Terri Schiavo
So the Terri Schiavo has finally came to an end. At least as close to an end as it could be to those of us who are not directly involved. Frankly I was happy to hear that when the court rejected her parents appeal. I honestly do not like my tax money tied up in frivolous law suits. Florida governor trying to acquire custody of Terri Schiavo? Oh, please!
But that's not what I want to say here. Nothing I can argue both from a legal or moral standpoint hasn't already been argued to death, but I do have one question.
Terri Schiavo's parents are Catholics. I can certainly see that an atheist who does not believe in life after death will consider death being the worse thing that could happen (although I doubt most of us atheist feel that way, perhaps it was because I'm more a quitter than a fighter. I can think of many scenarios where I think death will be a better alternative). Regardless, Catholics, as in the case of most religions, believe that there is life after death. So presumably, the difference between life and death is really down to wether the soul is still with the body.
So let's now look back at Terri Schiavo's case. If her soul was no longer with the body, it's pointless to keep the body "alive." And if she soul was still with the body, what kind of an awful existent that would be? I once watched a show about a woman recalling her time spent on solitary confinement, I believed she was locked up in a pitch black cell too. (That would be one of the scenario that I think death would be a better choice.) She continued to toss and find a button (coin?) non stop to pass time and keep herself sane. Now we all know that solitary confinement is considered as "cruel and unusual" in any civilized society. Now imagine a soul trapped inside a body that cannot move or communicate. Imagine how awful that is? If people truly believe there's life after dead, and in their theory, life after death is the glorious time is to be with their God, why not let her pass on to the next stage? Surely the first year or two it'd be hard for the ones left behind to grasp the lost, but it's been 15 years? It baffles me why it's so difficult to let her move on, to be with God, no less.
But that's not what I want to say here. Nothing I can argue both from a legal or moral standpoint hasn't already been argued to death, but I do have one question.
Terri Schiavo's parents are Catholics. I can certainly see that an atheist who does not believe in life after death will consider death being the worse thing that could happen (although I doubt most of us atheist feel that way, perhaps it was because I'm more a quitter than a fighter. I can think of many scenarios where I think death will be a better alternative). Regardless, Catholics, as in the case of most religions, believe that there is life after death. So presumably, the difference between life and death is really down to wether the soul is still with the body.
So let's now look back at Terri Schiavo's case. If her soul was no longer with the body, it's pointless to keep the body "alive." And if she soul was still with the body, what kind of an awful existent that would be? I once watched a show about a woman recalling her time spent on solitary confinement, I believed she was locked up in a pitch black cell too. (That would be one of the scenario that I think death would be a better choice.) She continued to toss and find a button (coin?) non stop to pass time and keep herself sane. Now we all know that solitary confinement is considered as "cruel and unusual" in any civilized society. Now imagine a soul trapped inside a body that cannot move or communicate. Imagine how awful that is? If people truly believe there's life after dead, and in their theory, life after death is the glorious time is to be with their God, why not let her pass on to the next stage? Surely the first year or two it'd be hard for the ones left behind to grasp the lost, but it's been 15 years? It baffles me why it's so difficult to let her move on, to be with God, no less.
posted by cahalan @ 15:08
|
<< Home