they wouldn't die. The doctors would be called in and they would simply scratch their heads to say, "We can't explain what happened here."
On the other hand, the person could die as scheduled. The body would be taken to the morgue or funeral home. At this juncture, God could cure them both of death and the disease. Wouldn't that make for a most interesting phone call? "Honey, would you come pick me up at the morgue? I really do want to get out of these clothes and, maybe, go to dinner."
If you believe that your God is omnipotent, then why confine the miraculous to certain parameters? It seems to me that those very parameters contradict the genuineness of the belief itself.
While most people favor euthanasia for animals, a lot of them come absolutely unglued when others suggest this methodology be used by humans with terminal illness. Conservative Christians as well as the Catholic Church fought strenuously against the Death with Dignity ballot initiatives in Oregon and Washington, though both still passed by large majorities.
While the religious opponents of Death with Dignity trot out a slew of objections, it just struck me that one of these contradicts one of their own core beliefs -- miracles.
In both Oregon & Washington, I remember seeing print and TV ads which played upon the "miracles" theme. According to this line of reasoning, miraculous cures come about every day. People who are diagnosed with terminal illnesses sometimes defy the odds to live long lives free of the disease that was supposed to kill them post haste. Consequently, terminally ill patients shouldn't be allowed to kill themselves because then there will be no chance for a miracle cure.
To this I say, why not?
According to the bible, Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. So, couldn't "God" raise Aunt Martha or cousin Bruce from the dead? I mean, if you want to talk about a miracle, wouldn't that be doggone dramatic?
God could work his miracle as the ill person tried to kill themselves. There they'd be taking the medicinal cocktail to end their life and yet they wouldn't die. The doctors would be called in and they would simply scratch their heads to say, "We can't explain what happened here."
On the other hand, the person could die as scheduled. The body would be taken to the morgue or funeral home. At this juncture, God could cure them both of death and the disease. Wouldn't that make for a most interesting phone call? "Honey, would you come pick me up at the morgue? I really do want to get out of these clothes and, maybe, go to dinner."
If you believe that your God is omnipotent, then why confine the miraculous to certain parameters? It seems to me that those very parameters contradict the genuineness of the belief itself.
Sorry for your loss - my Roxie girl passed away in the last year, too. The good part was she never had a bad day until her last day, and that was over so quickly. It's so hard to let them go, and hold them as they do, but so much kinder.
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