The culture of life vs. the culture of death

We now live in a culture of death. You can see it now with the Schiavo case, abortion, euthenasia, etc. When the founding fathers created this country it was on the assertion that citizens had the rights to live, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It is what the founding documents are built around including the constitution that protects that right. It is the duty of the government in cases where it is ambiguous to err on the side of life so that the constitutional rights of others are not violated. The only place, however, we seem to do that now is with convicted murderers who in almost every case have already denied those very rights of at least one other human being.

So, why is it that the courts are now executing Terri Schiavo, not only execute but in a matter that if done to a death row inmate would have the ACLU trampling each other to get to the courthouse? There is more then enough evidence to show potential abuse by the husband, bad decision making by the state court, everything points to mistakes having been made. Also why does the majority of Americans seem to support the death of this women (Well other then an abysmal performance by the media and polls that are horriby skewed), because now the right to die has overtaken the right to live in many peoples minds. People say that they wouldn't want to live like she is, but I remind you of one thing. You are not nor shall you ever be Terri Schiavo. She is an individual, a citizen, and her constitutional rights are being violated because everyone is placing their moral decisions of the value of her life on her instead of erring on the side of life and giving her a chance.

Its the same thing with abortion. All we hear is pro choice and pro life. Isn't it really pro life and pro death? Those that are pro life are trying to keep human lives from being ended and those that are pro choice are fighting to the right to end it. A clear example of the culture of death. Basically if we lower the value of life to the point that death is more important then life, its easier for us to allow atrocities to occur and go on with our lives. However, I would out to you that this was the mentality of the citizens of Germany during WW2. So, just think about all of this for a minute. Why is it that in all of these situations now, we attach more value to death then life? We even protect the people that bring death to others 100 times more then we do those that may be victims. What is going on here?

P.S. For the love of God, your family, or whatever you hold dear please go get a living will. Here is a place where you can make one that is valid in all 50 states. www.legalzoom.com...

edited because it kept the google tag on and I didn't want to run the sites bill up.



[edit on 26-3-2005 by jukyu]

I completely agree jukyu.

The first civil and human right is life. And we've completely abandoned that to moral relativism. Nobody should be put to death without being convicted of a crime, yet some want to spare mass murders while condemning babies and the weak, disabled and infirm. It's a shocking commentary on how we've lost our moral compass as a society.

So it's obvious that this is the cause for the day !!! Pathetic!!!

Thank god because what would happen if Americans actually thought about what is really going on? Can't have that now can we?

Let me ask you one thing though...

Where is it guaranteed that a person HAS to live, no matter what their physical condition is?

Do you not find the frankenstein-esque methods doctors use to keep people alive un-natural?

If it were not for our arrogance and technology this woman would of been dead a long time ago and you or no one would of given a flying F!@k!

I choose a culture of death! Willingly!

I don't want to be kept alive on machines, so that you can have a false sense of appreciation for life. SO you can sleep better feeling that you actually care about life

My advice to you: Find a real cause and quit spouting what the administration has soo carefullly orchestrated for you!!!

Visualize world annihilation

Originally posted by djohnsto77
It's a shocking commentary on how we've lost our moral compass as a society.

Where the F was our "moral compass"when we stole this land? How about when we killed the native inhabitants? Or how about when we enslaved a race based on skin color, or how about when we segregated them after they were freed, and didn't allow them to participate in the very society they built? Where was our moral compass when in the blink of an eye we dropped not one but two bombs that collectively are responsible for the death and disfigurment of over half a million people?

That is soo much CRAP!!!!

America has NEVER had anything closely resembling a moral compass...come off it!

Ummm if you don't want to be kept alive THATS YOUR RIGHT. If you want to be kept alive as long as possible it is your right also. What I'm talking about is others placing their values on other people to the point that it violates their right to make that decision. We now have a situation where the courts of this nation can both rule on when someone's life begins and when it is worthless and should end. Do you realize how much of a violation of the constitution that is? Do you realize that there is sworn testimony from multiple people saying that Schiavo's husband stated he didn't know what she would want so his testimony that she wanted to die is suspicous if not perjury. Do you realize I was just using that as an example and you're trying to use it to invalidate my argument without even offering a counter argument? If you're part of the culture that believes that death is more important then life then fine, that is your right in your own case. But don't use it to interpret the wishes of others, you do not have that right.

Fair enough!

But if we don't have things like this then that would mean that people like you could dictate how long I could be kept alive for.

Besides look at my second post and please tell me how our "culture of life" was capable of producing some of the worst misery the world has ever saw?

We have never had a culture of life, we both know that!

Just admit you are jumping on the most recent bandwagon, instead of concerning yourself with the real issues facing this country.

Gay marriage didn't work so well....now what can we use...hmmm

Why are Americans soo afraid of death? For a christian nation one would think that most here would welcome it due to their beliefs.....

IMHO I think ALL should be euthanized at a certain predetermined age (myself included)...how's that for a culture of death?

I'm gonna get blasted for this...

We are a culture of life. The Shaivo case is being used as a political tool. She's dead and being kept alive by machines. She should be allowed to die. If the husband isn't allowed to pull the plug, soon nobody in the US will be allowed the right to die. We'll all just be vegetables hooked to machines forever.

As for abortion, a woman should have the right to choose what to do with her own body. A fetus is essentually a parasite until it is born.

par·a·site
n.
Biology. An organism that grows, feeds, and is sheltered on or in a different organism while contributing nothing to the survival of its host.

If a woman wants an abortion, it's her body, it's should be her choice. It's not "Pro-Death" as you put it. It's Pro-Choice, just because abortion is legal, doesn't mean it's manditory. If abortion is outlawed, soon it will be illegal to have a tapeworm removed from your pet cat.

The current administration is just using these issues as a wedge to further divide the nation. Dubya is a hypocrite and, he'll say anything to get support.

Im going off on a tangent here. I have noticed a lot of people my age and younger are really getting into 'death metal' or whatever itscalled. It is basically loud metal that is about the dark side of life, hate, death, murder, rape, and crap like that. Also they tend to wear black, dye there hair black, let their skin get pale and get a lot of 'gothic' tatoos and piercings and are obssesed with pain. Bands like Slipknot and Mudvain just to name some. I hate this kind of musics because it sounds terrible and I guess I dont have the issues that so many my age do to be obsessed with that kind of music. This is a problem IMO because music with such a negative attitude toward life that has so many followers is a sign that there are so many psychological problems among the my generation. In short music that glamorizes death by murder, rape, and suicide is just awful and the masses have to stand up aganst it.

[edit on 26-3-2005 by jrod]

[edit on 26-3-2005 by jrod]

Originally posted by NotTooHappy
As for abortion, a woman should have the right to choose what to do with her own body. A fetus is essentually a parasite until it is born.

par·a·site
n.
Biology. An organism that grows, feeds, and is sheltered on or in a different organism while contributing nothing to the survival of its host.

If a woman wants an abortion, it's her body, it's should be her choice. It's not "Pro-Death" as you put it. It's Pro-Choice, just because abortion is legal, doesn't mean it's manditory. If abortion is outlawed, soon it will be illegal to have a tapeworm removed from your pet cat.

NTH, I'd never thought about a fetus as a parasite, that's a fantastic interpretation. Good job.

I strongly believe we live in a culture of life. That was why she was kept alive for so long. The reason why a lot of stupid things happen to stupid people is because we don't think about death, it isn't our primary concern. Life, on the other hand, is. 'Life' is why four college kids die from alcohol a day. 'Life' is why 60% of the country is obese.

I like life. If we switched to death-obsession, things would be a lot less interesting. Yeah, we'd live longer, but we'd be missing out on all the things life has to offer us.

Originally posted by 1wintermute1
Why are Americans soo afraid of death? For a christian nation one would think that most here would welcome it due to their beliefs.....

IMHO I think ALL should be euthanized at a certain predetermined age (myself included)...how's that for a culture of death?

It's quite obvious you have no compassion for others. And as far as welcoming death based on christianity. We are not a christian nation we are a post christian nation. Death for someone outside of accepting Christ means eternal seperation from God. So physical death is to be avoided because spiritual death outside of Christ is not a better state. And God has work for those who are His and we are needed here. But when a saved person does die that menas eternity with God.

Originally posted by jrod
Im going off on a tangent here. I have noticed a lot of people my age and younger are really getting into 'death metal' or whatever itscalled. It is basically loud metal that is about the dark side of life, hate, death, murder, rape, and crap like that. Also they tend to wear black, dye there hair black, let their skin get pale and get a lot of 'gothic' tatoos and piercings and are obssesed with pain. Bands like Slipknot and Mudvain just to name some. I hate this kind of musics because it sounds terrible and I guess I dont have the issues that so many my age do to be obsessed with that kind of music. This is a problem IMO because music with such a negative attitude toward life that has so many followers is a sign that there are so many psychological problems among the my generation. In short music that glamorizes death by murder, rape, and suicide is just awful and the masses have to stand up aganst it.

mudVAYNE.

I have very eclectic music tastes, which includes slipknot and mudvayne. Not at all because of the lyrics (athough they do have a certain 'awesome' factor to them) but rather because the music is good. You may not like the way metal sounds, but that's no reason to make it the harbringer of death.

Same thing when kids listening to rap kill each other, or emo kids cut themselves, or country music kids fool around with cows. They're just cases of people being influenced in ways they shouldnt be at all. The kids who jump out the window because superman can is another perfect example. Don't blame the product, blame the kids.

(For the record, I listen to and like very much all above genres.)

Well at least you are correct about ONE thing.

No I do not have compassion for others!!! That is neither here nor there though....

I seriously suggest you go to the U.S census bureau's web site

www.census.gov...

Perhaps there you will learn that over 50% of all Americans claim to be "christian"

Which is a majority, which would make us a christian nation.......

Originally posted by 1wintermute1
I seriously suggest you go to the U.S census bureau's web site
www.census.gov...
Perhaps there you will learn that over 50% of all Americans claim to be "christian"
Which is a majority, which would make us a christian nation.......

If I went into my garage I could call myself a car but that wouldn't make it true. Being a christian is an internal decision that manifests itself in an outward change. It's a big deal. It's not a small outward name designation because it sounds good.

I'm curious are you really in antartica?

I am an American, but yes I am in Antartica....

Antartica is the only safe place one can expect to surive, given the current shift of the poles and all

Global warming my donkey !!! The poles are shifting silly!!!
"They" don't want you to know that though
shhh, keep it between you and I

Originally posted by Amorymeltzer

mudVAYNE.

I could careless how it is spelled, it sounds the same. While their(that genre) music sounds far better and takes more talen than the most cheesy christian music their message is alarming. Also many wannabe white supremist nazis love this kind of music and that cant be good. You are right to say it not the musicians fault and I place the blame on the parents who are clueless as to what goes through the heads of their children. Something that makes me chuckle about this is I know a few diffrent kids whose parents forced them to go to church when they were young and now they are obssesed with death metal.

Originally posted by 1wintermute1
I am an American, but yes I am in Antartica....

So do you work for a government sponsored research station?

Originally posted by dbrandt

Originally posted by 1wintermute1
I am an American, but yes I am in Antartica....

So do you work for a government sponsored research station?

Research yes......

Government funded NO

Originally posted by jrod
I could careless how it is spelled, it sounds the same. While their(that genre) music sounds far better and takes more talen than the most cheesy christian music their message is alarming. Also many wannabe white supremist nazis love this kind of music and that cant be good. You are right to say it not the musicians fault and I place the blame on the parents who are clueless as to what goes through the heads of their children. Something that makes me chuckle about this is I know a few diffrent kids whose parents forced them to go to church when they were young and now they are obssesed with death metal.

I know a quite few of em myself, and they're great kids.

There is a HUGE difference between thinking and acting. All those stories about the guy with a wife and kids, neighbors thought he was great, upstanding citizen, goes out and whacks his family one night? These scenarios are far more popular. Is being a joe schmoe is dangerous? Do you feel threatened by someone just because they live in suburbia, have 2.3 kids, 2 cars and a dog?

Originally posted by Amorymeltzer
Is being a joe schmoe is dangerous? Do you feel threatened by someone just because they live in suburbia, have 2.3 kids, 2 cars and a dog?

Scares the hell out of me for one........

Originally posted by 1wintermute1

Originally posted by Amorymeltzer
Is being a joe schmoe is dangerous? Do you feel threatened by someone just because they live in suburbia, have 2.3 kids, 2 cars and a dog?

Scares the hell out of me for one........

Why? Is it because of death?