Religion and Dying: How to Address Advance Care Planning in Your Faith Community

[rug]

Guest Column by the Rev. Tarris Rosell, Ph.D., D.Min.,
Rosemary Flanigan Chair, Center for Practical Bioethics

By ABC News
Aug 22, 2012 4:50pm

A recent news story quoted a father who said that his faith would not allow for his dying daughter to be moved to hospice. On religious grounds, he had demanded doctors keep trying to cure her long after they knew that comfort care was the best and most compassionate option.

I read this and wondered what sort of religion that man followed ascribed to and how badly he had misconstrued its actual teachings. I’m guessing that Dad and daughter had not talked this over, nor consulted faith leaders, in advance of her illness and dying. Too bad.

None of the world’s major religions insist on futile medical treatments or require adherents to demand of doctors what will not benefit patients. Religions differ on many matters of fact and faith; but most all of them teach compassion, the virtue of comforting the afflicted, and accepting the inevitability of physical death. No religion of which I’m aware condones torture — which is how futile medical treatments often are described by healthcare providers who feel forced to do things to patients that won’t help and might harm.

We need to talk about this.

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/health/2012/08/22/religion-and-dying-how-to-address-advance-care-planning-in-your-faith-community/

[Swede Atlanta]

1. That's why planning for your medical care is so important....

Be sure you have a living will, advance directive, etc. to be sure your wishes are known. While you should have a medical power of attorney be sure they are bound by your living will/advance directive. Any wiggle room should be addressed by being sure your medical POA understand and agree with your wishes. If not, jettison them.

[rug]

4. Good advice.

[skepticscott]

2. But certain religions

DO insist on keeping people alive under conditions where they have explicitly expressed their wish not to be. They insist on having control over other people's lives and deaths which absolutely nothing entitles them to, and they will fight tooth and nail for that kind of control over others.

[rug]

3. Name them.

[skepticscott]

5. Wow

Let me get this straight...YOU of all people have the temerity to ask someone to back up a claim with evidence? My irony meter just blew a fuse..

[rug]

6. Wow.

You can't.

[skepticscott]

9. Look, it can learn

Ask yourself what religion(s) and what religious denomination(s) have been fighting against assisted suicide and right to die laws tooth and nail, (despite having no standing whatsoever to interfere in personal life choices) and you'll have your answer. Of course, you could claim that none are or ever have, but we both know that would be a lie.

And just to remind everyone about the Catholic interference in the Terry Schiavo case:

"The Vatican likened the removal of her feeding tube to capital punishment for an innocent woman."

[rug]

10. Could it be The Catholic Church anong the "certain religions"?

What are the others?

BTW, the RCC does not require extraordinary means to maintain life. Food and nourishment are not extraordinary means.

The right to die is an entirely different argument that's not part of the OP.

The amount of ignorance you post, mingled with closed minded bias, is astounding.

[eqfan592]

12. So you're saying that the RCC just want's people to exist?

No matter how much pain they may be in, or how torturous the existence may be, so long as they are getting their food, the RCC doesn't care if they are trying anything to relieve patients of their suffering? Just so long as they are fed, nothing else needs to be done?

Got it, thanks for clearing that up, rug.

[rug]

13. No, as you well know, that's not what I'm saying.

To know what another says, it is useful to read that person's words rather than google talking points.

Get back to me when you've cleared your mind.

[mr blur]

7. He's just asking for a straight answer to a straight question. You know, like he always does.

for the reality-impaired

[rug]

11. You want to answer it?

Or would you rather evade it?

[cbayer]

8. Good hospital ethics committees will take the time to explore the death and dying

rituals of various religions and develop policies to specifically address them.

The situation described here (wanting to prolong care based on some faulty interpretation of religious beliefs) is pretty common and many families are relieved to have someone step in and say they don't have to do that.

This article has good advice for individuals and congregations. I hope it is widely distributed.