Religious More Likely To Seek Extraordinary Measures

[CatherineM]

Was reading an article on BBC that the pious are 3 times more likely to seek life prolonging measures, and less likely to sign Do Not Resuscitate orders. I found that puzzling. I would think that those who believe in religion would be more welcoming of a gentle passing without being hooked up to a bunch of machines. The only extreme measure I want is to die in the hospital. I know that a lot of people like to die at home, but I don't want my husband to have to think about our house as being where I died. I want all the mess to be at the hospital. Once my time has come though, I don't want to be hooked up to a bunch of machines, and yes I have my living will, personal directives, etc., all notarized.

I just wondered if anyone had thoughts on why the least religious would be the ones most welcoming the end?

[url="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7949111.stm"]SOURCE[/url]

[johnnydigit]

reminds me of a reflection by Fr. Butler in "The Lives of the Saints",

[i]The disciples of the apostles, by assiduous meditation on heavenly things, were so swallowed up in the life to come, that they seemed no longer inhabitants of this world. If Christians esteem and set their hearts on earthly goods, and lose sight of eternity in the course of their actions, [b]they are no longer animated by the spirit of the primitive Saints[/b], and are become children of this world, slaves to its vanities, and to their own irregular passions. If we do not correct this disorder of our hearts, and conform our interior to the spirit of Christ, we cannot be entitled to His promises.[/i]

also, of how often they refer to their death as going to their "heavenly reward", their eternal "prize", etc.. and how eager they were to endure suffering and be released of the flesh..

[philothea]

All life is sacred... especially mine?



Honestly, no idea why any Christian would want to spend a lot of medical effort to prolong their life. (Reading article...) Hm.

"Those who regularly prayed were more than three times more likely to receive intensive life-prolonging care than those who relied least on religion."

That doesn't say [i]who[/i] is making the decision to choose intensive life-prolonging care. I'm guessing it's a family member. Maybe they're confused about the difference between extreme efforts to prolong life vs. euthanasia?

[cmotherofpirl]

[quote name='CatherineM' post='1811864' date='Mar 19 2009, 06:59 PM']Was reading an article on BBC that the pious are 3 times more likely to seek life prolonging measures, and less likely to sign Do Not Resuscitate orders. I found that puzzling. I would think that those who believe in religion would be more welcoming of a gentle passing without being hooked up to a bunch of machines. The only extreme measure I want is to die in the hospital. I know that a lot of people like to die at home, but I don't want my husband to have to think about our house as being where I died. I want all the mess to be at the hospital. Once my time has come though, I don't want to be hooked up to a bunch of machines, and yes I have my living will, personal directives, etc., all notarized.

I just wondered if anyone had thoughts on why the least religious would be the ones most welcoming the end?

[url="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7949111.stm"]SOURCE[/url][/quote]
Doesn't it depend on what you consider " life prolonging measures"? Maybe they consider that something like basic hydration is life prolonging etc. Maybe these people are simply not trying to be murdered.

[CatherineM]

I wasn't real happy with the way they didn't define things. With some of the stuff coming out of England I had this weird idea that they were trying to backhandedly paint religious people as being an unnecessary drain on the health system.

[cmotherofpirl]

[quote name='CatherineM' post='1811958' date='Mar 19 2009, 11:32 PM']I wasn't real happy with the way they didn't define things. With some of the stuff coming out of England I had this weird idea that they were trying to backhandedly paint religious people as being an unnecessary drain on the health system.[/quote]
Exactly. The devil is in the details.

[Nihil Obstat]

[quote name='cmotherofpirl' post='1811964' date='Mar 19 2009, 09:42 PM']Exactly. The devil is in the details.[/quote]
Are you accusing Britain of being Satan!>?!?!?!??!?!

Sorry.

I agree that this may be from a lack of understanding between euthanasia and extraordinary measures. It's a rather subtle distinction to most people.
In fact I'm not 100% clear on it.......

[cmotherofpirl]

[quote name='Nihil Obstat' post='1812035' date='Mar 20 2009, 01:06 AM'] Are you accusing Britain of being Satan!>?!?!?!??!?!

Sorry.

I agree that this may be from a lack of understanding between euthanasia and extraordinary measures. It's a rather subtle distinction to most people.
In fact I'm not 100% clear on it.......[/quote]
There is a thread here somewhere on it with loads of catholic links.

[Nihil Obstat]

[quote name='cmotherofpirl' post='1812117' date='Mar 20 2009, 12:39 AM']There is a thread here somewhere on it with loads of catholic links.[/quote]
I know.

There are so many fascinating things to look up! Being the invincible teenager I am, reading up about the death process doesn't occur to me as often.
Lately I've been really interested in Liturgy, especially the proper role of laypeople.

Does anything in Scripture specifically address end of life situations?

[TradMom]

+Praised be Jesus Christ!

I have read this report a couple of times now (from different sources), and I do not like the language that has been used in explaining this.

In some cases, advanced chemotherapy and radical radiation would be considered extraordinary measures. Some people do opt to reject treatment and let "nature" take its course, others; try whatever is available.

I have found the reporting of this study to be slanted in a very anti-religious manner. After reviewing it carefully, I took it to mean that people of faith find life very much worth living; their ties to their families and communities are strong and perhaps in that they have the support and encouragement to undergo treatments that others would not be able to withstand.

The article(s) have practically painted a picture of "religious" people doing almost anything to avoid death and more than one article "hinted" that people of faith are "afraid" of dying. I believe, as has already been mentioned people of faith do not relish the idea of being murdered.

Lastly, we, as people of faith, are able to leave the door open for miracles.

Pax!

TradMom

Edited March 20, 2009 by TradMom

[isilzha]

If you die and you don't believe in God then theres nothing for you to worry about. If you die and you believe in God you might worry that you're not quite prepared to meet Him yet.

[prose]

I think perhaps part of this could be because the more religious people can see how much of a gift life really is, and will do anything within reason to keep it.

[Lounge Daddy]

[quote name='cmotherofpirl' post='1811918' date='Mar 19 2009, 08:56 PM']Doesn't it depend on what you consider " life prolonging measures"? Maybe they consider that something like basic hydration is life prolonging etc. Maybe these people are simply not trying to be murdered.[/quote]

That was my first thought. Today, we seem to define extraordinary measures to include hydration and food.

[Hassan]

[quote name='philothea' post='1811906' date='Mar 19 2009, 07:49 PM']All life is sacred... especially mine?[/quote]






[quote]Honestly, no idea why any Christian would want to spend a lot of medical effort to prolong their life. (Reading article...) Hm.

"Those who regularly prayed were more than three times more likely to receive intensive life-prolonging care than those who relied least on religion."

That doesn't say [i]who[/i] is making the decision to choose intensive life-prolonging care. I'm guessing it's a family member. Maybe they're confused about the difference between extreme efforts to prolong life vs. euthanasia?[/quote]




I feel like there's some sort of Secret Muslim who wonders these here parts. A Wise young man rumoured to be a Sultan who is constantly getting all self rightous over individual reducting such phenomena just to their religious element. While Religion was the dividing line here that does not mean it was the most relevent for this particular thingy. What were the demographics of the atheists vs the believers.

[cmotherofpirl]

[quote name='Hassan' post='1813366' date='Mar 21 2009, 04:58 PM']



I feel like there's some sort of Secret Muslim who wonders these here parts. A Wise young man rumoured to be a Sultan who is constantly getting all self rightous over individual reducting such phenomena just to their religious element. While Religion was the dividing line here that does not mean it was the most relevent for this particular thingy. What were the demographics of the atheists vs the believers.[/quote]
This is a serious discussion, not the lame board, so tell your secret muslim to go back to his harem and left the grownup come out for actual conversation.