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Mar. 31, 2005 I used to be a rabid, bible-thumping fundamentalist evangelical. I went to anti- abortion rallies and supported church rights to their tax-exempt status. Then I started noticing some inconsistencies, discrepancies and downright contradictions in the beliefs of Christians. The Terri Schiavo case has reminded me of that. Most right-to-lifers insist that life is sacred and must be spared at all costs. What they didn't bargain for was the advancement of modern technology to the point that we can now keep people alive artificially even though the person cannot take care of themselves, are not aware of anything and have no interaction with their environment. Terri Schiavo was like that. After 15 years in a vegetative state she basically had no brain. I mean, literally, her brain had decomposed from her condition to the point that she was unable to think or even be aware of anything. This was confirmed by her doctors and other specialists who should know what they are talking about. In spite of that and no hope of her ever recovering, right-to-lifers insist that life is paramount and keeping someone alive is more important than giving them a dignified death. Here's where the contradiction comes in. Fundamentalists that I've talked to have made it very clear that to starve her to death is a direct act of disobedience toward God. This is a remarkable statement because those same Fundamentalists will insist that God gave us a free will and he will not violate it. So, my question then, is how do you know that God didn't want Terri Schiavo to die sooner so he could bless her with a well-earned trip to heaven? Maybe we were disobeying God by keeping her here long after she was scheduled to die. Remember, there are two sides to every story. I would caution others to think before they speak and make sure you consider all the implications of a position before you take one. Plan ahead. Don't put your family through what Terri Schiavo's family went through. Decide now how you want your end-of-life care to be handled. You'll never regret it. ------------ About the author: Keith Cantrell is a musician, artist and writer who lives in a small town in Oregon. He has worked at many different professions and currently is writing a book on the origins of the Bible entitled "The World's Most Dangerous Book." He has been a professing fundamentalist and is now struggling with atheism. His life has been spent searching for truth, and nothing but the truth. He loves comments, feedback and even verbal abuse if it is intelligent. He has 4 children and 4 grandchildren and loves everything about living in Oregon. Email: kwcantrell@yahoo.com Tell a friend about this site! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com and are not allowed to be posted on other websites. ARTICLE THIEVES WILL BE PROSECUTED! |
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