Johann Christoph Arnold

Johann Christoph Arnold, a pastor who is part of the Bruderhof Community, has some good thoughts on the moral and theological issues brought up by the Terri Schiavo situation. This was written before her death, and with compassion for everyone involved.

That there is widespread public debate on a topic close to the hearts of everyone can never be a bad thing. It shows that democracy is alive and well, and that life is worth living. But where there are differences of opinion, and differences in religious belief and faith, there must also be respect for one another. And so we should use this opportunity not to push forward our own ideas and agendas, but to seek what is truly God's will. In the end the human race will only survive if we humble ourselves, and submit ourselves to God, who longs for each of us to find a true destiny, a fulfillment of life through service to others.

I wish that more of that respect and setting aside political agendas was evident. Arnold focuses on our culture's difficulty in dealing with death and pain. One of the attorney's involved asked a great question yesterday. How much of the focus on creating a culture of life has more to do with a fear of death? (Don't get me wrong, I think that there is much work to be done in our country to create a culture of life) Arnold also poses a question for those who think that Schiavo should have been left alive to leave space for a miracle.

This case goes far beyond Terri's physical condition, her medical outlook (whatever it is) and whether or not her feeding tube should be removed. It is really a case that should give pause and lead us to serious soul-searching. It should make us think about what God might do if we would for once give him a chance. In the end it is he alone who, as creator of life, should be the one to take life away when he feels it is the right moment for a person. Therefore re-inserting a feeding tube, or fighting to keep one in, is no less a form of human interference.

I believe that there are times today when God works "miracles" (that's a problematic term for me, but in general what I mean is a supernatural intervention) but that in the days between the removal of the feeding tube and her death yesterday, God had plenty of space to intervene.

I also don't know exactly what a natural death means anymore. Wouldn't a natural death would have occurred 15 years ago if there had not been any human intervention after oxygen was deprived from Schiavo's brain? Does a natural death just mean one that our medical technology is not able to prevent yet, like Christopher Reeve's death? I say that as one who believes our medical knowledge and abilities comes directly from God and that what we consider to be everyday medical care is a direct manifestation of God's work. These issues are much murkier than those who are talking about the "murder" of Terri Schiavo acknowledge.

A good overview of some of the legal issue can be found here.