Playing God?

[Wing Nut]

Personally, if one of mine were suffering and had no chance of recovery, I would like to think I would have the courage to do the right thing.  I hope I am never put in this kind of a situation though.  I tend to lean towards the doctors though.  Despite people trying to protray them as being uncaring and callous, I have yet to meet a doctor who didn't really care about his/her patients well being...

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u ... _charlotte

[Woodlouse2002]

I don't quite get what you mean by playing god? Is that as in keeping the child alive? Or allowing it to die?

[Craig.]

I don't quite get what you mean by playing god? Is that as in keeping the child alive? Or allowing it to die?

In a sense both. having to decide whether to keep a person alive of die. Horrible desicion, even worse when its a young child like this.

[Wing Nut]

Exactly what I mean.  It's a terrible decision to have to make, but I'm not sure if the courts are right in removing the family entirely from the decision...

[Woodlouse2002]

Well, it's a baby, it's had no life and will have no life as there was no chance of recovery. Keeping it alive would have been both playing god and cruel.

[C]

Unfortunately this is a very sad case, and only Charlotte's parents are seeing the so called "signs of improvement" that they keep going to the court to prove. I hope Charlotte is relieved of the suffering soon and is left to let nature take its course. Not only is this distressing for the Wyatt's, but also the staff at the hospital in Portsmouth...

[Scottler]

In cases such as these, we need to remove ourselves from the situation as best we can.  We have to restrain ourselves and not say "If it were me" before making the decision.  We, as mortals, are not capable of accurately ascertaining "quality of life", because that definition varies from person to person.

We expect doctors to do everything necessary to preserve life.  That's the oath they're sworn to uphold.  Yet the moment it becomes "unworthy" in the eyes of another, we expect doctors to do nothing, and "let nature take it's course."

If we're to let nature take it's course, we'd have no need for modern medicine, or even primitive medicine for that matter.  True nature functions without the intervention of man.

It absolutely horrifies me to think that we're becoming a society that views "forcing life" more wicked than "forcing death."

[jordonj]

It absolutely horrifies me to think that we're becoming a society that views "forcing life" more wicked than "forcing death."

I disagree with you there Scottler...there was a time not too long ago where the baby would have just died, we now have the technology to prolong life unaturally!

The fact is, these are not simple cases.  I know I've said it before, but anyone who says it is simple, is fooling themselves.  You never know how you'll feel until you're in that situation, or the situation of the family member or doctor who has to decide.

Interesting contradiction:  Many of the "pro-lifers" that I've met are gung-ho about the war in Iraq: and look at you funny when you mention the colateral damage (think innocent civilians and children killed there).  Most support the Death Penalty as well...

Just food for thought...

[jordonj]

By the way, I know I've mentioned this comic before, but this page also provides some food for thought!

Read the rest if you want the backstory about the woman...

[Scottler]

Jordon, I'd love to be able to discuss this with you, but the rules of the board really prohibit it...oh well.  lol

[jordonj]

You can always PM me about it if you wish...but please take a look at what I linked to before you do so.