Natural death and Christian fasting

The Christian has a unique resource for responding to the problem of how competent adults can exercise responsibly the right to control the last stages of their living/dying. Recent natural death legislation offers only a partial solution, because it does not specify what counts as life-sustaining p...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Connelly, R. J. 1939-2016 (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Springer Science + Business Media B. V. [1986]
In: Journal of religion and health
Year: 1986, Volume: 25, Issue: 3, Pages: 227-236
Further subjects:B Adequate Criterion
B Artificial Feeding
B Partial Solution
B Unique Resource
B Natural Death
Online Access: Volltext (Resolving-System)
Description
Summary:The Christian has a unique resource for responding to the problem of how competent adults can exercise responsibly the right to control the last stages of their living/dying. Recent natural death legislation offers only a partial solution, because it does not specify what counts as life-sustaining procedures which may be discontinued if the individual fills out a directive to the physician. One of the most troublesome questions continues to be whether the withholding or withdrawal of artificial feeding, or indeed natural feeding, is ever justifiable. An adaptation of principles included in the Christian idea of fasting seems to provide adequate criteria for determining when forgoing nourishment by the terminally ill adult is morally justifiable.
ISSN:1573-6571
Contains:Enthalten in: Journal of religion and health
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1007/BF01534019