I wish this article was an April Fools joke.
GetReligion says "The bottom line: The Terri Schiavo case proves that John Paul II is a heretic and an idol worshipper."
People of faith routinely speak of the body and the soul as distinct entities. Paul wrote of his desire to cast off the body to enable his spirit to be closer to God.
Those who define life as any biological function that enables the body simply to exist confuse the spirit and its temple and cause extraordinary moral confusion.
The pope has for years insisted that the most elemental biological definition of the body’s existence is, in fact, life. He argues to preserve a zygote as a human being at the beginning of the human process and the body, devoid of spirit, at its end.
He has chosen to combat contraception, abortion and euthanasia in such a way as to make life, as he understands it, the ultimate good. No situation, no medical condition can justify modifying his absolute interpretation. That is simplistic thinking in the face of terribly complex issues.
Notice that when anybody talks about "terribly complex issues" that they are also able to explain them correctly for us. Terribly complex for us simple minded folks, so it is a good thing they come around to ‘plain fur us. Not to mention the fact that the soul animates the body and where there is no soul there is no longer biological life. A respirator might help to maintain life, but it can maintain a lifeless body.
The life of a human being is precious, unique, to be preserved and honored.
Unless of course your in the womb or a hospice. Terry Mattingly also asks "And why aren’t local Roman Catholic authorities up in arms about this?" Good question.
4 comments
Wowee! That’s some of the worst theology I’ve heard in a long while.
Good job, Fr. Steve, on completely misrepresenting the entirety of Christian thought on life and dignity in just a few paragraphs!
Manicheanism lives!
I don’t think it is the bloggers at GetReligion.org who are saying this, but an Episcopalian (Gushee) that they are quoting.
Well, that certainly explains a lot. If the body is merely a husk, why not take it for as wild a ride as possible before it’s shucked off and thrown away?