Life and Death have meanings of hidden dimenson

There is more than one dimension to the meaning of “life” and “death”.  We think of life in terms of our mortal lives – that is we are the centre of the very existence of life, and we have a finite beginning and end. Yet, our worldly life and death is only one dimension for the meaning of what is life and death.

I have repeatedly asked Fundamentalists to explain what is meant by these terms. I never seem to get a response from them relating to the state of the soul. Yet this is how we are viewed by God. Each time we sin, we begin to slowly die inside of ourselves. Another dimension of Life is that it is the grace or the very breath of God, existing within us, so that we, in turn exist in the world. The flip side of the spiritual life is spiritual death. It is the withdrawal of grace – a free gift from God that feeds and nourishes us on a daily basis – that causes the death of the soul because of sin.

I had my own brush with what it means to come face to face with my own mortality last year when my next oldest sister was suddenly diagnosed with bone cancer and died. She did not make it to her 53rd birthday. It is a shock when someone so close in age suddenly dies like that and it causes one to recognize the reality that we are only here for a short time. Yet, her spiritual existence continues even though her flesh has been consumed in the fire from a cremation.

Christians sometimes tend to negate that the animals, birds, and even the flora are the creation of God, and that it is God that gives life to these things. We have the superior intellect and the superior soul, but these other creations of the Creator also have their own form of soul. How Christians view the souls of animals is a juxtaposition of the way in which an atheist sees the life of an animal.

As I digress for a moment, I want to briefly consider the views of the Greens and their counterparts who seem to think that animals have feelings on the same level as humans. For this reason, they demonstrate against cooking live lobster because of the sounds that come from a cooking pot. They are blissfully unaware of the fact that God created these creatures so that we would have food. They also get uptight about cutting down a tree, sometimes behaving in a way that suggests that they worship trees as though the trees are gods. Their sense of proportion with regard to human life and the lives of these other creatures is truly distorted. To highlight their inconsistency, I point to the fact that this same group are the ones who promote the murder of the unborn on the grounds that a foetus is not legally recognized as having a life.

The abortion debate centres upon when life begins, but this debate has implications that is infringing upon giving justice to the unborn and to the parents of the unborn when a child has been killed as a result of a car accident. A recent decision in Hawaii has led to a further denial of the rights of the unborn and a man has been allowed to get away with the manslaughter of an unborn child because of the lack of a legal definition of when life begins. It would seem that the activist judges have outsmarted themselves because now it is possible for irresponsible drivers to escape prosecution when the victim is an unborn infant. Once again we see an overwhelming sense of a lack of justice that has been allowed to permeate the world, in the name of feminism, modernism and political correctness.

Another debate that rages in this modern world of ours is that of the concept of the Immaculate Conception. The reforming fathers such as Martin Luther believed that Mary was in fact conceived without the stain of original sin. The problem centres upon the philosophy that has stemmed from the age of the “Enlightenment”, as well as anti-Catholic rhetoric and bigotry.  The Fundamentalists and Evangelicals who are so keen to deny the Immaculate Conception fail to see that they are in fact denying that Jesus is the Christ through their very failure to accept the Immaculate Conception. This dogma, which centres not upon Mary, but upon the origins of Jesus Christ, states that Mary is the woman with whom Satan has enmity. If she had sinned, then she would be a friend of Satan, and she would not have grace within, yet the angel gave the greeting: “Hail, Full of Grace”, (which also bestows upon Mary, the TITLE – “Full of Grace” – according to the Will of God.)  

The denial of the life of an unborn infant has now spread to the point that people are willing to deny the life of those who are incapacitated. The danger to the incapacitated is that there are family members and unscrupulous lawyers who act as public guardians who want the people dead. The Terri Schindler-Schiavo story is in fact the tip of the iceberg. This was a case where hard evidence was not provided and the outcome has the potential of affecting millions of the incapacitated every day of every year. The life safeguards were further eroded by the refusal to properly evaluate the case and Greer’s decision making.

Who cares if Haleigh lives or dies?

Catholics in the Public Square">Haleigh Poutre is only 11 years old, and she has been on life support since she was nearly beaten to death last September. Ever since she was rushed to hospital by her relatives, it is as if no one has cared about whether Haleigh lives or dies, except for the man who is accused of beating her to the point of near death. Up until now he has been the lone family voice who has been advocating for her life, which is in stark contrast to the child's real mother.

Haleigh's short life has not been a picnic. She had been neglected by her biological mother, so she was removed and given to her aunt, who did adopt Haleigh. However, the aunt then met and married the man who has been acting as Haleigh's stepfather, (and dare I call him her advocate for life?). The department of social services was informed of charges of neglect and abuse against the aunt, but they failed to act. After Haleigh ended up in hospital, having being bashed within an inch of her life, the aunt and stepfather ended up being arrested over the bashing. Two days after being released from jail, Haleigh's adoptive mother, and grandmother were found to be shot dead. Mr. Strickland faces fresh charges of murder if Haleigh dies, and so he has a vested interest in keeping her alive (but really is that such a crime, that he does not want her to die in such a fashion as having her nutrition and hydration withdrawn?)

Haleigh has been made a ward of the state, and the officials of the department sought to have a DNR placed upon her charts, and they sought permission to withdraw all life support. Haleigh's biological mother joined with the departmental officials who are seeking to end Haleigh's life. What kind of mother would respond to her child's desparate situation by making the following statement?:

CBS reporter SHARYN ALFONSI: This is Haleigh Poutre before, before her teeth were broken, before her tiny body was burned and before she was beaten, doctors say, into a vegetative state. You're her mother.
Ms. ALLISON AVRETT (Biological Mother): Yes.

ALFONSI: What do you want for her?

AVRETT: I want her to rest.

ALFONSI: And right now?

AVRETT: She's not. Being kept like that is not a life.

So it would seem that Ms Avrett sees her daughter in terms of what is, and what is not a life. Her comments point to a woman who does not love her daughter, and who wants her dead.

However, Haleigh, it seems has other ideas because no sooner did the courts decide against Mr Strickland and said that the life support could be withdrawn when Haleigh began to show signs of coming out of her coma. The doctors who have written off Haleigh have not been doing their work as doctors because they have been more interested in ending her life, than they have been in rehabilitating this child, and giving her a chance to live a normal life.

This child is too young to be able to tell anyone what her end of life wishes might be. An adult has to make the decision for her. As usual the court has refused to listen to the one person who wanted them to err on the side of choosing life. It would seem that the court decided against the petition of Mr. Strickland because of his vested interest in keeping the child alive. The case sounds like Maria Korp and Terri Schiavo redux. Only this time it is the mother who wants her child to die.

Even after Haleigh has shown signs of coming out of the coma, it would seem that her mother is intent upon giving the all too famous line from the culture of death: "the movements that you have seen is nothing more than a reflex action".

Well there are people who care if Haleigh lives or dies. Michelle Malken has spoken up and is advocating for Haleigh's life, and there are others in the blogosphere who care about whether or not this child is given the opportunity to live a full life.

Haleigh is an innocent child. She is not a criminal and she does not deserve to have a death sentence. It is truly amazing that the more liberal types in the community will raise their voices in protest over the impending death of a criminal who has been sentenced to death because of crimes committed against others, but their silence in the case of innocent disabled people being condemned to death is totally deafening. It is about time that these Hollywood activists were called into line and forced to get their act together with regard to priorities.

If Haleigh is allowed to die at the hands of the state, then we will all be moving headlong along the slippery slope of destruction. It is time to wake up and it is time to stop the killing of innocent people in the name of the culture of death.

Liberals For Terri

Liberals For Terri

For a conservative like myself to feel such warmth for the efforts of some very liberal people is saying something. This site is well worth visiting. The opinions to be found there are hard hitting, without the religious overtones and they rock.

S c h i a v o g a t e

S c h i a v o g a t e

the people who have put this information have done an excellent job. It is well worth a read.

There is something very wrong when a two bit probate court judge can slap an injuction on the Governor of Florida and the President of the United States and can interfere in a government agency conducting an investigation into the abuse of an adult woman who has become incapacitated as a result of that abuse.

A CERTAIN SLANT OF LIGHT

A CERTAIN SLANT OF LIGHT

There are some good articles on this blog. It is worth a read.

Catholic Fire

Catholic Fire

There are some good points being raised here, and worth a read.

Irrevocable Choice: The New King George

Irrevocable Choice: The New King George


This is an excellent opinion and worth the read.

Irrevocable Choice: In Florida, the Judicial Branch Assumes the Role of the Legislative and Executive Branches

Irrevocable Choice: In Florida, the Judicial Branch Assumes the Role of the Legislative and Executive Branches

This is excellent and powerful opinion and well worth the read to get some idea of the issues that are involved.

Irrevocable Choice: Judge's Ruling Resulted in Death for Another Woman

Irrevocable Choice: Judge's Ruling Resulted in Death for Another Woman

This is another good read and it tells us something about the character of George Greer with his attitude of "my decision rules and I listen to no one."

Straight Up with Sherri: What's REALLY Driving the Death Train for Terri! EXPLOSIVE Revelations About Judge Greer and Pinellas County "Guardians!"

Straight Up with Sherri: What's REALLY Driving the Death Train for Terri! EXPLOSIVE Revelations About Judge Greer and Pinellas County "Guardians!"

This is a must read. There is something very rotten in the state of Florida and especially Pinellas county. Is there some kind of deal between Felos and Greer? Is there a secret agreement between Greer and Schiavo? I would hope that my question can be answered in the negative.

DaveTown: TERRI SCHIAVO MOVE BY CONGRESS

DaveTown: TERRI SCHIAVO MOVE BY CONGRESS

I hope that this information is correct. It will take a real miracle at this point in time to keep Michael Schiavo from commencing the cruel execution of his wife.

Did she deserve to die?

Upon reading Crystal's latest effort, I found myself remembering about the death of my cousin Dorn. The story is posted here:

http://sayingnotothecultureofdeath.blogspirit.com/trackback/71848

The defenceless disabled

The battle that is being played out in Florida should be of concern to every believing Christian, no matter what the denomination. This is a matter of physical life and death for Terri Schindler-Schiavo. Sadly, it is also a matter of spiritual life and death for the people who are attempting to end her life by causing her to starve to death. There is no other way to describe what is being played out in the Florida courtroom of Judge George Greer than as very wicked. If Terri's parents lose this final battle, then the way will be opened for millions of defenceless human beings to be put down for no other reason than that they have suffered a brain injury that has caused incapacity, or they have been going senile because of age. At risk are all the disabled men, women and children, especially those who rely upon some kind of physical means, such as kidney dialysis, to keep them alive. The implications of this case are so wide ranging that the alarm bells should be ringing all around the world.

However, it is sad to admit that the case is not getting any form of attention in the main stream media. It is yet another case of the media not caring about a defenceless disabled woman who has for the last 15 years suffered from the manipulative abuse at the hands of her husband. Terri Schiavo-Schindler has become the face of all of the disabled who are meeting the every day challenge of overcoming discrimination from their able-bodied counterparts. She is the face of the brain injured who are fighting for recognition of their difficulties in functioning on the same levels that they once enjoyed. Terri is the face of the defenceless disabled who are not able to speak up for themselves regarding matters of life and death.

The insertion of a feeding tube is not a method of life support. When the feeding tube is removed the person will not automatically die, because the tube is not essential to the sustaining of everyday life. It is essential to prevent starvation and dehydration. It is interesting to note that Michael Schiavo did not make his request to have the tube removed until after legislation was passed in Florida stating that a feeding tube constituted the same form of life support as a dialysis machine. This is a bad law and it needs to be overturned, if not by the courts, then by the legislature or the executive arm of government.

There is no justification for the request that was originally made by Michael Schiavo to end the life of his wife Theresa. She was being rehabilitated until Michael won his lawsuit and then it seems that Theresa was no longer necessary, and that is when he started abusing his wife by withdrawing all forms of rehabilitation and doing things such as banning her from having medication for infections as well as a series of other actions that should have been investigated and as a result of such investigation Michael Shicavo should have been removed as Terri's legal guardian. The evidence strongly suggests that Michael Schiavo does not have the interests of his wife at heart, and any tears that might be shed are those of crocodile tears.

The unscrupulous behaviour of Michael Schiavo is a symptom of where society is heading unless of course the brakes are applied, forcing a reassessment of one's moral ideals. This case bears a lot of similarities with the case of Roe vs. Wade. The victim in that case was an unborn child. The woman at the centre of the case was used by the pro-choice people so that they could get legalized abortion by stealth. The pro-abortion lobby had a victory because the judge on the bench was willing to listen and attempt to change the law against abortion by the use of a judicial decision. The pro-euthanasia lobby is using Terri Schiavo in the same way as the abortion lobby used the unborn child in Roe vs. Wade. The Florida judge wants the fame of the moment by endorsing the slow death of a disabled woman because her husband wants her dead. No matter how one looks at this case, there is bias against what is the right thing for the daughter. Yet, the most sinister aspect about this case is the way in which Terri was removed from the rehabilitation centre and placed in a hospice where George Felos had served as chairman, and at the time when he was the chairman of the board of the hospital.

The order by Greer that the tube is to be removed on March 18 2005 is an order that must send shudders down the spine of those who are physically or mentally disabled. A physically handicapped person has the disadvantage of not always being able to help him/herself. A stroke victim, for example needs a high level of intervention, depending upon the actual physical and mental incapacities that was sustained as a result of the stroke. However, a stroke victim can be rehabilitated and there have been a lot of advances in the methods that are available to help those who have disability as a result of brain injury. Michael Schiavo and George Greer have denied Terri the right to have any rehabilitation given to her. The cover up in this case is the myth that Terri is in a persistent vegetative state. This is the story that is spread to the mainstream media. The idea that someone can persist in a lie about the condition of a disabled person in a court of law is something that I abhor.

How many other people all around the world are in a far worse condition than Terri Schiavo? What will be the result if the judgement of George Greer is allowed to stand? The disabled are not able to defend themselves from the tyranny of those who in fact want them to either be permanently out of the way or just plain dead because they are considered to be a reliability and not an asset to their families. It is like going back to the days when the children with cerebral palsy was sent to schools for the spastic. Some profoundly disabled girls and boys were institutionalized and the parents never bothered to visit them. They were neglected in those days. Many of them did not receive any treatment and they were left on their beds and in dormitories. The conditions of these hostels were quite horrendous.

Since the introduction of the compulsory wearing seat belts there has been a steady increase in the number of people suffering from injury as a result of whiplash. In the worst cases a person can be left paralyzed. Is that life to be considered as worthless? Should a person who has suffered brain injury be categorized as having a life that is not worth living? How devastating it must be for someone who is facing a life as a paraplegic or even a quadraplegic, when confronted with the do not care attitude of the pro euthanasia lobby.

Severely disabled people are entitled to have the knowledge that no matter what their physical condition that they are still loved. However, if the pro euthanasia lobby gets its way and manages to change the law within the USA then the pressure that will be placed upon the severely disabled amongst us will have increased to a new and unacceptable level.

A matter of LIFE and DEATH

The meaning of Life and of Death

The words "Life" and "Death" have two meanings. There is the physical meaning that pertains to the body, to the very fact that we are moving, thinking human beings, and there is a spiritual meaning that is often overlooked, yes, even by fellow Christians.

I have been asking other Christians what do they understand to be the Scriptural meaning of Life and Death. I do not think that I have as yet had a satisfactory answer to my question. You see Christians skirt around the meaning of Life and Death because they want to accuse Catholics of such crimes (in their minds) as Necromancy or 'praying to the dead'. I do not know how many times that I have heard the chant that the dead know nothing, or that the saints cannot hear our prayers because they are dead.

How can we live a moral life in Christ if we do not understand the literal Scriptural meaning of Life and Death?What has this got to do with issues related to Euthanasia, Abortion and other associated matters? Everything. I contend that people who truly understand the meaning of life, as it is taught by Jesus Christ, could not possibly accept the proposals of the culture of death and the destruction that comes in the wake of "death".

In Scripture life has two meanings for their is our physical existence as it is recorded in the Scripture. In fact the Scripture is a testimony to the physical existence of Jesus Christ, whom we claim to be the Son of God, and who is also Son of Man. Yet, life, that is "Eternal Life" has a deeper meaning than mere physical existence because eternal life is final state for the soul after physical death. A person who walks with God has life, and will be led on to Eternal Life through constant nourishment from God's Grace.

It is the same with death, for there is the physical separation of the soul from the flesh, but there is also a spiritual death that separates a soul from God. When a soul is not being nourished because of that spiritual separation then it begins to slowly die as a result of sin.

The Woman at the Well

How does this relate to Terri? It is like this, when Jesus spoke to the woman at the well, the woman had a soul that was dying because of the lack of nourishment as a result of her many sins, known only to Jesus. Before that meeting her soul was parched through lack of nourishment that had resulted because the woman had been living with different men (and perhaps going as far as preventing any children from being born). When Jesus began speaking to the woman, she understood him as meaning the water that could be drawn from the well. However, what Jesus promised was far greater than the water in the well. He was making a promise to this woman of being able to receive the Living Water through Him.

Now, here is the parallel to Terri Schiavo, and the things that are being denied to her by the man who claims to be her husband. By requesting to pull out the feeding and nourishment tube from Terri, Michael is specifically attempting to kill his wife through the sanction of the state, by the refusal to allow her anything to eat or drink. At the present time Terri is being fed through a tube. It has been reported that this is for the convenience of the staff. Yet it is more than that because Michael Schiavo refuses to allow his wife to be fed via the mouth. In other words, from the physical point of view, Michael Schiavo is determined to cause the withdrawl of water and nourishment from Terri.

From the psychological point of view, Michael Schiavo has also been causing Terri's separation from her family by banning, at various times, the members of the Schindler family, plus he has caused Terri to be withdrawn from the world in general because of the lack of stimulus via his instruction to deprive her of all human dignity. It gets worse when it is realised that Michael Schiavo is also denying Terri the opportunity to be nourished by the Holy Spirit through reception of the Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist. Jesus promised that we would be allowed to draw water from the well of salvation, yet this poor woman is being denied what rightfully belongs to her - LIFE - Physical, Psychological, and Spiritual.

The death that Michael Schiavo is trying to enforce upon his wife is not just that of a physical death that promises to be painful, but he is also enforcing a psychological death in order to force her to withdraw from the world per the exit protocol of L. Ron Hubbard, and a death in the spirit because of his determination to deny her the spiritual nourishment of the Eucharist.

Are the actions of Michael Schiavo, as endorsed by Judge Greer and also of his attorneys, George Felos and Deborah Bushnell, a glimpse into the future? What does the future hold for Christian believers if the culture of death is allowed to gain the ascendancy?

What is happening in Christian circles is that the preachers who state that the saints are dead and that they cannot hear our prayers, are in fact unwittingly participating in the culture of death. There is a subtlety about such a teaching that has escaped most Christians who have bought into that kind of statement. If the saints are "dead" then Jesus is a liar and He is not the Messiah after all. It would mean that for around 2000 years we have been duped into believing in the Resurrection of the dead, as well as the promise of Eternal Life - because if the saints are dead and cannot hear our prayers then there is no point in being a Christian at all. That is the reality for those who buy the argument of psuedo-Christianity. The subtlety comes about because once you accept such statements as "the saints are dead and they are of no help to you" then the outcome is that psuedo-Christians are also easily swayed into accepting the ideas of the culture of death.

The Hypnotic influence of repetition

The media has a very strong influence over public opinion and we see the consequences of this influence in the debates over both abortion on demand and euthanasia. Ever since the 1960s the media has been seeking to influence public opinion on these issues and to bring about their acceptance in the public psyche. To a certain extent the media has been successful in their goal since the surveys that have been taken have shown a distinct trend towards acceptance of the very things that lead to the culture of death.

Why has this happened? I believe that the reason for a more widespread acceptance of these things that are morally wrong, is that the media has indulged in a campaign that has had the effect hypnotic suggestion. In other words, if the idea is repeated often enough it will become more and more acceptable over time. This is precisely what happened in the debate over abortion on demand, and the same thing is happening with the issue of euthanasia.

In Terri Schiavo's case, it is the husband and his lawyers who have been successfully manipulating the media so that they are presenting a story that this woman is in a persistant vegetative state, and that she allegedly told her husband that she did not want to remain in that state. Schiavo has hired a team of lawyers who have an interest in pushing for the legalisation of euthanasia. If one pays attention to the language employed by Michael Schiavo and his lawyers, they are more or less implying that Terri is already dead. For example Michael, in an interview stated that:

"The reality is that Terri left us 13 years ago and none of us can bring her back."

Then if one studies the wording of George Felos there is a gruesome similarity in the language employed:

"There's no evidence of cerebral activity. She's not brain dead but she has no conciousness, no awareness and she never will."

and "no conciousness, no thought."

The chilling aspect of this case is the fact that Michael Schiavo has been able to prevent his wife receiving a proper assessment of her condition via the new imaging techniques that are available today, and also through a variety of cognitive tests that are needed to determine her true status. What is even more chilling are the parallels between the treatment meted out to Terri by Michael Schiavo, and the recommendations of L. Ron Hubbard for those who are considered to be non-persons by virtue of the fact that they are not able to earn an income. In terms of scientology Terri is not authentically alive.

In the meantime George Felos and Michael Schiavo continue their cover up for the real reason why they are fighting so hard to get court approval for the removal of the feeding tube. Instead of announcing the results of new tests and therapies, Schiavo is only interested in the date that has been given to him and that allows him to remove the feeding tubes. Terri has been abused because of the fact that she has been locked away in the hospice with guards present to ensure that she is not fed by mouth.

So why are there so many who are willing to believe the lies of Schiavo and his lawyers? Are their arguments compelling? You be the judge.