The Question of the right to die with dignity
and Terry Schiavo

I have always been taught that the Soul inhabits the body until death
at which time it leaves and ascends into heaven to be with God. It is my
understanding that the body is a vessel for the soul here on earth. The
body is made up of organic material including the brain which functions
as the central clearing house for all the bodies automatic functions.
The Soul which inhabits the body controls all of the conscious and most
of the subconscious activities. Most of us are unaware of these things
as we go through life.
I was always told and I believe it is in the Bible that we were
given one body which we should take care of as best we can in order to
remain healthy and live as long as possible. I was also taught that we
should not abuse it because of the irreparable damage we may cause to
it. Of course we do make mistakes from time to time and these can be
repaired or reversed by stopping the bad practice or through medical
means. Don't get me wrong, medicine can do only do so much to repair the
damage. Damage that can not be repaired we must live with, like it or
not. Unfortunately some of us do things that can and does cause enough
damage that the body ceases to function and death occurs unless
immediate intervention is initiated in order to stop irreversible damage
from occurring. Sometimes, and this happens a lot, the treatment comes
too late and the damage is done.
In my opinion this is what happened to Terry Schiavo. Her eating
disorder caused her heart to stop beating and by the time help arrived
the brain sustained so much damage that she was no longer able to
function as we know it. Here is where the conundrum persists. The
question persists as to whether the Soul still inhabits her body,
trapped so to speak, and unable to communicate in any fashion, a form
of pergetory or personal hell if you will? Or has the soul gone on and
left the empty shell kept alive by artificial means on automatic pilot
by whatever is left of the brain? This we will never know and these and
other questions remain unanswered.
Who is right in this case? The parents whose undying love for their
daughter propels them with he hope that a miracle will happen and she
will someday awaken, or her realist husband who has even gone to medical
school in the hopes of finding a solution and realizing that there is
none, now wishes her to die and not be kept alive by artificial means, a
wish she expressed before this awful thing happened.
There is a time for everything. There is a time to be born and there
is a time to die and only God can make that decision. None of us should
play the role of God. It is not our decision no matter what our hopes are.
I pray that this awful ordeal finally comes to and end and that
Terry is allowed the dignity she deserves.