Letter to the Editor Northern Territory News appeared on April 22, 2008

Death can be Dignified

To Ed of Humpty Doo. ( A small town situated not far from Darwin)

Sorry to hear of your suffering friend. Many people bear their agonies till their days are up and long after they have been totally reliant on the selfless love and service of others. This doesn’t make them die with any less dignity than those who chose otherwise.

It can actually show a lot of courage and beauty of their souls and should bring opportunities for family, friends and volunteers to show unconditional love which can bring lasting peace that helps in the grieving process when they finally depart.

It is sad that the Northern Territory News put the Christian Lobby’s comments across in a provocative manner in order to get a response from people that would see them as meddlers from another planet.

As Christians they know very well the suffering that Jesus willingly endured for every sinner whether we love him or loath him.

His death and resurrection are recorded in many historical archives (besides the bible) and none of the bible has been proven untrue even though millions have tried to prove so over the centuries.

It is a sin of ignorance to let this law be passed so that people can take their own lives before gaining the hope of eternal life, where every tear is wiped away and pain doesn’t exist and where peace of heart can be found for the rest of our days here and now – whether in sickness and despair or in abundance of blessings.

Yvonne Pratt, Wanguri, N.T

And a reader’s response the following day:

Yvonne Pratt:

Where do u get off preaching about ur religion 2 all?!

How dare u inflict what I can only assume is guilt upon those that are suffering immensely!

I’m Christian too, but every1 deserves to have the right to end their suffering if they chose.

If ur a big believer that it’s wrong, then don’t do it!

Simple!

Kim, Winnellie, N.T.

And my commentary to them both:

Lordy, Lordy, Yvonne, your passion for your faith system is commendable for you and I do hope it manages to sustain you when your time comes to “suffer” Implementation of the policy tends to sort out the chaff from the wheat. Both useable commodities in their own right, but not together – rather like oil and water. Both valuable and precious, depending on whether you are drinking it or running your motor car on it.

“It can show courage and beauty of the soul!!!” to suffer………I don’t care about being courageous or beautiful while dying. I want it to be swift and painless…..

My “soul” will be even more beautiful for the peace a hastened death grants me! and my family will appreciate that I took measures to protect them from watching me die very slowly, and not as my mother did before me. Eyes rolling, tongue lolling sideways as she dribbled unconsciously for 14 very long days……..There was no beauty to be seen in her soul and my soul was gripped in agonizingly pain and despair witnessing the death of a strong woman who had ceased to live long before her last breath was taken. Life support systems I believe is the terminology used for imposing life on people when death is preferable.

Knowing my mother, she would have been mortified to have finished her life in such an undignified death. Like me she always thought that her wish for a hastened death could be honoured by the health professionals when the disease is obviously terminal. Now we have to have a law to protect people like us from people who hold Yvonne’s views.

It is a sin of ignorance Yvonne to believe that all people share your belief that there is an “eternal life”. My sister and brother both believe it, however, I don’t.

In the last Australian census I believe 29% of people were said to have no religious belief. I cannot force myself to believe in what is fundamentally an unproven assumption, but for others it is a comfort to have another force to rely on, blame, intercede or bargain with. Prayer does still the soul but does it mend the body? If the physical body is reliant on the peace and serenity of the soul then perhaps for Christians prayer is solely their tool of trade, but not for cynics such as myself. Prayer has no place in my life whatsoever.

Eternity is not for me and I have no interest in cultivating an education that would assure me of its existence. I believe firmly in the here and now. I believe that when one is dead, there is absolutely nothing to follow on – but that is only my belief system for me!…I have no desire to be one of billions of people wandering around in the presence of either God or the Devil (both mythical ideas without one shred of evidence to prove anything at all)

Science, not faith saved my life and I am not one to stand around prepared to suffer because it is helpful to the friends and relatives to have something “to do” in looking after me. Compassion translated into what I would do for a sick animal is good enough for me, it takes courage to relief an animal of its pain also but in the name of humanity we do it!. The very fact that Australians first, race to a doctor and not to a Church,for relief from both pain and suffering is an indication of which method works best.

No Yvonne, the Christian Lobby group is not from another planet, unfortunately, if they were we’d be able send them home. Instead they are a group of self opinionated Australians who believe in a set of programmed morals which they seek to impose on the rest of us is the only version of morality worthy of consideration. With the same zeal that over zealous Muslims are condemned for their wanting to kill the infidel, Christians seek to impose their version of Mohammad’s Islam on non believers. It doesn’t work like that.

With the same fervor you hold for your own beliefs you think yours in the RIGHT one for me, and yet I am not you. I have my own set of principles and morals and as both a Member of Liberty Australia and a Humanist, I am honour bound to allow people to differ from my POV.

You have at least understood that people who chose a hastened death do not die with less dignity than those who rely on their faith to carry them through the pain barrier to everlasting peace and serenity. Some of us just don’t want to be stalled at the red lights waiting to be allowed to die, sometimes for many Christians; even faith doesn’t warrant the ongoing suffering to be endured. Christ on the cross hung for six hours, not six weeks, or six months….He was dead and buried by sundown as was the custom for Jews of the day. (if the bible is to be believed)

Kim of Winnellie, in my humble opinion has got the right attitude for a Christian to have. Simply do for yourself what you believe to be right but don’t drag all Christians into your sanctimonious belief that suffering is anything but shite!

Mary Walsh, Melbourne