Euthanasia, Assisted Suicide, and Murder: The Diabolical Trinity!

From the 1978 movie, Coma, based on Robin Cook's 1977 novel of the same name.

Get ready for a real life horror story. 

But first, let me say that anyone who's not sleeping at the switch knows that euthanasia and assisted suicide are expanding  at an alarming rate. Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Belgium have been murder capitols for years and now Canada has joined the killing spree and is considering taking it a step further - to kill "mature minors" without parental consent. (One presumes the parents will be called after death to remove the body and pay for the funeral.)

Nurses' Association Joins the Death Peddlers

Remember the midwives of Egypt during the slave days of the chosen people? They refused to kill the male babies telling the authorities that the Israelite women delivered without their help before they could arrive. Hence, they avoided becoming cooperators in infant killing. 

But that was then and this is now.

The American Nurses Association (ANA) recently amended their statement on Nutrition and Hydration at the End of Life. The amended document approves of assisting patients to kill themselves by starvation and dehydration, even those who are suffering from dementia. Read Nancy Valko's commentary on their decision here.

The language is specifically geared to make their decision sound like it respects the dignity of the patient, as if any preference of a patient is legitimate. But what this does is to endanger nurses who don't want to cooperate in evil, as well as the patients for whom they care. 

Where is the Next Stop for a Catholic Who Commits Suicide?

Where is Betsy now? Charon carrying the dead
across the River Styx.

You Think Assisted Suicide is about Choice? Dream on!

"Angel of death," Charles Cullen,convicted of
murdering 29 patients. Whose choice? 

Rehab Center Pressures 91-year-old Woman to Kill Herself

When I hear that word "choice" I recall all the young women I counseled (or tried to counsel) outside abortion mills. Many were being dragged into the building by a guy. I remember a few young men who snatched the information I gave the girls out of their hands and stuffed it in the back pocket while cursing at me and telling me, "She's already made her choice."

"No," I would reply, "You've made her choice." or "She's made your choice." Then I would warn the young woman that he would be gone in six months or less leaving her to deal with the fact that she killed her baby to please him.

Sometimes it was a mother bringing her daughter to the mill to kill her grandchild. That always made me especially sick. As the grandmom of two babies born before marriage, I shudder to think that they might never have seen the light of day if they were conceived in another family. Thank you, God and my daughters, for saying yes to life and giving me these precious gifts!

Too Cruel for Capital Punishment but Great for Assisted Suicide?

Botched Execution in Arizona Causing Death Penalty Debate Used Assisted Suicide Drug

Leaving the moral issue of killing yourself aside for a moment, just take a look at the practical issues. Consider:

You're a nonbeliever with a terminal illness who abhors the thought of dying by inches dribbling and vomiting, etc. So you go along with the "compassionate dying" crowd who insist that killing yourself is easy and pleasant, no problemo -- except that the drugs leave you "gasp(ing) and snort(ing)", vomiting and having seizures for hours before you finally experience that blissful nirvana of the good death. Nice picture, eh?

Suicide Clinics: Abandon Hope, You Who Enter!

One of my favorite novels is Canticle for Leibowitz by Arthur Miller. After a nuclear war, the government sets up a facility to euthanize those suffering from radiation sickness. The abbot of a local monastery sends his monks to picket the place round the clock with a sign reading "Abandon hope all you who enter here." I was reminded of that scene in the book today when I read about the Swiss suicide clinics and their rising death toll. 

Swiss Suicide Clinics Kill Four People Every Week, 1700 People Dead Since 1998

Dignitas, a misnomer if ever there was one, is the largest death camp in Switzerland, but only one of the facilities that will kill someone for a hefty price. (Exit, a more appropriate name, is another.) Dignitas has opened a similar suicide mill in Germany and, let's face it, the demand is increasing. While the scope of the killing doesn't rival abortion -- yet --, as the population of elderly increases and legalization of assisted suicide advances watch for its exponential rise. And for the rise of mistakes -- like the 62-year-old dying man who wasn't dying after all. Oops! 

People would do well to remember that we do not own ourselves. We belong to the Creator and only He has power over life and death. One usurps God's prerogatives at his peril! An eternity of hell involves a lot more suffering than a few years of pain on this earth.

Are there people in your life with serious illness or dementia? Let them know how important they are and how much they are loved -- not just by you, but by their Maker. Only God knows how responsible a suicide is for taking that evil and drastic step, but the act is objectively mortally sinful. And how sad for a suffering soul not to recognize the value of offering up that suffering for his own salvation and that of others.  

A Fitting End to a Life of Rejecting the Truths of the Faith?

Hans Kung is considering ending his own life by assisted suicide. Kung, 85, suffers from Parkinson's. He sees Pope John Paul II and Muhammad Ali who also suffered from the disease as models to reject rather than emulate. In the third volume of his memoirs the perennial rebel theologian writes:

I do not want to live as a shadow of myself....No person is obligated to suffer the unbearable as something sent from God....People can decide this for themselves and no priest, doctor or judge can stop them...[It is a] surrendering of life...a return of life to the hands of the Creator....How much longer will my life be liveable in dignity?...A scholar who can no longer read and write - what's next?

Can any of us be surprised that a man who has so often publicly dissented from the teachings of the Church would be contemplating the ultimate act of rejecting the God of life while framing such rejection as a virtue? Kung was banned in 1979 from teaching as a Catholic theologian which did little to moderate his heretical views which includes support for abortion. In 2007 when Mexico was debating the legalization of abortion he said, “The Church’s absolute prohibition of abortion is a merciless extremism that could be anything but Christian.” Kung himself openly said he would sign the counseling verification forms required in Germany before an abortion. He also vigorously opposed Vatican authority and promoted the spirit of the age which made him the darling of the liberal left. Kung embodied the "spirit of Vatican II" in its worst manifestation.

In a recent interview with Der Spiegel, Kung implied that "the staging of his death might be a last protest of the official Church.” If so it will also indicate a decision to walk through the gate under the sign reading, "Abandon hope all you who enter here."

Please pray for Hans Kung. I have always been chilled by his arrogance. Interestingly one of his books is titled in English, My Struggle for Freedom. Does it strike you as it did me? I immediately thought of Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf. Both men rejected the teachings of the Church, Hitler for a paganism reminiscent of Norse mythology and Kung for his own vision of the modernist Church. But Kung isn't dead yet and where there's life there's hope.

My husband and I are about to pray our rosary. I'm adding Hans Kung to my rosary journal and asking Our Lady, Refuge Sinners to pour out the grace of conversion on his hard heart.

Blessed Jacinta and Francisco of Fatima, please pray for him.

The Kevorkian Lesson: Gruesome Killers are Fascinated by Death

If Jack Kevorkian, Dr. Death, were still alive he would be 85 next month. The euthanasia activist was an outspoken and enthusiastic advocate for killing the sick and handicapped, something he apparently enjoyed doing personally. He finally ended up in jail for practically daring the government to prosecute him after he gave one man a lethal injection and then released a video showing it. He ended up serving about eight years in jail.

The gruesomeness of the Gosnell trial, with the graphic description of his murders and the grim jokes about the poor little victims reminded me of Jack Kevorkian this week. The only difference? The size of the victims.    How do you get inside the brain of a serial killer? With Kevorkian, it was pretty easy. He left behind a body of paintings that illustrate, I think, that he was a madman. Take a look at his "art" and see if you agree. Frankly, I think he was possessed. He certainly hated religion as the two pictures relating to God illustrate.

"For He is Raised"

"Very Still Life"

I could not find a title for this painting, but it seems to me to indicate a connection between abortion and murder of the weak. Is the emaciated man a symbol for Kevorkian's victims? I wonder how Kevorkian himself saw it, but I expect no matter what he said there is a subliminal message.

"Nearer My God to Thee"

When I looked at this picture I could only imagine that it is a soul being sucked down to hell. And the "god" would have to be the Lord of this world. Did Kevorkian himself grasp life like that as he reached the end? I can't imagine he had a peaceful death.

Abortionists have the same gruesome attitude toward death. If you read The Death Peddlars by Fr. Paul Marx or read reports from abortion meetings infiltrated by pro-lifers you see the macabre jokes and the almost compulsive fascination with death talk. It's creepy. Jack Kevorkian took the creep factor and made it visible for all to see with his "artworks." Interestingly, this most unnatural man died a natural death. May God have mercy on his soul.

Did You Hear about the Double Suicide of the Belgian Twins?

Marc and Eddy Verbessem were deaf and going blind, so they decided to end it all. It's a sad affair, especially when you consider the likelihood of a very hot destination that awaits an unrepentant suicide who is in his right mind. In a splendid article, James Thunder addressed the situation comparing their decision with the life of another deaf and blind person, Helen Keller.
Helen Keller, Anne Sullivan, and Assisted Suicide 

For a video about the case go here. Belgium and Holland are the two countries that have legalized assisted suicide. In Holland the elderly are afraid to go to the hospital. After all, when some lives are considered not worth living and doctors are killers is any sick person safe? A friend of mine with a terminal illness had a blockage several months ago and a doctor in Winchester basically wrote her off telling her, "Well you've fought a good fight." He made the decision surgery was useless, but she didn't feel that way and fortunately has another doctor who agreed. Is she afraid to die? Not this lady! She is cheerful and smiling and keeps aggressively fighting her disease, not out of fear, but from all appearances to continue her vocation of prayer. Despite her illness she is at morning Mass most days and still keeps her 2-3 a.m. hour of adoration along with her faithful, non-Catholic husband who drives her over the mountain to church. It is obvious to all who know her that her love of God and union with Christ's suffering gives her the will to live every moment as a precious opportunity to know, love, and serve God. When you recognize that your life belongs to God, killing yourself is not an option and you may even have the courage to welcome your suffering. We are not our own masters! We do not own ourselves. Our creator is the one with the right over life and death -- not us! These men had a purpose and a future. It's sad that no one helped them to see it.

BBC Joins Assisted Suicide Cheerleaders with Propaganda Piece

BBC Showing Documentary Depicting Man Dying in Assisted Suicide

Remember before abortion was legalized the shameless propaganda promoting it? I remember the two-part episode of Maude with Bea Arthur that ran in 1972 promoting abortion. In fact, a group of about 60 of us picketed channel 9 in D.C. There was a smaller counter picket of a few people and guess who got the coverage? Some things never change.

And now its the BBC shilling for assisted suicide. Hey, the baby boomers use up too much medical care. Kill us off to save money. And if they can talk us into killing ourselves, all the better. When Obamacare goes into effect, they'll just refuse us care. It's already happening. A friend told me about an older relative who couldn't get heart surgery approved recently and he finally paid for it himself out of pocket. But won't it be wonderful when all those uninsured have the same right to be refused treatment as this gentleman?

Grandma Gruesome Busted by the FBI

The 91 year old great grandmother who sold suicide kits so people could kill themselves was arrested by the FBI this week. See my original post and then read about this murderess coming face to face with justice. She still has to face the final judge and unless she repents she's in big trouble. You would have hoped someone who has been blessed with such a long life would have accumulated some wisdom and holiness along the way instead of being a henchmen of the Prince of Lies.

91-Year-Old Grandma Busted in California for Suicide Kit Business

Grandma Gruesome Peddles Suicide Kits

UPDATE: I've removed the link to the article to avoid giving this woman free publicity.

At 91 you would think a persons is contemplating the afterlife and where she might spend it. But this geriatric gargoyle is busy sewing up suicide kits to kill people. What do you think the Lord will say to her on judgment day?

As for her being "compassionate," that's a masquerade. Usually the people these folks want to spare from suffering are themselves. I was with both my mom and dad when they died. They both had terminal cancer. It wasn't pleasant, but the pain was manageable with the meds and they both knew that suffering has value. Daddy used to tell us he was getting souls out of purgatory.

There is one kind of suffering that has no value at all -- hell. This lady is likely to find that out personally if she doesn't repent.

Extreme Cases Make Bad Law

An English stroke victim, Tony Nicklinson, is fighting for the right to have his wife kill him with a lethal injection. He says he has no quality of life and wants to be dead, but as a stroke victim in "locked in" state, he cannot do anything for himself. He cannot kill himself or even participate in his own suicide. He needs to be directly killed. He is challenging the law to make it possible, seeking the assurance that his wife will not be charged with murder. The irony of the news story below is its ending, where the reporter talks about death releasing Tony from a "living hell." But what if the "release" results in his plunging into eternal hell, the unquenchable fire?  Is it worth trading 20 years of suffering for an eternity's worth?

 

We do not belong to ourselves; we belong to God. Suffering has value. My own brother (55) who suffered a debilitating stroke last summer and has also contracted a seriously debilitating condition called recurring transverse mylitis also has limited quality of life. But rather than focusing on his own suffering, John has been offering his suffering for others and praying and keeping his sense of humor. Granted, his condition is less severe, but terrible nonetheless.

The worst scenario will be the result if the Nicklinsons are successful in changing the law. Every handicapped individual will be at the mercy of caregivers who may believe they are better off dead. Legalizing the murder of Tony Nicklinson would endanger millions of sick and suffering people. Look at the euthanasia laws in the Netherlands where people are being offed without their consent. Will England be next?

Is Suicide the Answer?

In the culture of death it is no surprise that suicide is common and that, for many, it seems an easy way out, or at least an easier way out than living with suffering and challenge. Charlotte Raven has written a moving article on the issue, one that shows, despite no religious conviction, that the natural law still moves hearts.

Charlotte Raven: Should I take my own life?

Perhaps at least a drop of sense is entering the debate. Switzerland is taking steps to increase restrictions on its suicide clinics. Well-publicized cases about non-terminal patients being killed has brought some soul-searching to the debate. According to The Guardian, "The Swiss cabinet, which is divided on the emotive issue, sent two proposals into the legislative process for consultation, which will last until 1 March: one for tighter regulation, and the other for an outright ban."

Pray for those considering the legislation that they will recognize the value of life, even a life of suffering. Pope John Paul II showed the world that suffering can be accepted and a source of sanctification. He didn't hide his Parkinson's Disease, but allowed his vulnerability to touch the world.

Let us each pray to embrace our sufferings and even praise God for them, knowing they make us humble and only humble people get into heaven.

Oregon Shows What's in Store for the Elderly - Take the Death Drug, Granny!

EDITORIAL: A euthanasia mandate


"The Oregon health plan last year refused to pay for a recognized drug to prolong the life of lung cancer patient Barbara Wagner even after her oncologist prescribed it. Yet the same bureaucrats told Ms. Wagner that the plan would indeed cover doctor-assisted suicide if she chose that option."

Has anyone said that to Ted Kennedy? Yuh think? Who is more likely to have their health care cut off and to be pressured to choose euthanasia? Rich politicians like Ted Kennedy -- or the poor and minorities.

Headlines for Catholic Apostles

St. Louis bishop: Lax Catholics, Satan behind pro-abortion officials
Bishop Robert Hermann, administrator of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, says that the election of President Barack Obama would not have occurred without the support of lax Catholics.
“If at this stage our anger is directed at President Obama, our anger is misdirected,” Bishop Hermann writes. “Obama is not the enemy. He needs and deserves our prayers, not our condemnation. (More...)

CATHOLIC JOURNALISTS: BEAR WITNESS TO THE VALUES OF FAITH
VATICAN CITY, 27 JAN 2009 (VIS) - Benedict XVI has sent a message to participants in the national congress of the Italian Catholic Press Union (UCSI). The congress, held last week, commemorated the institution's fiftieth anniversary. (More...)

Embryonic stem cell research could increase in Maryland
Maryland could become a focus in the moral minefield of embryonic stem cell research.
As the state lays off employees and freezes programs in reaction to a budget deficit, Governor Martin J. O’Malley has increased funding for stem cell research by $400,000, which was included in the proposed state budget that was released Jan. 20. (More...)

Cashing in on despair? Suicide clinic Dignitas is a profit obsessed killing machine, claims ex-worker
The black plastic bin liners were bulging and cluttered the back stairs to the office of Ludwig Minelli, founder and head of the assisted suicide organisation Dignitas.Soraya Wernli was new to the job as a 'companion', one of those hired by Minelli, 75, to assist people in their final journey to the 'other side'.
Paperwork, words of comfort, a gentle hand for those about to end their pain-filled lives - these were some of the things the former district nurse knew she was signing up for when she agreed to work for him.
'But then, just a few days into the job, he asked me to sort through the stuff in these plastic bin liners clogging the stairs,' she said. (More...)

Another Court-Ordered Contribution to the Culture of Death

Montana judge: Man has right to assisted suicide
By AMY BETH HANSON Associated Press Dec. 6, 2008, 5:16PM


HELENA, Mont. — A Montana judge has ruled that doctor-assisted
suicides are legal in the state, a decision likely to be appealed as the
state argues that the Legislature, not the court, should decide whether
terminally ill patients have the right to take their own life. (more)

St. Juan Diego, Pray for Us

The feast of St. Juan Diego is an instructive one for Americans living in the culture of death because he also lived in a culture of death. Juan may very well have witnessed, as a young teenager, the three-day pagan festival held in 1487 when the Aztec priests offered 80,000 human sacrifices. They cut out the still-beating hearts from the chests of their victims before thrusting their bodies down the stairs of the pyramids.

After the Spanish conquest of the Aztecs by Cortes in 1521 human sacrifice and devil-worship were banned, but the native population continued to practice its pagan rituals in secret. Although Juan Diego was among the first to convert to Christianity, little progress was being made by the Catholic missionaries. That is until the Blessed Mother appeared to Juan four times on Tepeyac Hill in 1531.

Juan Diego was up early on the morning of the first apparition to walk the 15 miles to daily Mass. As he passed the hill he saw a glow and heard music and a woman's voice calling to him, "Juanito." Juan met the Blessed Mother dressed as an Aztec princess. She told him to go to the bishop and ask him to build a church there. Juan Diego obeyed, but the bishop, although kind, did not believe him. On another visit the bishop asked for a sign. When Juan told the Blessed Mother, she promised to give him one the next morning.

But on that day Juan's uncle was deathly ill so he attempted to avoid Mary by rounding the hill on the other side in order to hurry and fetch the priest. Our Lady, however, met him on the side of hill. "Where are you going, my little son?" she asked. When he told her about his uncle's illness, she replied, "Nothing should frighten or grieve you. Let not your heart be disturbed. Do not fear that sickness, nor any other sickness or anguish. Am I not here, who is your Mother? Are you not under my protection? Am I not your health? Are you not happily within my fold? What else do you wish? Do not grieve nor be disturbed by anything." She assured him that his uncle would get better and again commissioned him to take her request to the bishop.

Although it was winter, Mary sent Juan Diego to gather roses as the sign the bishop sought. He did and Mary herself arranged them in his tilma before sending him off as her ambassador. When he opened his cloak in the bishop's office and the roses fell to the floor, there embedded in the weave was the miraculous image of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

In the next few years millions of natives converted to Catholicism because of the miracle. The symbolism of the image spoke a clear message that God had visited His people through the Holy Virgin.

St. Juan Diego, on your feast day we beg for your intercession to build in America a culture of life. Please ask the Blessed Mother to act as she did in Mexico to end the human sacrifice of abortion, euthanasia, assisted suicide, and all other assaults against human life.