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'the person that once inhabited that body', that doesn't
Posted on: March 5, 2018 at 21:30:51 CT
JeffB MU
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sound like the mindset of an atheist.
If there is no God and matter is all that there is, then the body is everything. I don't see how there could possibly be some "person inside of a body".
But as far as Church teaching goes one can never deliberately kill someone, except in self-defense. That would also prohibit "putting someone out of their misery".
There is also a general duty to try and help someone or to take reasonable measures to save his or her life. But that is not unlimited. They are always owed at least ordinary care, food, water, protection from the elements and so on, if reasonably possible. But even food can be considered extraordinary in some circumstances, such as if it requires surgical procedures to insert feeding tubes and so on. If a person is dying and doesn't want an amputation or feeding tubes or whatever to extend his life another few days or a week or two then those procedures need not be undertaken.
Generally, it is my understanding that removing a feeding tube once it has already been installed is usually problematic. At that point, any medical procedures have already been done and taking away food &/or water is just starving or dehydrating a person to death, and that is presumably the intention. That is a key issue. One can never intend the death of someone. Refraining from doing a medical procedure to avoid pain or suffering, but the unintended side effect is likely to be death is generally acceptable. But one cannot kill someone using death as a means to stop suffering. For instance, giving morphine to someone in pain is acceptable even if death is possible or even likely, if that is the only way to relieve the pain. But giving someone morphine to kill them to end the pain is not acceptable.
If there is no God and matter is all that there is, then the body is everything. I don't see how there could possibly be some "person inside of a body".
But as far as Church teaching goes one can never deliberately kill someone, except in self-defense. That would also prohibit "putting someone out of their misery".
There is also a general duty to try and help someone or to take reasonable measures to save his or her life. But that is not unlimited. They are always owed at least ordinary care, food, water, protection from the elements and so on, if reasonably possible. But even food can be considered extraordinary in some circumstances, such as if it requires surgical procedures to insert feeding tubes and so on. If a person is dying and doesn't want an amputation or feeding tubes or whatever to extend his life another few days or a week or two then those procedures need not be undertaken.
Generally, it is my understanding that removing a feeding tube once it has already been installed is usually problematic. At that point, any medical procedures have already been done and taking away food &/or water is just starving or dehydrating a person to death, and that is presumably the intention. That is a key issue. One can never intend the death of someone. Refraining from doing a medical procedure to avoid pain or suffering, but the unintended side effect is likely to be death is generally acceptable. But one cannot kill someone using death as a means to stop suffering. For instance, giving morphine to someone in pain is acceptable even if death is possible or even likely, if that is the only way to relieve the pain. But giving someone morphine to kill them to end the pain is not acceptable.
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'the person that once inhabited that body', that doesn't - JeffB MU - 3/5 21:30:51