Editor:
The first question that revolves around the Delta Hospice Society is: “How much do you value the life of a person?”
The second question is: “How deep is your spirituality?”
The third question is: “Are you willing and able to fight for your value of life and for your spiritual beliefs?”
A person who values the life of a person sees that other person as a creature made by God in His likeness. He knows that God, the most Supreme Being on earth and in heaven, is the Creator and thus, only God can take back the life that is given to a human being.
This is the reason why when a person gets sick, he goes to the doctor to get well and to live normally. A friend of mine named Clara Arriola was told to have dialysis by her doctor but she consulted Fr. John Horgan, a priest and theologian, if she still had to undergo dialysis although she was already in her 70s.
Without hesitation, Fr. Horgan advised her to take any available modern medical treatment to help her live. She followed him and she died when she was in her 90s. She was able to live for more than 15 years to the fullest according to God’s design for her.
Had she chosen not to take dialysis, she would have succumbed sooner. During the more than 15 years that she was having dialysis, she was able to help other people and be a positive contributor and an influencer in the community.
Life is given by God and God is the one and only power who can take it away. Life is given respect as God is given respect.
Let us face the reality that societal groups and individuals have lost their sense of spirituality in the 21st century. Everything around us is secular. There is no more God in the minds and hearts of people. What is seen is just the world and how to acquire power, wealth, high position, ego and recognition in the community.
To quote, Archbishop J. Michael Miller of Vancouver, “People are discarded when they are of no use to society.” I further say that people are just numbers in a community.
Going back to the Fraser Health Authority, euthanasia through MAiD is offered to old people “to end their pain and suffering.” I believe this offer is to actually end “inconvenience and cost,” according to Bill Vander Zalm.
A person without spiritual values may not see the good benefits from an old person living in this world. A person without spiritual values may be blind to the compassion and care of an old person.
A person without spiritual values believes in himself/herself and he/she does not believe in the love of God for himself/herself. Thus, he/she cannot give love to an old person whom he/she sees as a burden or inconvenience in his/her life. In short, this is an act of selfishness.
Any old person wanting to die now due to pain and suffering may also be egoistic; may not have the sense of gratitude and appreciation for life; and may not have God, his Creator, in his/her heart. The old person may lack spiritual values and may lack the knowledge of what lies ahead after death.
Moreover, he/she may be misguided by family members who have their own agendas and may wish to die because he/she does not see nor feel the love of his family members. It is sad to say that many old people living in care homes are seldom visited by their family members.
They feel lonely and abandoned and thus, fall into the trap of wanting to end their lives. This is where those zealous volunteers and parishioners visiting seniors contribute to giving them joy.
In the last general meeting of the Delta Hospice Society, at which a new board of directors was elected by the majority of members, I was there as a newly signed member. The noise originating from the pro-MAiD members made me think their candidates would win the election.
There were only a handful of speakers, including myself, who spoke against MAiD. However, to my surprise and to the dismay of the pro-MAiD members, all the candidates elected were against euthanasia.
What did that mean? The louder the bark was, did not necessarily make the barker right or win. People vote according to their spiritual beliefs, family and personal values, and conscience. Every applicant for membership to the society should be accepted to meet legal requirements unless the society is a private organization with a constitution that states directly the type of membership for the society and, in this case, that members should be only those with faith.
With a political science education and court working experience, I would support this open membership to the society. It would then be the mandate of the current board members to work hard to fight for their life values. The election has been halted by the court and so, there is time for this fight against pro-MAiD.
As a pro-lifer, I will continue to fight against any policy, program or event that undermines the authority of God, my Creator and the Creator of mankind, and I will continue to support anti-abortion and anti-euthanasia movements.
I value life and my spiritual beliefs dictate that I am just a creature made by God and only God can take my life and the lives of others, especially the unborn and the seniors.
There may be hundreds of pro-abortion and pro-MAiD surrounding me in Delta while I may be the only one in their midst; but, in the end, I still win because I stood for what I stand for.
For this reason, I fully support the Delta Hospice Society board members for their love, compassion, care, respect and joy for life and for letting God take control of the lives of seniors living at the Irene Thomas Hospice.
Stick to your spiritual values and God will take care of the rest.
Teresita Nixon/Member Delta Hospice Society
