The other day, Dame Esther Rantzen announced some wonderful news. In an article she’d written for a national newspaper, headlined “The 10 things that make me so happy to be alive”, she revealed that “the new wonder drug I’m on”, known as Osimertinib, may hold back the spread of her stage-four lung cancer “for months, even years”.
Fantastic. I’m so glad to hear it. I just have one small, gentle question.
Is this the same Dame Esther Rantzen who has been leading the campaign to legalise what she calls “assisted dying” (and which some of us prefer to call state-sanctioned suicide)?
Logically fun that is.
In Catholicism suicide is the ultimate sin. For it’s despair at God. Now, even I don’t believe that and yet. Thereis an element of it here, no? Esther’s used by the PM as an example of who should be allowed to demand to be topped. She’s terminally ill, see, less than 6 months etc. And then summat turns up. The universe changes its mind for those not running with the idea that God does.
Esther Rantzen fought for ‘assisted dying’. Now she’s surely killed it off
That’s probably not true because this is politics we’re talking about, not some part of life where people think. But, perhaps it should make some think?
Seeing as we have a Labour dominated Parliament, thinking and rational thought are at a premium.
To this Godless bunch, absolute morality is anathema. They only believe in relative morality and to them bumping off a few class enemies is well within their scope of approval,
Anyway isn’t the Blessed Esther Jewish ?
Yes, she is. The reference to Catholicism is a reference, not a claim about her.
Can we agree that only disgusting horrible fascists would say thing like “the unvaccinated” should be denied medical care, and left “locked down” at home to die?
I wonder what Esther’s take on that would be.
“In Catholicism suicide is the ultimate sin.”
Yes… There is also the concept of Mercy.. Where someone kills you when you request it to save you from excessive suffering. ( Rules May Apply™ as to what that constitutes exacly, Ask Your Local Priest™ by Dialling 0800-OPINION )
When done in the right manner, observing Rites, it’s only a minor smudge on the Soul of the soon-deceased that is wiped by the Final Rites, and a minor Good Deed to Fellow Man to whoever does the deed, as long as Confession and Penance is observed.
They nailed that one airtight over a millennium ago…. It’s the Heathen Protestants who buggered it all up by warping the Words of the Lord.
Factually correct, and only slightly tongue-in-cheek. Straight from the tenets of Those-You-Never-Expect….
Grikath – where can I find that one in the catechism?
BiG – hmm.
Dame Esther Rantzen surprised GB News host Dan Wootton as she urged un-vaccinated elderly people not to seek NHS help, saying “it’s their choice” not to get jabbed. Dame Esther insisted people choosing not to get jabbed should not put the lives of NHS staff at risk if they become ill and need medical attention. The comments came after Sajid Javid hinted that older people will face restrictions on their freedoms if they choose not to have a coronavirus booster jab
That’s Death?
@Steve Was waiting for you…. 😛 The hint is in my final sentence.
And remember…. They were Ex Cathedra always right…..
Grikath – And remember…. They were Ex Cathedra always right…..
Not sure what wives and mothers have to do with this.
Grikath, yes. It’s also disgusting horrible fascist.
@BiG: anyone who can remember anything much from the Old Testament couldn’t have much doubt that God is a fascist. Or a Nazi or a Bolshevik, or a Genghis Khan or an Aztec pyramid-merchant, or ….
Anyhow, a deeply unpleasant cove. No wonder Roman Catholics worship their Neolithic fertility goddess instead.
Suicide’s not the ultimate sin in Catholicism. Dante, who knew his stuff, puts suicides in the seventh circle of nine in Hell, below murderers but above usurers and sodomites. The lowest circle holds various sorts of traitors, with personal treachery to God right at the bottom of Hell. (Lucifer, each of his three faces chewing on Judas, Brutus and Cassius.) As Dorothy L. Sayers, who also knew her stuff, comments: “”Just as Judas figures treason against God, so Brutus and Cassius figure treason against Man-in-Society; or we may say that we have here the images of treason against the Divine and the Secular government of the world.”
Exactly this Tim. A regular at the local one time village sports hero, some heart trouble ok, defibrillator should be in the pub not the village hall but ok at least its somewhat nearby. But then he had a fall, not a broken bones one but fell backwards on something and punctured his back and colon. Long recovery and when started coming in again was a different man lost 3 stone. Heart thing not undercontrol never seemed to get the tablet combination right again. Was miserable as sin. Had awful time and used to tell everyone that would listen he didn’t want to live. This mind you was about a year after his fall. Not me but general consensus was it would be a blessing.
Then suddenly they did get that combination right, never back to old self but weight went on and life was bearable. And simultaneously his 22 year old grandchild had a kid out of the blue and got married. Everytime I think of the politicos and clebs wanting to legalise his murder I see him happy as Larry in a wedding photo with a bonny baby on his lap.
When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do sir?
How do you change your mind when you’ve been killed?
Star Trek V: Dr McCoy’s father.
I attribute Rancid’s views to Rancid’s totalitarian personality, ignorance of basic medical ethics, and failed understanding of the lessons we should learn from the crimes committed against her ancestors in just out of living memory, not to whichever version of which god her ancestors worshipped and which she may or may not worship.
Dm – anyone who can remember anything much from the Old Testament couldn’t have much doubt that God is a fascist. Or a Nazi or a Bolshevik, or a Genghis Khan or an Aztec pyramid-merchant, or ….
Yarp, but this stems from ignorance, specifically the horrible failures of Christian education in the 20th century in falsely giving the impression that Jesus Christ was some sort of hippie pacifist and that God is your mate.
Many people also don’t – can’t – appreciate the difference between Good and Nice. (Funnily enough, conmen and sociopaths are some of the ‘nicest’ people you’ll meet, no wonder our culture is full of both).
Aslan is not a tame lion you know. Those teeth and claws work.
“The 10 things that make me so happy to be alive”, she revealed that “the new wonder drug I’m on”, known as Osimertinib, may hold back the spread of her stage-four lung cancer “for months, even years”.
And how much is that costing Our NHS? She should do the decent thing and take assisted suicide to protect Our NHS, she is 84 after all and had a good innings.
An article in which Michael Deacon shows that he has no understanding of what assisted suicide is actually about. There is no contradiction between a person wanting to live now and also wanting to be able to get assistance in committing suicide at a later time if circumstances change. Nor is there a contradiction between a person having no desire to commit suicide and wanting society to make suitable provision for assisted suicide to those who do want it.