Once Al Pacino's played you to perfection, what's left? R.I.P.
Beth

RIP Jack... It was so important to do what you did

Others will press forward making the government allow citizens views to be considered when we die or end life....something they obviously have no problem with...when it suits them

Animals have more rights

It must be addressed and probably will be sooner than later with so many baby boomers now soon headed to and then understanding what Jack was actually doing

Cheers

RIP, Mr. Kevorkian, but I hope your cause dies with you.

What a neat concept - why suffer when taking an injection is all it takes. Yeah, cool. And the governments which allow assisted suicide even set the boundaries as to who is eligible. What's not to like? Not so fast, my friends.

Take Netherlands, a beacon of progressiveness in the modern world. Legalized pot smoking, legalized prostitution, allowed a political party of pedophiles. Allows assisted suicide for anyone over 12 (twelve), as long as they are so ill that their pain is "unbearable with no prospect of improvement." For religious people, suffering is given to a person for a purpose of purifying their soul prior to departing this life. But the non-religious see no such need, so they are often in favourof assisted suicide (A.S).

But wait, there is more! Why stop here? Already, there is a movement in Netherlands to allow A.S. for anyone over 70, ill or not, as long as they are, get this, "tired of life." Tired of life? Oh, poor thing, come to a doctor, get an injection, and go push some daisies, sunshine.

Ok, raise your hands those of you who think that this will be the end of it. Who really has any doubts that the envelope will get pushed to a point where any five year old super healthy kid, upset over his soccer team losing a match, would run to a clinic, demand an A.S., and be given one on the spot? Keep my message on file, Georgia Straight, and watch kids die en masse come 2050 or so.

Play with fire - get burned. Stop now or cry later. This is not a good world you are making for yourselves, "progressively minded" people.

@HTH: With any luck, you will get a chance to judge your own opinion one day. Writihing in agony, unable to control basic bodily functions, watching your loved ones weep at your suffering ... ah yes, the "bliss" of suffering for a chosen one.

And when the end mercifully comes, you will find ... nothing at all. No reward, no "heaven", no nothing. Lights out, game over.

Have a nice death.

David, as a Christian I believe that God would never give me a cross I won't be able to bear. Yes, it would be nice to live a healthy and active life till I am 90, then peacefully die in my sleep and, before I know it, enjoy bliss in Heaven. But, if it doesn't happen for me, the only reason I would suffer from an illness prior to the departure is because there would be a point for that, and not because God enjoys having us suffer. The devil does, and he is our enemy, and he is the one who pushes people to kill themselves, as that prevents the souls from being purified, and prevents them from entering Heaven. The devil whispers "end your suffering now, take the injection," and by ending temporary suffering, the person inherits neverending suffering in afterlife, the magnitute of which makes the most horrible suffering on Earth pale in comparison.

David, we cannot convince each other to accept our opposite views, as it is a matter of belief, but why take a chance? If I am wrong, what am I going to lose? A few months/years of non-suffering while not feeling a thing due to being dead? But if you are wrong, think of the consequences.

Just to clarify, as I have been in similar discussions before and the issue did come up, I believe in God not because "I don't want to take a chance," and use this as an insurance policy, but because there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that God exists, and that my belief in to Who God is and what He wishes for us to do is correct.

I don't believe in hell, or your magic sky friend for that matter.

A dear friend of mine just lost her husband. They live in the Netherlands and after years of struggling in vain he chose death. It offends me beyond all description that you have the nerve to say "the devil" whispered it to him and that he's suffering eternally. Fuck you. Has your "god" ever forced your hand or spoken to you in person about your life decisions? Then why would the devil? It is the conscious decision of these people to go through with this and whether or not you agree, you should respect that. If "god" exists, he'll take care of all the judging for you, so lay off.

But what will you lose? You'll lose sunday mornings and all the rest of the time you spend with your religious drudgery. And all to spend a little more time suffering at the end of your life with hope where there is none to be found. Because, as you said, you won't be healthy and active until you're 90. Meanwhile, we'll have lived our lives more fully and won't bother suffering at the end and choose death. And to be honest, I'd rather have time to plan and arrange my own death and what happens for my loved ones after than to just croak and leave them scrambling while trying to mourn at the same time.

I'll be seeing you when our times have come and gone. And by seeing, I mean coexisting in a plane of non-existence after our deaths.

You: It offends me beyond all description that you have the nerve to say "the devil" whispered it to him and that he's suffering eternally.

HTH: Yes, I believe that a conscious decision to commit a suicide leads a person to hell. And since I believe that the devil wishes to spend eternity in as big a company as he can gather, it is him who sows the thoughts of "let's end it quickly" to those unfortunate enough who lend him an ear. Ever heard the expression that the biggest joke the devil played on mankind was to convince some people that he doesn't exist? Look at what he had accomplished: turned so many people into self-centered, pleasure-seeking puppets obsessed with money and sex (and power, for those who have access to that). And, sure enough, as being terminally ill leaves no time for money, sex, power, or other pleasures of life, then life becomes meaningless for such a person, and a quick exit appears logical and welcome. Devil is a crafty bullshiter, and it's very sad that so many people bought his crap.

You: Has your "god" ever forced your hand or spoken to you in person about your life decisions? Then why would the devil?

HTH: Excellent quesions, You. The answer to the first one - of course not, even though it would be beyond easy for Almighty God to force everyone to do whatever He wants - but God is a loving Father, so He wouldn't do that. God created us having a free will, as only love given freely counts, and He wants us to love Him just like He loves us. God certainly gives us an opportunity to choose to love Him, but never forces our hand. The devil cannot force us to do anything, as much as he wants to do so. It's incredibly inconvenient to him that humans have the ability not to do what he wants! He tempts a lot, but the decision whether to ignore the temptations, or to give in, rests with a person.

You: It is the conscious decision of these people to go through with this and whether or not you agree, you should respect that. If "god" exists, he'll take care of all the judging for you, so lay off.

HTH: I certainly respect the fact that people have a free will, and while I, indeed, have no right to tell people not under my command what to do, I certainly do have a right, as a person who cares, and as a person who has a free will as well, to tell others that their decision is wrong, and has very serious consequences. God forbids us from judging people, but He expects us to judge actions. Thus, saying "such and such is a bad person" is wrong. But saying "such and such made a wrong choice" is right, since if we would stop judging actions, this world would turn into anarchy in no time.

(continued)

You: You'll lose sunday mornings and all the rest of the time you spend with your religious drudgery..........Meanwhile, we'll have lived our lives more fully and won't bother suffering at the end and choose death.

HTH: I have been "losing Sunday mornings" for several decades now, and can definitely say that I would try to get as far as possible from myself 20 years younger - yes, I was THAT bad. My life with God has been very good. Not without problems, but who is going to be afraid of problems when God Himself is on his side! And the poor non-religious people, they worry about so many things, from getting syphillis or worse after another "fun-filled night" to not having enough money on their RRSP accounts. Do you have any idea how easy it is for God to make one lose all of their money, in order to show that reliance on money is nothing, and that relying on God is everything? Have you not heard of people killing themselves after losing money in the stock market? Their "god" (the one with the horns) had failed them, and life had become meaningless. Do you not feel sad for the seniors who buy lottery tickets in hopes that soon their retirement would be brightened up by a jackpot heading their way? Not believing in God makes one a very vulnerable and frightened person, a weathered toy in devil's hands.

You: And to be honest, I'd rather have time to plan and arrange my own death and what happens for my loved ones after than to just croak and leave them scrambling while trying to mourn at the same time.

HTH: Think about this: caring for the sick is critical for our society, in order to remain humane. We all like being around caring people, and who likes a non-caring person? But how can one become caring, if his relatives keep killing themselves without giving an opportunity to take care of them in their final days?