Seeing as we're talking about the wonderful subject of death, I wonder what you nice folk think of this that I posted to Peterson Academy today. I'd love to get your thoughts too lovely NJ subscribers.
"So, yesterday Scotland moved a step closer to "assisted dying", or Government Sponsored Suicide as it should be called.
I think the issue here is that this is always presented as too black and white. As someone whose father died in palliative care, I am well aware that he died from morphine and not cancer. I think the issue here is the codification of suicide. It takes away the difficulty and severity of these decisions. I believe that there should be great risk of prosecution to those who assist in such matters. Every case should be an individual assessment. Codification into law removes this and cheapens dying.
Is it right to euthanise animals but not humans? We are NOT just high level animals. We know it's wrong and the fact that it's always the same type of people advocating this sort of thing tells me it is wrong.
I put this in the same category as abortion: we must have a very high threshold of protecting life because either all life matters and is good and worthy of protection or none of it is, practically speaking. Sooner or later the arbitrary-ness will catch up with each of us.
Dave, I wholeheartedly agree with you. It is a perfect example of turning the “slippery slope” logical fallacy to a truth. If suicide becomes legal, it is very easy to expand the scope to allow more and more rationalized applications that cross the line into state sponsored murder. For example, “Why pay so much in healthcare costs for someone who is almost dead anyway, or likely will be very soon?” I don’t want the state making those kind of decisions for me.
Trust me it has cost a lot of money to keep me alive with a severe mental illness and many suicide attempts. Early on it looked like there was no hope for me to have a good life. I would’ve been prime pickings for a government who wanted to justify saving money. I would’ve voluntarily signed up for it at the time, but I still get benefits that cost the government money and I still do struggle, maybe I feel like my life is worth it right now, but maybe they wouldn’t.
"It takes away the difficulty and severity of these decisions."
1. That's what we want to believe it (and other choices ie Abortion etc etc) will do. 2. But in Real Life does That Work? OR do the choices we make on The Big Questions stay with us and haunt us?
That’s why you aren’t even allowed to pray outside an abortion clinic. Everyone knows it’s wrong but they think they can hide their guilt. Raskolnikov found out the truth the hard way.
I have a mental illness that made my life unlivable for 15 years almost. I tried suicide many times before I got better. I still have the illness, but it has become managed with better medications. I now go by a saying, I saw on a sign I purchased in a store that hangs on my wall right now and it says “I still remember the days I prayed for the life that I have now.”
I was blessed that I was very bad at suicide, and if the option of assistance in dying, or better put as you said, assisted suicide, I would not know the life I have now. I would not have met my wife who makes me a better man. I agree that it is corrupt and immoral. Especially if done for psychological reasons. Someone can always get better. We shouldn’t be promoting the idea that there is no hope so come to the government and we’ll give you a “dignified death.”
I’ve actually contemplated writing an article on this very subject and posting it here on my Substack.
Robert, please write that article so I can send it to MPs in the uk and get this horror show stopped. God bless you and I pray that your life continues to improve.
How long then, to euthanasia for dementia patients, as a "merciful" release from the inconvenience, expense, and pain of beholding the deterioration of those once-loved? Is this unlikely, given the abortion rate, and the merchandising of body parts of aborted babies? Useless, confused, old people - I think it inevitable if we adopt legally assisted suicide.
“...being wise in your own sight,”... that line struck me. A friend's husband, for the last couple years, and this past year acutely, has descended into a kind of madness where he is locked in his own mind. His descent has been fueled by an obsession with doctrinal and historical minutia in church matters that he can never quite square away in his intellect. (He fancies himself an intellectual but failed out of Oxford and was never able to finish post-grad studies anywhere else either.) The problem he has is that he thinks exactly this: he is wise in his own sight and everyone around him, all the way up the educational and hierarchical ladders are either wrong or not fully right. An ounce of humility, or even humor, would probably break the spell and put him back on the path to living life, if only he could put himself aside for a moment.
These words are the challenge that all people of faith must face: "Very truly it was said: the kingdom of God or the life of the self. One of them has to go." It's part of our makeup to concern ourselves with ourselves. From "me time" to "self care" and all the other euphemisms, it's very easy to sink into one's own world--and forget about the one God has made just for us. I quiver at that--and also welcome it as something for which we have to strive.
Not directly related, but this is why I appreciate the Jewish tradition of wishing someone a “good new year” (shana tova) instead of a “happy new year.” A good new year will encompass happy, sad and difficult times, a much richer existence than striving for fleeting self-centered happiness. God can redeem the worst of times and bring forth good.
I'm reading Luke right now, and last night I read the parable of the Parodical son. As a responsible oldest child who often felt that the parental scales of justice were always tipped against me in comparison to my younger siblings. I've always had a problem with this story, and with ALL stories and fairytales in which the oldest child is castigated as a villain, and the youngest child is the kind compassionate hero (I don't know where the heck this trope came from, I think it's ridiculous).
Even your line, Andrew Klavan, in "Kingdom of Cain" [Now available at Amazon.com]
'Throughout the Jew's biblical history, the oldest brother fails or dies or somehow falls short and is replaced by a younger who leads the way into the next generation.'
Ouch, now that was a dagger in my heart.
I've just always felt in my gut "It's NOT. FAIR. WHY IS THIS YOUNGEST JACKASS GETTING ALL THE LOVE AFTER EVERYTHING HE's DONE, AND THE RESPONSIBLE OLDEST CHILD GETS NOTHING? IT'S NOT FAIR!"
But obviously, it's an error in perception. In one sense, there's the error of fear in older brother types, and an error in the perception of sin as "a good time."
"I'm not sinning, because I won't be loved. I'm only loved if I deserve it. The presence or absence of love is dependent on me." and "I envy the good time sinning my brother had, that I'm too afraid to part take in."
But as I was falling asleep, I had the recurrent thought the older brother is tripped up by pride; thus, he cannot accept the father's love and cannot repent, as you have already said "he is wise in his own eyes."
I love the Star Wars reference, but isn't that origin of Darth Vader biblical based in Lucifer's fall? He was the herald of God. The greatest angel. So of course his fall produced the greatest evil. I mean maybe he was more like Wormwood, in that he was serving a more evil master, but the parallel of the greater the height the farther you fall is unmistakable.
It really is a choice between life and death isn't it? This goes right along with jordan peterson's recent interview with douglas murray and the culture of death. Also i'm remembering a young heretics podcast maybe with sohrab amari, where they talked about assisted suicide? It's been a while maybe spencer can point us to it.
Seeing as we're talking about the wonderful subject of death, I wonder what you nice folk think of this that I posted to Peterson Academy today. I'd love to get your thoughts too lovely NJ subscribers.
"So, yesterday Scotland moved a step closer to "assisted dying", or Government Sponsored Suicide as it should be called.
I think the issue here is that this is always presented as too black and white. As someone whose father died in palliative care, I am well aware that he died from morphine and not cancer. I think the issue here is the codification of suicide. It takes away the difficulty and severity of these decisions. I believe that there should be great risk of prosecution to those who assist in such matters. Every case should be an individual assessment. Codification into law removes this and cheapens dying.
Is it right to euthanise animals but not humans? We are NOT just high level animals. We know it's wrong and the fact that it's always the same type of people advocating this sort of thing tells me it is wrong.
I'd love to know people's thoughts on this."
I put this in the same category as abortion: we must have a very high threshold of protecting life because either all life matters and is good and worthy of protection or none of it is, practically speaking. Sooner or later the arbitrary-ness will catch up with each of us.
Dave, I wholeheartedly agree with you. It is a perfect example of turning the “slippery slope” logical fallacy to a truth. If suicide becomes legal, it is very easy to expand the scope to allow more and more rationalized applications that cross the line into state sponsored murder. For example, “Why pay so much in healthcare costs for someone who is almost dead anyway, or likely will be very soon?” I don’t want the state making those kind of decisions for me.
Trust me it has cost a lot of money to keep me alive with a severe mental illness and many suicide attempts. Early on it looked like there was no hope for me to have a good life. I would’ve been prime pickings for a government who wanted to justify saving money. I would’ve voluntarily signed up for it at the time, but I still get benefits that cost the government money and I still do struggle, maybe I feel like my life is worth it right now, but maybe they wouldn’t.
"It takes away the difficulty and severity of these decisions."
1. That's what we want to believe it (and other choices ie Abortion etc etc) will do. 2. But in Real Life does That Work? OR do the choices we make on The Big Questions stay with us and haunt us?
That’s why you aren’t even allowed to pray outside an abortion clinic. Everyone knows it’s wrong but they think they can hide their guilt. Raskolnikov found out the truth the hard way.
I have a mental illness that made my life unlivable for 15 years almost. I tried suicide many times before I got better. I still have the illness, but it has become managed with better medications. I now go by a saying, I saw on a sign I purchased in a store that hangs on my wall right now and it says “I still remember the days I prayed for the life that I have now.”
I was blessed that I was very bad at suicide, and if the option of assistance in dying, or better put as you said, assisted suicide, I would not know the life I have now. I would not have met my wife who makes me a better man. I agree that it is corrupt and immoral. Especially if done for psychological reasons. Someone can always get better. We shouldn’t be promoting the idea that there is no hope so come to the government and we’ll give you a “dignified death.”
I’ve actually contemplated writing an article on this very subject and posting it here on my Substack.
Robert, please write that article so I can send it to MPs in the uk and get this horror show stopped. God bless you and I pray that your life continues to improve.
How long then, to euthanasia for dementia patients, as a "merciful" release from the inconvenience, expense, and pain of beholding the deterioration of those once-loved? Is this unlikely, given the abortion rate, and the merchandising of body parts of aborted babies? Useless, confused, old people - I think it inevitable if we adopt legally assisted suicide.
I agree
“...being wise in your own sight,”... that line struck me. A friend's husband, for the last couple years, and this past year acutely, has descended into a kind of madness where he is locked in his own mind. His descent has been fueled by an obsession with doctrinal and historical minutia in church matters that he can never quite square away in his intellect. (He fancies himself an intellectual but failed out of Oxford and was never able to finish post-grad studies anywhere else either.) The problem he has is that he thinks exactly this: he is wise in his own sight and everyone around him, all the way up the educational and hierarchical ladders are either wrong or not fully right. An ounce of humility, or even humor, would probably break the spell and put him back on the path to living life, if only he could put himself aside for a moment.
These words are the challenge that all people of faith must face: "Very truly it was said: the kingdom of God or the life of the self. One of them has to go." It's part of our makeup to concern ourselves with ourselves. From "me time" to "self care" and all the other euphemisms, it's very easy to sink into one's own world--and forget about the one God has made just for us. I quiver at that--and also welcome it as something for which we have to strive.
Not directly related, but this is why I appreciate the Jewish tradition of wishing someone a “good new year” (shana tova) instead of a “happy new year.” A good new year will encompass happy, sad and difficult times, a much richer existence than striving for fleeting self-centered happiness. God can redeem the worst of times and bring forth good.
I'm reading Luke right now, and last night I read the parable of the Parodical son. As a responsible oldest child who often felt that the parental scales of justice were always tipped against me in comparison to my younger siblings. I've always had a problem with this story, and with ALL stories and fairytales in which the oldest child is castigated as a villain, and the youngest child is the kind compassionate hero (I don't know where the heck this trope came from, I think it's ridiculous).
Even your line, Andrew Klavan, in "Kingdom of Cain" [Now available at Amazon.com]
'Throughout the Jew's biblical history, the oldest brother fails or dies or somehow falls short and is replaced by a younger who leads the way into the next generation.'
Ouch, now that was a dagger in my heart.
I've just always felt in my gut "It's NOT. FAIR. WHY IS THIS YOUNGEST JACKASS GETTING ALL THE LOVE AFTER EVERYTHING HE's DONE, AND THE RESPONSIBLE OLDEST CHILD GETS NOTHING? IT'S NOT FAIR!"
But obviously, it's an error in perception. In one sense, there's the error of fear in older brother types, and an error in the perception of sin as "a good time."
"I'm not sinning, because I won't be loved. I'm only loved if I deserve it. The presence or absence of love is dependent on me." and "I envy the good time sinning my brother had, that I'm too afraid to part take in."
But as I was falling asleep, I had the recurrent thought the older brother is tripped up by pride; thus, he cannot accept the father's love and cannot repent, as you have already said "he is wise in his own eyes."
Spencer,
I love the Star Wars reference, but isn't that origin of Darth Vader biblical based in Lucifer's fall? He was the herald of God. The greatest angel. So of course his fall produced the greatest evil. I mean maybe he was more like Wormwood, in that he was serving a more evil master, but the parallel of the greater the height the farther you fall is unmistakable.
It really is a choice between life and death isn't it? This goes right along with jordan peterson's recent interview with douglas murray and the culture of death. Also i'm remembering a young heretics podcast maybe with sohrab amari, where they talked about assisted suicide? It's been a while maybe spencer can point us to it.
I had just finished reading Michael Shellenberger’s Substack “Public” on Deafening Silence Proves They Were Never Serious about Climate Change
Watching it NOW. One small problem 2 hours and 20 Minutes? Going to have to Bookmark it and come back over a couple of days.
As a guy I worked with put it, "There's only 24 hours in a day, and I have to go to The Can Some Time!" :-)
Thank you. Left me in tears.