Ramadan Blog: Week VII

Though the required reading for this entry was short, this chapter had some very interesting discussion points!

Chapter twelve covers,arguably, one of the most controversial and mysterious topics in the history of mankind: death. The chapter starts out by defining death and talking about the four types of death: clinical, brain, legal and biological. The chapter then moves into the purpose of grieving and the different types of grieving. The well-known “5 Stages of Dying” by Kubler-Ross also made a brief appearance in this short chapter. Chapter twelve then ends with a rundown on the nature of spirituality and briefly touches on suicide.  

The first thing that caught my eye was the discussion box on the top of page 283 titled “Whose Right to Decide?” It speaks of the leaps and bounds that have been made in the field of medical technology that can prolong a person’s lifespan. However, given the diversity of beliefs in our society, not everyone agrees with its use. In this example it speaks of a 13 year old cancer patient named Daniel. His parents do not agree to the use of chemotherapy to treat the cancer and want to explore other treatment options. However, doctors believed that chemo was the best option and took his parents to court, who then found them guilty of medical neglect. Personally, I am not a fan of chemotherapy, having learned a lot about it during my time as a biology student. However, I do not know how I feel about this entire situation with the parents refusing treatment and the doctors taking the parents to court. I believe that this could be debated for hours, even days, with good points being given on both sides of the argument.

The next thing that I thought was worth discussing was another “Take a Stand” box on the top of page 290 titled “The Pros and Cons of Physician-Assisted Suicide”. If I am not mistaken, Assisted Suicide is currently illegal in the USA but legal in Canada. I am for Physician-Assisted Suicide. I believe that if a person is terminally ill and in horrible pain, he or she should have the right to decide whether or not they want to live. In my opinion, I think there are too many laws in the United States that are based on religion alone. In a lot of religions, suicide of any sort is forbidden, and I think in certain situations that is wrong. I know my opinions may be controversial but this is the stance I take on this issue.

The final thing that caught my eye was the final section of chapter twelve, on page 294, called “If I Had My Life to Live Over”. This really hooked me while I was reading. In the survey of 122 retired people, when asked if they could do anything differently with their lives if given the chance for a do-over, most of them responded with a “yes”. I think it’s incredibly interesting and a little heartbreaking that a lot of these older folk live with regret. That’s a life goal of mine, it to remain largely regret free. For instance, I have decided to go into a profession that will not make me wealthy but gives me immense personal satisfaction. I cherish my personal connections over my desire for money. Everyone is different but I hope that I do not end up as a regretful old man at the end of my days.

Again, thanks for the read! Agree or disagree with anything? Debate it in the comments!