Let’s take a principled stand against the BBC’s euthanasia propaganda

Your stance is pathetic, medieval, without reason or intelligence; just the typical Catholic dogma spouted for the last 1000 years. Come into the real world. Hubble’s eye. Evolution. Stem-cell research. Abortion. Birth control. Should I continue..? DO you people still really believe the human race is 5000 years old..? Really..? Terry Pratchett’s documentary was a reasoned telling of a man’s quest for true enlightenment whilst confronting his own mortality. I hoped this educated some of you as to how intelligent people can take control of their destiny. This is the kind of TV I pay my licence fee for. Well done BBC!

Oops, I don’t know why that happened. I’ll try again.

- in contrast with your admirable and carefully reasoned intellectual presentation, presumably?

- ah yes, it stands to reason that if people have believed something for a thousand years (why only a thousand?) it can’t possibly be true!

- Well, you could. How about nuclear weapons, weapons of mass destruction, genocide, single parenthood, drug abuse, massive discipline problems in schools … ?

- Actually, even the most ardent Young Earth Creationist believes it’s at least 6000 years old. And I don’t think the above article expresses any opinion on the matter, does it?
 

An individual’s decision to end their life is not any of your fucking business. Why dont you go and ask your God to stop giving people such horrendous diseases.

Virtually any programme which touches on religion or morals in the hands of TV producers becomes anti Catholic propaganda.  It is, often, not just bias but lies.  None of them bother to explain, for example, why, the Pius XII they protray, at best indifferent to the plight of the Jews in occupied Europe, was so admired by Golda Meir, an extremely jewish prime minister of Israel, and what two million Christians, mainly Catholics, were doing in concentration camps.
In this instance, even the main secular issue seems to have ignored in the rush to push a programme maker’s views.
That is, whether or not it is damaging to society to allow someone to delegate someone to kill him when he so chooses.  Ignored, but it relates to all of the rights we assume for ourselves, as none of them can be justified unless respect for human life is given an overriding value.  Even something as apparently basic as a right to one’s possessions cannot be logically justified unless one assumes that the status of the owner as an individual, and, therefore, his life, is more important than his status as an owner.
Making it legal in civil law for one person to kill another, with or without consent, attacks the principle of an overidding value given to human life at its most basic level.  The only justification for euthanasia which I have heard has been based on a very limited pleasure pain logic where the wishes of an individual are paramount. 
This is, clearly, a way of thinking which can justify anything, and is socially destructive.  It is, also, one which has opposed traditional Christian teaching particularly through its adherents in the media.
To expect Catholics to pay for this or be legally deprived of access to this form of communication does have a totalitarian feel about it and Francis Phillips has quite a strong case.

I am saddened by the distortionate view your columns purvey of so-called euthanasia. There are two organisations in my country, Switzerland, Exit and Dignitas.  Exit is an organisation composed of its members.  We carry a credit card which says (my translation): after mature reflexion, and in complete possession of my faculties I ask that the following be considered to be the expression of my will. That one abstain from from any measure of reanimation if my case should be hopeless or incurable or if I become severely mentally or physically handicapped. Further that an analgesic should be administered to alleviate my  suffering , even if  this should have the effect of bringing about my death. Even thirty five years ago student priests were taught the principle of double effect. Catholics in Switzerland see this as a matter for the individual conscience. Dignitas is a complete different kettle of fish.  It may or not be assisted suicide. I, and many Swiss have deep reservations about it. Most hospitals, carehomes and home care services have no difficulty with Exit.  I’m deeply concerned about the suicide  tourism Terry Pratchett  portrays so sympathetically. It wouldn’t have been too difficult to have portrayed the work of Exit. Typically many people live alone, with incurable illnesses.  They take the sensible precaution of making sure that they are not put through resuscitation to which they have not given their consent: they forbid it. I worry about attacks on the BBC because it tries to present the issues objectively.

If you are going to be a troll at least educate yourself.

 If the Pope himself has talked about the age of the earth in terms of Billions of years, then obviously only Catholics on the very fringe are going to believe otherwise.

Once again the BBC has made a pro-culture of death programme with a documentary on assisted suicide. Sir Terry Pratchett’s Choosing to Die was designed to put pressure on legislators by changing people’s views. Who would in turn put pressure on MP’s to change the law and allow euthanasia and assisted suicide in Britain. If one were to believe the general reaction it has worked with the majority of people being in favour of this programme. So once again the culture of death advances.  At CUT (Catholics Unplug your Televisions we believe that this will continue until the TV stations change their views towards Life. This will only happen if people give up the TV stop paying the TV license fee and tell the BBC why. We are Writing to as many pro-Life societies in Britain to suggest that they call upon their members to give up the TV and stop paying the license fee. Pro-life organization have written letters of complaint to the BBC, emailed them, telephoned them but to no avail. The only thing they will listen to is money and all they want is influence. Deprive them of these two fundamental things and I am sure they will change their tune. For further info on our campaigns go to our website http://www.cutunplugtv.co.uk
Edward for CUT