bonnie Posted June 11, 2013 Posted June 11, 2013 Belgian Parliament Posed To Approve Child Euthanasia Law By Connor Adams Sheets | June 11 2013 3:03 PM The Belgian Federal Parliament is reportedly about to expand its controversial "right to die" policies to include access to euthanasia for some gravely ill children. A consensus among members of the legislative body has reportedly formed in support of legislation to allow children to choose to undergo euthanasia in certain dire cases, according to a report in the Belgian daily newspaper Der Morgen, as translated by the Paris-based news agency Presseurop. If child euthanasia is legalized in Belgium, the country would become the first in the developed world to have a law on the books allowing the practice, although the Netherlands has since 2005 not prosecuted doctors who perform euthanasia on some minors as long as the doctors act in accordance with a set of medical guidelines dubbed the Groningen Protocol. Belgium became the second country in the world after the Netherlands to legalize euthanasia in 2002, but the statute currently extends only to people 18 or older. The bill, introduced by the Socialist party in December, would lay out guidelines for doctors to decide on a case-by-case basis whether or not a child is mature enough to make the decision to end his or her own life, as well as whether a child's health is grave and hopeless enough to warrant euthanasia. "The idea is to update the law to take better account of dramatic situations and extremely harrowing cases we must find a response to," Socialist party leader Thierry Giet said shortly after the bill was introduced, according to Agence France-Presse. The Belgian Senate's Committee on Social Affairs is slated to take up the divisive proposal, which has met with strong opposition from the nation's influential Catholic clergy and members of the centrist Christian Democrats political party, on Wednesday. "On both sides of the linguistic border, liberals and socialists appear to agree on the fact that age should not be regarded as a decisive criteria in the event of a request for euthanasia," Der Morgen wrote last week. The decision to consider the bill follows months of testimony by medical experts, doctors, clergy members and others, and it marks a turning point in the nation's approach to the rights of young people, some of whom would be able to choose to die if the law were to pass, even while still being legally barred from driving, marrying, voting or drinking liquor until they turned 18. The bill would also likely allow euthanasia for patients suffering from Alzheimer's and other diseases leading to advanced dementia, who may otherwise be deemed incompetent to make the decision to die. There were 1,133 cases of euthanasia recorded in Belgium in 2011, accounting for about 1 percent of the country's deaths that year, according to AFP. Peter Deconinck, president of the Belgian medical ethics organization Reflectiegroep Biomedische Ethiek, has come out in support of expanding the practice to minors, as has the head of the intensive care unit of Fabiola Hospital in Brussels, who testified before a Belgian Senate committee. "We all know that euthanasia is already practiced on children," he told the committee. "Yes, active euthanasia." Though a majority of members of the Belgian Parliament are reportedly ready to pass the child euthanasia bill, Belgian Archbishop Andre-Joseph Leonard and many of the nation's Catholics are staunchly opposed to any expansion of legalized euthanasia. "We expressed our strong reservations regarding the decriminalization of euthanasia as early as 2002," Leonard said last week, according to Der Morgen. "First and foremost because we have excellent palliative care available today, and because we can rely on sedation, to the extent strictly necessary." The Christian Democrats may vote against the child euthanasia law, but New Flemish Alliance party members have indicated that they are willing to back the bill in order to ensure its passage, according to Der Morgen. Quote Everything you do is based on the choices you make. It's not your parents, your past relationships, your job, the economy, the weather, an argument, or your age that is to blame. You and only you are responsible for every decision and choice you make, period ... ... Wish more people would realize this. Quotes by Susan Gottesman
LifeHiscost Posted June 11, 2013 Posted June 11, 2013 The world in general already practices euthanasia, in every continent of the world, unless I'm mistaken. It is non-discriminatory, including people of all classes and all races, as well as all ages. In order for it to be legally applied, it need only to be voted for approval in countries that have elections. In those that do not have elections, it is only necessary for the dictator to give the order. It normally is carried out under the name, WARFARE! Or just simply, war. God cares! Quote Lift Jesus up!!
Ted Oplinger Posted June 12, 2013 Posted June 12, 2013 The world in general already practices euthanasia, in every continent of the world, unless I'm mistaken. It is non-discriminatory, including people of all classes and all races, as well as all ages. In order for it to be legally applied, it need only to be voted for approval in countries that have elections. In those that do not have elections, it is only necessary for the dictator to give the order. It normally is carried out under the name, WARFARE! Or just simply, war. God cares! Except now the world is putting age considerations to some aspect of that war.... Quote "As iron sharpens iron, so also does one man sharpen another" - Proverbs 27:17 "The offense of the cross is that the cross is a confession of human frailty and sin and of inability to do any good thing. To take the cross of Christ means to depend solely on Him for everything, and this is the abasement of all human pride. Men love to fancy themselves independent. But let the cross be preached, let it be made known that in man dwells no good thing and that all must be received as a gift, and straightway someone is offended." Ellet J. Waggoner, The Glad Tidings "Courage is being scared to death - and saddling up anyway" - John Wayne "The person who pays an ounce of principle for a pound of popularity gets badly cheated" - Ronald Reagan
bonnie Posted June 12, 2013 Author Posted June 12, 2013 Except now the world is putting age considerations to some aspect of that war.... Sounds reasonable? until you stop and consider what happened with Roe VS Wade. I wonder how many that were in favor of infrequent abortion saw into the future of snipping the necks of living breathing babies or discarding them until they died on their own as part of that bill? Quote Everything you do is based on the choices you make. It's not your parents, your past relationships, your job, the economy, the weather, an argument, or your age that is to blame. You and only you are responsible for every decision and choice you make, period ... ... Wish more people would realize this. Quotes by Susan Gottesman
Ted Oplinger Posted June 12, 2013 Posted June 12, 2013 Well, Bonnie, you are indeed on top of your game this morning, as that was one point I was specifically thinking of. Euthanasia of those most dependent upon us - the young and the old - is the hallmark of a depraved society, not a noble one that champions liberty and justice. Food for thought... Quote "As iron sharpens iron, so also does one man sharpen another" - Proverbs 27:17 "The offense of the cross is that the cross is a confession of human frailty and sin and of inability to do any good thing. To take the cross of Christ means to depend solely on Him for everything, and this is the abasement of all human pride. Men love to fancy themselves independent. But let the cross be preached, let it be made known that in man dwells no good thing and that all must be received as a gift, and straightway someone is offended." Ellet J. Waggoner, The Glad Tidings "Courage is being scared to death - and saddling up anyway" - John Wayne "The person who pays an ounce of principle for a pound of popularity gets badly cheated" - Ronald Reagan
bonnie Posted June 12, 2013 Author Posted June 12, 2013 Well, Bonnie, you are indeed on top of your game this morning, as that was one point I was specifically thinking of. Euthanasia of those most dependent upon us - the young and the old - is the hallmark of a depraved society, not a noble one that champions liberty and justice. Food for thought... When Roe VS Wade was passed in 1973,I was pregnant with my 4th son. My dad commented then that "they have no idea what they have unleashed".He felt very strongly the day would come just because I decided I didn't want him that I could destroy the child I was carrying The scariest is that even with all that has come out,the taking of a babies life is met with a big yawn. More emphasis is placed on a child eating a pop tart into the shape of a gun than mothers and Dr's that can simply end the life of a living,breathing infant that was to stubborn to die as it was supposed to. In today's PC view,my second child could have simply had his life ended with a snip of the scissors. The DR was unsure of his medical outcome should he survive and the physical and emotional toll it took to get him through his first year would be more than enough reason to "KILL HIM" Yet,he has been a constant source of pride and joy since 'we allowed him to live" Quote Everything you do is based on the choices you make. It's not your parents, your past relationships, your job, the economy, the weather, an argument, or your age that is to blame. You and only you are responsible for every decision and choice you make, period ... ... Wish more people would realize this. Quotes by Susan Gottesman
LifeHiscost Posted June 13, 2013 Posted June 13, 2013 Quote: 'we allowed him to live" I noticed you bracketed the phrase, indicating to me you probably agree it is not, or at least should not be our choice to make, except under highly unusual circumstances that for the most part would allow 99% per cent of people conceived, the right to grow to an age to determine for themselves whether they wished to live or die? I'm of the affirmative, but do not have a ready answer for those who know they do not believe themselves capable of providing for the child they are mentally and emotionally unfit to raise. The answer goes beyond "It would have been better not to sleep around", but demands enough giving individuals, willing to accept someone else's child until another solution is provided. Where do they come from? Prohibiting unselfishness is a good start, and there's Someone coming very soon, even at the door, to put that in place. God cares! Quote Lift Jesus up!!
bonnie Posted June 13, 2013 Author Posted June 13, 2013 I noticed you bracketed the phrase, indicating to me you probably agree it is not, or at least should not be our choice to make, except under highly unusual circumstances that for the most part would allow 99% per cent of people conceived, the right to grow to an age to determine for themselves whether they wished to live or die? Quote Everything you do is based on the choices you make. It's not your parents, your past relationships, your job, the economy, the weather, an argument, or your age that is to blame. You and only you are responsible for every decision and choice you make, period ... ... Wish more people would realize this. Quotes by Susan Gottesman
LifeHiscost Posted June 14, 2013 Posted June 14, 2013 Quote: We can say that about any of the evils of this world,so should that be the response? Depends upon the choice of which One/one we wish to serve. "“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other."Matthew 6:24 NASB God cares! Quote Lift Jesus up!!
bonnie Posted June 14, 2013 Author Posted June 14, 2013 We can say that about any of the evils of this world,so should that be the response? Depends upon the choice of which One/one we wish to serve. "“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other."Matthew 6:24 NASB God cares! Quote Everything you do is based on the choices you make. It's not your parents, your past relationships, your job, the economy, the weather, an argument, or your age that is to blame. You and only you are responsible for every decision and choice you make, period ... ... Wish more people would realize this. Quotes by Susan Gottesman
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