Medical Non-Intervention

Rev Hellfire

On the abortion topic in the atheist forum the issue of handicapped children was raised and it got me wondering what the stance the good citizens of this forum have on the somewhat related policy of non-intervention when dealing with severe disabilities (and perhaps severe terminal illnesses). Note this is not about abortion nor is it about euthanasia, both of which are the active termination of a life.

For example when dealing with a child in respiratory difficulty a policy of non-intervention will allow the use of an oxygen mask and perhaps cpap but rules out the use of 'full' respirators. The possibility of a death now exists in a case where it could be avoided, in that you will assist the child but not stand in for the child.

JimiTime

I think its a choice TBH. What an awful one also:( I personally don't think there is a right and wrong action, but there can be a right and wrong motivation for carrying out an action. For me, the responsible thing would be to have as much info as possible on what the condition is, is it just prolonging the inevitable, is the person in pain etc etc. Am I prolonging the life out of my selfishness, or am I removing the machines out of my selfishness. Woh, the more I think of it, the more I hope that I'm never in that position:( TBH, this is an incident I would pray very hard for wisdom, strength and God willing, intevention.

BrianCalgary

I think Jimitime does a good job of representing my sentiments also.

Rev Hellfire

Indeed he does answer it well.

But from a theological sense it seems an uncertain issue to me, would it be considered a sin (Thou shall not kill) by Christians?

While you are not actually committing a murder, you are looking to increase the likelihood of death. But on the other hand you could argue that you are merely placing their survival in the hands of the lord.

BrianCalgary

Rev Hellfire wrote: »

Indeed he does answer it well.

But from a theological sense it seems an uncertain issue to me, would it be considered a sin (Thou shall not kill) by Christians?

While you are not actually committing a murder, you are looking to increase the likelihood of death. But on the other hand you could argue that you are merely placing their survival in the hands of the lord.

It would really depend on the circumstances.

If someone could be kept alive with loads of machines hooked up yet they show no signs of improvement or brain wave pattern, then let them go. In that situation there are those who would call it murder. But, is that person already dead and the shell is still living based on the machine hookups?
After my sons recent heart surgery he was hooked up to a breathing machine, but we knew that within 24 hours he'd be weaned off it. His brain waves were quite intact so we keep him alive. In the first few hours, he may have died without the machine. To remove it in my sons case; that would be murder.

Those are the two extremes and how I would call it.

But as in anything emotions come into it. Lets say my sons vitals just dropped after the surgery, his brain waves stopped and he was being kept 'alive' bymachines. Could I have pulled the plug? As I sit here now today I cpuld say yes. But if the circumstances really did exist, I don't know if I could. Understanding that he would then be in the arms of Jesus and better off anyway.