Re: Schiavo--Why don't the fundamentalists believe in their own religion?

[lebkuchen]

My question to fundamentalists: what's so bad about dying? Why cling so desperately to life on Earth when, according to your own religious doctrine, we have the afterlife to look forward to?

[fryguy]

1. springer was just making that point

before my streaming audio crapped out....

[lebkuchen]

2. I just read another thread on the same obvious point

which apparently isn't too obvious to the fundies.

Hopefully the mods will merge mine to the other.

[TheFarseer]

3. I don't know

It seems selfish and stubborn of her family to me.

[freedom_to_read]

4. I believe it has to do with the sacraments

I remember reading somewhere that her parents believe that if she is allowed to die her sould will go to Hell because she wasn't given the opportunity to confess and receive absolution.

I may be wrong (and I'm not Catholic so feel free to correct me if I am) but I think that's the big issue here for the parents.

[lebkuchen]

5. How can she confess if she can't communicate?

Schiavo's parents sound like loonies, which could have been the basis of her problems to begin with. I've read that Terri had an eating disorder. Is that correct?

I look forward to reading about Terri's husband's viewpoint inre: to Terri's parents in the future.

[TheFarseer]

6. What about annointing of the sick?

I'm a bit rusty on my sacraments, but it sounds like that might be helpful in this case.

[zipplewrath]

7. It's very complicated

Dunno if your question was particularly serious, but it is because of the complications and that "nuance" thing that the fundies hate so much that the question isn't quite as simple as you suggest.

Within the most strict, and we are seeing they are a vast minority, life must be valued above all else. Suffering is part of life. Life is a gift from God which cannot be refused. So they will do any and all things to sustain it. Yeah, probably right up until the bill comes to their address, but we're talking philosophy here not functionality.

The papacy is a bit more moderating on this subject, in that you aren't required to accept "extrodinary" care. None the less, basically they insist that you live until you die, and that death should be determined by the almighty (and they don't mean Bush).

There is a rather large crowd that believes that you should be allowed to die, but that you can't be allowed to particularly do anything to HASTEN that death. Oregon is trying to move away from that, but most of the country, and most of the world, will prevent physicians from administering too much pain killer if it might cause you to die "prematurely".

There is the concern about the whole "martyrdom" aspect to choosing death. We semi-worship folks who "give the last measure of devotion" but you're not suppose to want it too bad. You are also generally not suppose to "test" gods, of any sort, by willing allowing yourself to be in a situation where only the intervention of an almighty will prevent your death.

In some of my writing to the politico's I did try to suggest ways they could avoid being involved, and one of them was that we had obviously been careful in considering this case and maybe it was now time to trust the Almighty. Afterall, it is possible he is working "through" Michael Schiavo.