winstonjen

From my experiences and observations, it is very easy for people to take the moral high ground (eg. pro-lifers, anti-stem cell research, etc.) when they are not affected by such issues personally. It all looks fine on paper and in theory, but in real life, well, reality is very different. I wonder how many pro-lifers who oppose euthanasia have terminal/chronic illnesses.

Anyone have thoughts/observations on this issue?

MattofVA

I definitely share your observation. Funny how theists condemn "situation ethics", yet it is very much taught in the bible(especially in the OT).

Jagged

very true. they want black and white rules to follow.

possible reasons:
easier
don't have the inconvenience of having to think for yourself
gives clear sense of direction in otherwise difficult situations
makes the world much less intimidating/scary

but all this at the expense of true compassion for fellow human beings (imho)

but i admit i am still trying to get rid of the superiority complex that i learned in the church then again, i still have ideals that i don't think are unhealthy.

dangin

I think it is even more interesting when it does affect them. I interviewed a doctor who told me about a female prolife activist in his area that came to him for a first trimester abortion for herself. The doc was even more amused(but kept it from the patient out of respect, and did not reveal the identity of the person to me) that he had performed the vasectomy on her husband five years earlier.

Bloop

I think you just broke the BitterSweet Irony Meter (tm), dangin

dshimel

One can believe an action to be immoral, but still choose to perform the action if they deem the personal reward is great enough. A young Christian woman becoming pregnant, with no means of support, and no desire to be a mother, and no desire to have people know she is pregnant could choose to have an abortion even though she believes what she is doing is "wrong".

I do disagree about the implied liklihood of a pro-lifer, Bible thumper suddenly becoming pro-euthenasia when one of their loved ones comes down with a horrid, slowly terminal illness. I've seen many such religous people in exactly this situation, and they speak of hoping the Lord will take they soon, but I do not think taking action to kill the person ever enters their mind. It would be murder, in their mind.

This issue is very close to me. My mother got cancer when I was 14. A year later, all hope of cure was exhausted. She was down from 150 lbs to 90 lbs. Continous pain or drugged out of her mind. Nothing to look forward to but 3-6 months of letting her loved ones sit around watching her rot from the inside out. She took a large number of pain killers, went to sleep, and died. The cancer killed her, she just chose the timing.

I've discussed this with many Christians, some that had recently lost a loved one to slow death. Without fail, they believe that my mother murdered herself.

Another example of religion stopping a thinking mind.

Amie

Hiya winstonjen
I agree that it does seem easier for some to take a position on an issue when they are not directly affected by the issue at hand. I myself am pro-life and I dont have a chronic or terminal illness so I can't actually say what my stance would be if I had. I really don't consider my pro-life stance to be a higher moral ground. Its a point of view I have and many don't share, such is life. I do not understand the people that become fanatical about it.

christ-on-a-stick

Hi Winstonjen,

I couldn't agree more. In particular, I have wondered aloud (and in a letter to the editor of my local paper that didn't get published) if all of the politicians who are jumping on the "no-stem-cell-research" bandwagon for purposese of pandering to the religious, would be willing to publicly vow that they will never take advantage of any of the medical breakthroughs that *will* arise from this supposedly unethical practice. After all if it's so wrong how could they in good conscience benefit from it (i.e. receiving a new organ that was possible because of that research)?

Yeah right... they oppose the research but when it gets done one way or another they will be first in line to take advantage.

winstonjen

I would agree with that. As long as THEY are not the ones in pain, they would just rely on prayer and faith. But when they are in pain, and faith and prayer have failed, they would wish to die, and may try starving themselves, or take mass amounts of painkillers to do so.

Also, why do pro-LIFErs bomb abortion clinics and KILL people?

scigirl

Thing is though, they are affected personally by these issues. It's our job, I guess (our = scientists, educators, activists) to show them that when we value quantity of life over quality, or when we halt medical research, that everybody loses.

I also want to add - I think it can work in reverse. I could turn your argument around and say, "it's easy to be pro-euthanasia when you aren't the one working in a hospital and are actually faced with the decision." Just something to think about. . . .

scigirl