Re: How Faith Saved the Atheist

In article <ea8ce8$sh2$3@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
Micha Berger <micha@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
On Wed, 26 Jul 2006 16:09:00 +0000 (UTC), Herman Rubin <hrubin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
: I believe the question should be the quality of the mind.

Yes, that's your religious stance. But the question is inherently religious:
What aspect of being human do we value?

I think that's why separation of church and state is failing on the issue.

I see no way to get any agreement. Which religion makes the
decision? Which sect? Does the person's opinion count?

I am not advocating the euthanasia of Alzheimer's patients,
but if one of them stated in a living will that if his or her
intelligence dropped below a certain point it should occur,
I would have to accept it. It is the "thinking" part of the
mind which is the person.

However, I do not think the doctors or the state should be in
on the decision. Doctors should provide UNBIASED information
to the extent possible, and the state should only intervene if
those individuals with the authority given by the patient to
make the decision violate their trust.


--
This address is for information only. I do not claim that these views
are those of the Statistics Department or of Purdue University.
Herman Rubin, Department of Statistics, Purdue University
hrubin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Phone: (765)494-6054 FAX: (765)494-0558
.

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