Hey Paul

So it appears Terri Schiavo's parents have exhausted their last hope and she will be allowed to die in peace. With the religious right clamoring in her defense and praying at her bedside, I can't help but wonder what role they think God plays in all this. One of the many, many inconsistencies that eventually led to my leaving the church was the idea that Christians always want God's will to be done and in fact believe that it will be done regardless of our actions--and yet they are instructed to pray ceaselessly for who knows what. If it is God's will that Terri Schiavo live in a vegetative coma for another fifty years, then does is really matter what any earthly judge decrees? Surely God isn't waiting for the number of prayers to reach some magical number. Right? Or is he just confused because people are praying on both sides of the issue? If God wants her to live, she'll live. Right?

And if God's will is going to be done regardless, why all the hubbub? Why not just sit back and let God do his thing and marvel at his majesty? Couldn't going to the courts be seen as a lack of faith? Heck, couldn't seeking medical treatment at all be seen as a lack of faith--or worse, as a way to circumvent the will of God? Who knows--nobody. When Terri eventually dies, the religious will rest in peace saying she is with her maker now and it was all God's will. Had they won in the courts, they'd be praising God for intervening and saying that was God's will too. It's all psychobabble and mind games.

[Edit: When Terri dies and her parents and the religious right accept that "it was God's will," will they then turn around and embrace Terri's husband? Will they apologize for all the nasty things they've said about him? After all, he will have been on the side of God's will all along. I doubt it.]

5 comments

Anonymous said...: I imagine that at the best, they'll just call him a murdered, at the worst, they'll try to get him arrested and tried on murder, probably the death penalty.

It's a crazy, crazy world we live in.

Travis

P.S. -- I've been enjoying your blog very much. :); Thursday, March 24, 2005
Hey Paul said...: Well Travis, since you don't leave a url or email address, I guess I'll just have to thank you for your comment here and hope you come back to it.

Thanks. It's always nice to hear that someone out there is reading my thoughts and rantings.

Do you have a blog of your own?; Thursday, March 24, 2005
Evan Jones said...: There are valid reasons for prayer. As usual, you have cut through the bullshit to identify the invalid parading as the true and essential. Your conclusion is wonderfully logical and delightfully humorous because the propositions are so widely held and yet so wildly illogical. God will probably get you for this. Until then, we'll pray for you.; Thursday, March 24, 2005
Anonymous said...: The Supreme Being vs. the Supreme Court

If I had to make a choice, I would side with Supreme Being. We seem to have lost the mere fact that it was the Supreme being who gave the vision and the how to, for the Scientists and Doctors, about the creation of the machine that is keeping Terry alive today. “For such as a time as this”, a quote from the Bible, so that in God’s perfect timing his Glory shall shine upon this situation. Unfortunately, we are so quick to blame the religious fanatics for every thing, and hand all solutions to our wonderful “Supreme Court" beings, and let them play god. Well, I for one have become tired of listening to both sides yelling. The religious should first be asking God for the wisdom in this situation, and secondly the courts should begin to remember what their role in life on the bench really is, to seek the true wisdom in all situations and ensure that they have considered everyone, all circumstances and at last be willing to make the tough calls. This is no longer the case with our judicial system, for god sake the last time I looked a judge was created from the same dirt that we all were created from, or is it a monkey, for the evolutionists! This being the case than I think this low level college student can quit now and apply for the Supreme court justice seat and win!; Thursday, March 24, 2005
Anonymous said...: Heya, Paul,

I vist your blog every weekday ... it's how I avoid my day job. LOL.

I don't have a blog per se, I have a journal at livejournal.com. It's kinda boring to most people who don't know me, but you can check it out at www.livejournal.com/~orlith. On the other hand, I'm certainly not main stream. ;)

Travis; Friday, March 25, 2005