Should you choose to accept it, Zachary Gappa from the Center for a Just Society has a New Year’s challenge for pro-lifers: this new year I beg people to take some time to learn more about bioethics. The stakes are high. Our definitions of life, death, and human dignity are up for grabs, so we must not abdicate our moral duty … Read More
Bioethics 2014: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
The Center for Bioethics and Culture Network has compiled their list for the “Winners and Losers” in bioethics for 2014. Winners include: Kathleen Sloan, board member for the National Organization for Women and a regular consultant for the CBC. Human biotechnology creates strange bedfellows. Although Sloan is a committed abortion rights advocate, she has also lent her voice to campaigns … Read More
Dr. Death “Art” for Sale
Jack Kevorkian was a convicted murderer who, even after being released from prison, bragged about having “assisted” the suicides of at least 130 people. Unlike most felons once they’re released, his status as a convicted murderer treated Kevorkian quite well. Not only was he several high profile, high paying speaking engagements and interviews to defend his actions and spread his … Read More
For the Sake of the Children: No Euthanasia!
Since they introduced euthanasia for those aged 18 and older in 2002, Belgium has seen a nearly 500% increase in deaths by euthanasia. Now, Belgium’s Parliament is considering extending euthanasia to children 17 years and younger. The Senate approved a bill last December and Belgium’s lower legislative house will vote on the legislation this Thursday. A video has been making … Read More
Star Trek, Pope Francis and TOB for the Aged
After I wrote this post about an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation that I thought responsibly handled disability and assisted suicide, I was informed by multiple people about another episode of TNG that seemed to be a little more pro-suicide. The episode was Half a Life and it involved a planet on which all of its members voluntarily … Read More
Enterprise Ethics
Warning: it’s about to get mighty nerdy up in here. One of my favorite television shows when I was younger was Star Trek: The Next Generation. I’ve been watching some old episodes of the series on Netflix and recently I was very surprised and impressed with an episode called “Ethics” and the way it dealt with the issue of disability … Read More
Better Dead Than Dependent?
A new poll in Germany reveals that over half of Germans would rather commit suicide than be dependent on nursing care. The head of the organization that commissioned the poll, Deutsche Hospiz Stiftung, a foundation for the terminally ill, blames this on a failure of German nursing care policy. I’m not so sure that’s exactly the reason. Recall that here … Read More
Weekend Quick Takes: MA, Vote NO on Question 2!
In ten days the legality of assisted suicide will be voted on in the state of Massachusetts. One of these days I will get my act together and write about this myself. In the meantime, check out the following links: 1. 5 Key Facts Bbout the Dangerous Assisted Suicide Ballot Measure in MA — Jennifer Popik, JD from the Robert … Read More
7 QT: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
A very belated 7 Quick Takes Friday. THE GOOD: 1. Earlier this week I talked about the many athletes with disabilities who have competed in the Olympics throughout the years. The Orlando Sentinal has a story about a teenager in Orlando, FL who, despite missing most the lower half of his right arm, is proving to be one of the … Read More
Christ Teaches Us How to Die, Redux
As assisted suicide deaths rise yet again in Oregon and Switzerland and they prepare to discuss legalizing the practice in Massachusetts, over at Catholic Lane this morning, I revisited and revised a previous post from here: For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example that you should follow in his footsteps. … Read More