Euthanasia: A Generation Cries “Non Serviam! Non Servietur Mihi!”

By the way Judy Jacobs who sang that wonderful number is sponsered by Benny Hinnes who is just about as wicked as they come

 

Here's another column, please note the section I bolded below. Many, even faithful Catholics, do not grasp the nature and scope of the spiritual battle being waged about us:



April 24, 2015 1
The Culture Wars Are Over?
Last week I had the opportunity to attend an excellent conference that was held for leaders of various ministries, apostolates and pro-life organizations. Though the conference and the views of the individual speakers and attendees were not public, a general consensus that emerged from the three day event is worth sharing, and it should serve as a wakeup call to all of us in pro-life and pro-family work: the culture wars are over.
This troubling ‘consensus’ needs qualification. We have lost the culture wars primarily in the courts and in the political realm; the courts fell to the cultural zeitgeist decades ago, and one political party has been propelling it along at warp speed, while another has quietly acquiesced and decided that economic conservatism is far more important than social conservatism.

Further qualification: our youth are becoming more pro-life on the issue of abortion with each passing day. Studies are proving this hopeful sign of renewal, as is the wonderful and growing attendance at the March For Life every year. As the pro-choice crowd grays and thins by attrition, the pro-life movement is expanding and vibrant.

But even among this youthful and vibrant pro-life generation, there is cause for concern. As they wake up to and reject the barbarity of abortion on demand through nine months of pregnancy, they have been lulled into complacency by extremely effective cultural and academic propaganda on the other issues of the culture wars, including assisted suicide, euthanasia and the attack on traditional marriage and the family. Our opposition uses emotion laden, finely tuned and persuasive tactics to advance their cause. The cultural acceptance of stealth euthanasia, Brittany Maynard’s death by assisted suicide and the gay marriage agenda is proof of their insidious effect.

Another consensus that emerged from the conference was that, while fighting the culture wars at the level of court cases and the political field may not yield the best return on our efforts and meager finances, the new evangelization is more urgent than ever. The “new” evangelization is about re-evangelizing the de-Christianized West. Of necessity it must begin in our homes, among our families and friends, and in our churches and civic groups. We must defend and spread the “Gospel of Life” as the antidote to the ever growing culture of death.

Re-evangelizing a de-Christianized culture is orders of magnitude more difficult than the initial spread of Christianity in a mission field. A pagan culture that has never been evangelized is (at risk of offending politically correct post-Christian sensibilities) a demonic culture, and the initial work of the missionary is to cast out the demons and build a Christian foundation so that the Gospel may flourish and souls be saved. A once-Christian culture that has rejected Christianity has been compared to Jesus’ parable of the return of an unclean spirit:

“When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation.”​

Who can question that a spirit not seen since pre-Christian times has infested the West in the last century, and rages with demonic fury against Christianity, marriage, family and the Gospel of Life?

We have hard work ahead of us, work that must be accompanied by prayer, fasting and sacrifice.

And we desperately need effective tools in this work. Reform of the culture will take place mainly through moral education. The truth has not gotten lost, we just have to open our eyes to see it again by shining light on it. The question is HOW do we open eyes?

American Life League has stepped up to the plate with their Culture of Life Studies Program:

” an educational initiative focused on preparing school-aged children and teens to be the next generation of pro-life activists. Unlike other pro-life education programs, the Culture of Life Studies Program is designed specifically for use within the normal school curriculum and teaches young people how to recognize and respond to threats to life.”

Catherine Daub has written an article for our newsletter describing ALL’s new program: “Building a Culture of Life, One Student at a Time: ALL’s Culture of Life Studies Program’s New Approach to Pro-Life Education.” (Link will open a PDF). It’s worth reading. You may also want to see ALL’s Introduction to Euthanasia supplement, which will be made available through the American Life League Culture of Life Studies Program website, cultureoflifestudies.com, in the fall of 2015. If you’re interested, you can follow this program’s development on the Culture of Life Studies Program Facebook page at facebook.com/ALLCLSP.

Editor’s note: a version of this post appeared in the “From the Chairman” column of the April 15th edition of the Pro-Life Healthcare Alliance newsletter. It has been reprinted by the author.

 

The answer is sometimes so simple yet so hard. Peace

 

Hedi, my daughter is an RN for a large Catholic health care clinic (Avera) and they have known that she will not work in OB where she would have to write up contraception prescriptions or be involved with any procedure that goes against the Catholic faith teachings. Now the head nurse is working with Avera lawyers to see if they can make her do things in the clinic that go against her faith. She feels her days are numbered working in a Catholic clinic or any place that would deal with doing RN tasks that go against her faith. Signs of the times!

 

I will pray for her, I quit my job over company pressure to do the wrong thing....have NO idea where im going but I prayed a lot before I left and the answer was leave and Trust Me!.....im still so nervous

 

I feel the same way, Fatima. I expect at some point they will try to force me to do something against my faith, and then I will be out of there.

 

Maybe you need to move to southern Minnesota and team up her.

 

I do live in southern Minnesota!

 

Brian,

Did you see this?

http://www.romancatholicman.com/the-grid-of-grace-is-down/#.VTr1JUD9oTM.facebook

 

Hi Heidi,
Thanks for that link, I had not seen it.

Fr. Heilman is also a contributor at the 1Peter5 website, and his remarks just go to prove why we need priests weighing in on these issues.

I'm just a layman with no formal theological education or training whatsoever, so I welcome his thoughts and the way he fleshes out what I was trying to say.

 

I'm greatly concerned about some countries attitudes to euthanasia, and more so about my own country pushing the agenda also: I've listed to lots of stories on the radio about Irish people arranging trips to Switzerland when 'the end stages come'. One famous case, I think in the US recently, a woman with cancer had some medication for her to euthanize herself. In the end, she died naturally. According to the news report, most cases of people who have the means to end their life ( ie they possess the lethal dose) actually don't use it, as the pain meds deal sufficiently with any end stages discomfort, or even deal well with severe pain. I think this is a point that's often overlooked - our pain management is incredibly advanced: I had orthopedic surgery twice in the last two years- when I woke up after theater in the recovery room, the first words from my mouth was " I'm in a lot of pain ". The nurse said no problem and with amazing speed, injected me with something that, literally, took all the pain away. I was conscious and lucid, and in absolutely no pain. So great was my surprise at the speed and efficacy of the pain elimination that I commented to the nurse " that's amazing ". She smiled and said " it really is, it's great to live in the time we live in, we've come so far with pain management "
Very true.

 

But, there is another side to the "end of life" debate that I'd love someone to explain to me.
Is it appropriate to extend your life for, say, 12 months, just because the means to do so exists?
Is our a sin to refuse the treatment?
The reason I ask is due to an experience I had with a family member, who had cancer.
Her case was the first time that I honestly examined the while end of life situation.
Briefly, she had cancer. Had surgery, chemo, radiation. Remission.
The cancer returned within weeks ( v aggressive) and the docs again initiated chemo, but quit after four weeks, as the cancer was actually spreading like wildfire even during chemo, incredibly sad.
Thing is, when she was diagnosed, her cancer was already gone very very far. In her ovaries, intestines and during early surgery, some abnormal spots were seen on the liver.
So, the doctor were putting the best attitude on it that they could, tried chemo. However, it was only really buying time.
It bought one year. Seven months of that was in hospital. Five months at home recovering from the hospital.
My question: what is she has refused treatment initially? Would that be a sin? The intention would have been to enjoy her last few months, not hasten death. ( the year that was bought by chemo was a year of suffering).
Honest question: I ve always wondered, in cases that are only buying (very short) periods of time, is it OK to enjoy your time with the family at home instead of living for 7 months on a hospital bed, seeing your family during visits?
She was so sad all alone there.

 

Great question. You can refuse any treatment if you want to,its not a sin. For those in a terminal stage of life the Church teachs we must supply the basics to sustain life,,,,food ,water, supplements ...etc We can refuse any and all artificial means that sustain life...

I FORGOT to add....check with your Diocese about "LIVING WILLS" this link as a TON of info
http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/index.cfm


For the Church, there is no distinction between defending human life and promoting the dignity of the human person.

Pope Benedict XVI writes in Caritas in Veritate. . . that "The Church forcefully maintains this link between life ethics and social ethics, fully aware that 'a society lacks solid foundations when, on the one hand, it asserts values such as the dignity of the person, justice and peace, but then, on the other hand, radically acts to the contrary by allowing or tolerating a variety of ways in which human life is devalued and violated, especially where it is weak or marginalized.'" (no. 15).

 

I thought of you when I read this...

USCCB > Prayer and Worship > Prayers and Devotions > Prayers

Prayer for Protection of Conscience Rights in Health Care

Father, in Jesus our Lord, we praise and thank you for your most precious gift of human life and for forming us in your divine image. Keep us, the dwelling place of your most Holy Spirit, ever healthy in body and soul.

Jesus, Divine Healer, pour your grace upon all those afflicted with illness or disease. Protect from all harm those who are vulnerable due to sickness, suffering, frailty, poverty or age, whether elderly or unborn.

Holy Spirit, touch the hearts of all who serve human life in medicine and science, so they will protect the dignity of each person, from conception to natural death, and remain faithful advocates of all entrusted to their care.

Grant those who are called to serve as health care providers renewed conviction in their ministry, and increased wisdom to treat the whole person, and not merely the illness.

Protect the right of health care providers to serve their patients without being forced to violate their moral and religious convictions. Guard them against discrimination, that they might be free to follow you faithfully while fulfilling their professional duties.

Grant our lawmakers the wisdom and courage to uphold conscience rights for those called to the ministry of healing, and help them resist the pressure to become collaborators in the culture of death.

Give us strength to be bold and joyful witnesses to the truth that every human life is sacred.

In your goodness, guard our freedom to live out our faith and to follow you in all that we do.

Father, we ask this in Jesus’ name, through the Holy Spirit. Amen.

• see Items of Intrest on right side of page...
• http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/health-care/index.cfm

 

Just a little further SW

 

And I just heard Bruce Foresyth on BBC R5 talk about euthanasia a few moments ago. He supports it and doesn't want to be a burden on anyone.
Interesting how the interview was introduced by the presenter "People who are too old and too sick". What? Old? What's that got to do with it?
It's a real slippery slope.

 

I love the saying, 'People who do not believe in God will believe in anything'.

 

Death with dignity: A friend recalls last minutes of John Paul II's life
Rome, Italy, Apr 27, 2015 / 05:02 am (EWTN News/CNA).- A once avid outdoors-man whose final years were marked by disability and suffering, Saint John Paul II witnessed to what it truly means to die with dignity, says a close friend who was with him until the end.
http://www.ewtnnews.com/catholic-news/World.php?id=11999