More on witholding treatment

The Nuffield Council has now published its report (it's long but there's an executive summary). It's not all bad, rejecting active intervention to end neonatal life, and pointing out the danger of allowing economic factors to rule our considerations. But (unsurprisingly), it readily buys into the idea that quality of life and sanctity of life can be played off against one another, that there can be circumstances in which it is in one's 'best interests' to die.

The bishops of this country, never slow in issuing press releases in which Scripture and Christian theology are totally absent, did not let the side down in popping out this comment pronto. They right say:

There is a clear distinction between interventions which are deliberately aimed at killing, and decisions to withhold or withdraw medical treatment when it is judged to be futile or unduly burdensome.

But they fail to note a further distinction between "futile" and "unduly burdensome". There is a surely significant difference between witholding treatment from a baby who is going to die no matter what you do, and witholding treatment from a baby who might survive if they receive such treatment. To put it more strongly, the difference is the difference between supporting and comforting a sick person on their deathbed and refusing to throw a lifering to someone who is drowning.

Comments

[Tiffer Robinson]

Good to see you here again :) hope you are well and have recovered from summer in Cov!

I see your point, but I think you are too harsh, at least with the quotation you cite. I think there is a distinction - although as you say in your last post that both are wrong, there is a distinction.

Unduly burdensome is unfortunate I agree. Futile is slightly more fair - if by futile they mean the equivelant of me going in next week to have my appendix removed.

Perhaps, like Paul, they are afraid of going too far in case the message is ignored completely. The topical point to get across (because it is currently being debated) is that killing is wrong. It sounds silly but we have a social climate at the moment which says killing can be right. I guess it takes the church and the world a bit longer to get round to the idea that not aiding life is also wrong.