Tuesday, March 10, 2009

The New Medical Ethic

To The Source is an online group dedicated to "Challenging Hardcore Secularism with Principled Pluralism."  In today's article, False Compassion, author Wesley J. Smith discusses the consequences of life -- and death -- in a state that has complete control of the medical resources.  Here are the first three paragraphs:
 
Imagine that you have lung cancer. It has been in remission, but your latest test is bad news: The cancer returned and is likely to be terminal.

Still, there is some hope.  Chemotherapy could extend your life, if not save it. You ask to begin treatment.  But you soon receive more devastating news: A letter from the government informs you that the cost of chemotherapy is deemed an unjustified expense for the limited extra time it would likely provide. However, the government is not without compassion. You are informed that whenever you are ready, it will gladly pay for your assisted suicide.

Think that's an alarmist scenario to scare you away from supporting "death with dignity?"  Wrong.  That is exactly what happened last year to two cancer patients in Oregon, where assisted suicide is legal.
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