Mount Virtus

"Happy to come back to Michigan, but I miss the mountains!"

Ben on Social Media

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Home
  • About Ben
  • Mount Virtus?
  • Writer / Editor For Hire
  • What I’m Thankful For
  • Colorado Ballot Reviews
    • Colorado Ballot 2008
    • Colorado Ballot 2010
    • Colorado Ballot 2012
  • Archives
  • Passion and Purpose:
    The Rise & Fall of Al Gansee
  • Mary and Jacob: From the Forgotten Dust
Home Christianity and Faith Reflections

3/24/2005 By Ben 2 Comments

Reflections

Thinking about a poignant, powerful, complex case that has engaged and deeply moved so many Americans, some words of reflection.

I do not want to believe in America in 2005 that:

  • A man could express so little interest in his legally-recognized wife except to ensure that she’s dead.
  • A judge could stubbornly cling to the claims that a woman wants to die based on the flimsiest of evidence.
  • People could be arrested for bringing an innocent, helpless, dying woman water to drink.
  • The media would be arrayed against those who urge caution in “erring on the side of life,” distorting facts at every turn.
  • That an innocent brain-damaged woman has less standing before a federal court than a convicted murder with a death sentence or an endangered species.
  • The testimony of medical experts and attending nurses would be so callously ignored when a woman’s life is on the line.
  • What I want to believe only makes me feel better – it doesn’t deal with the truth. The truth is, as I have learned, that:

  • Some people have a lower estimation of the intrinsic worth and dignity of human life than I do.
  • Some people have greater faith in the rulings and decrees of an elected judge in Florida than I do.
  • It saddens me greatly to see:

  • Terri’s parents futilely pleading for help from any corner.
  • People trying to impose their own experiences on the case and make judgments without consideration of its own merits.
  • “Experts” smugly and confidently asserting that the starvation process is painless.
  • Our federal courts once again violating the clear intent of Congress.
  • Finally, I’m not surprised to see:

  • People of genuine faith held up as objects of derision for sincerely coming to Terri’s defense.
  • People of genuine faith seeking Divine favor and Divine reconciliation.
  • People of genuine faith doing everything within their means to fight until the last ray of hope is gone.
  • Today I pray for Terri, her family, the US Supreme Court, the governor of Florida, my family, my friends, and for my own spiritual condition.

    James 5:16
    The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.

    Filed Under: Christianity and Faith, General, National Politics

    Comments

    1. Curious Stranger says

      3/24/2005 at 8:53 am

      “Some people have a lower estimation of the intrinsic worth and dignity of human life than I do.”

      I have to disagree with you here, at least as far as my valuing human life. I think our disagreement here is about what counts as life, and you mention the key word for me: dignity. This circus has been about as far from treating Terri with dignity as is possible. Dignity would have prescribed the decision be left to the family, not Tom Delay. If the family can’t agree, then the legal guardian gets to decide. Thats unfortunate, but it happens every day. It’s no cause for Congress to make a sideshow of.

    2. Curious Stranger says

      3/24/2005 at 9:04 am

      2 more points.

      “Some people have greater faith in the rulings and decrees of an elected judge in Florida than I do.”

      I have greater faith in, by my count, around 30 judges in 8 courts, at both the state and, unfortunately for the Constitution, federal level. The fact that you don’t respect their decisions makes me fear for the future of this country and the rule of law. Your morals don’t trump the Constitution and I fear a lot of folks on your side of the argument need that made very clear to them. Not in this country. Not in the past, not now, not ever.

      Second: “Our federal courts once again violating the clear intent of Congress.” Lets ignore the fact that Congress had no business getting involved in the first case, and just consider your objection de-novo, as they say. How have they violated the clear intent of Congress? The case has been considered de-novo, twice, and determined to have had no merit, as the law required. If your concern is that the courts did not immediately do Congress’s bidding without *judgement*, then again, I fear for where our country is headed, as any American who respects the rule of law and our Founding Father’s legacy would.

    Leave a Reply

    You must be logged in to post a comment.

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Inside

    • About Ben
    • Archives
    • Colorado Ballot Reviews
      • Colorado Ballot 2008
      • Colorado Ballot 2010
      • Colorado Ballot 2012
      • Colorado Ballot 2014
    • Mary and Jacob: From the Forgotten Dust
    • Mount Virtus?
    • Passion and Purpose:
      The Rise & Fall of Al Gansee
    • What I’m Thankful For
    • Writer / Editor For Hire

    About Me

    Ben DeGrow
    Grateful and growing Christian, devoted husband and father of 3, public policy analyst, returned to Michigan by way of Colorado, conservative writer, lifelong learner, Detroit Tigers fan.

    Recent Posts

    • Tips to Teach Kids to Set and Achieve Goals
    • The Christmas Music Countdown You’ve Been Looking For: 2022 Edition
    • Sleep Deprivation and Parental Controls: How to Ensure Your Kids are Safe from Media Exposure
    • 8 Original Ways To Leverage Influencer Marketing
    • Why Every Single Business Needs A YouTube Channel

    Colorado News

    • Colorado Senate News
    • Complete Colorado
    • Independence Institute
    • Loveland Politics
    • The Colorado Observer

    National News and Politics

    • Drudge Report
    • Hot Air
    • National Review
    • Politico
    • Real Clear Politics
    • Reason
    • The Washington Times
    • TownHall
    • Wall Street Journal
    • Weekly Standard
    • World Magazine

    Blogs Extraordinaire

    • American Thinker
    • David Harsanyi’s Blog
    • E!! The True Conservative Story
    • EIA Intercepts
    • Evangelical Outpost
    • Hugh Hewitt
    • Instapundit
    • LaShawn Barber
    • Lileks
    • Little Green Footballs
    • Michelle Malkin
    • NRO's The Corner
    • Power Line
    • Red State

    Completing the Blogroll

    • Alarming News
    • Black Five
    • Blogs of War
    • Eduwonk
    • Flypaper
    • Fraters Libertas
    • Historical Conversations
    • IMAO
    • Jay P. Greene
    • Mike Anderson
    • Mullings
    • Professor Bainbridge
    • Right Thinking
    • Right Wing News
    • Right Wing Nuthouse
    • Shot in the Dark
    • Talking Points Memo
    • Virginia Postrel
    • Volokh Conspiracy

    Christian Commentary et al.

    • Kevin Pierpont
    • Sharper Iron

    Conservative and GOP Sites

    • Backbone America
    • Cal Thomas
    • Colorado Republican Party
    • Colorado Republican Study Committee
    • Dennis Prager
    • Denver Metro Young Republicans
    • Free Republic
    • Heritage Foundation
    • Jefferson County Republican Party
    • Mackinac Center for Public Policy
    • Mark Steyn
    • Michael Medved
    • Rush Limbaugh

    Colorado Blogs

    • American Kestrel
    • Bob Agard
    • Colorado Charter Schools
    • Colorado Peak Politics
    • Colorado Pols
    • Colorado Right
    • Conservative Libertarian Outpost
    • Coyote Gulch
    • Ed Is Watching
    • Free Colorado
    • Jeff Crank Show
    • Mark Hillman
    • Patient Power
    • PirateBallerina
    • Protein Wisdom
    • Reagan Girl
    • Rocky Mountain Alliance 1.0 (Archive)
    • Rocky Mountain Alliance 2.0 (Archive)
    • Rossputin
    • Stop the ACLU Blog
    • The Spot (Denver Post)
    • We Stand Firm

    Other Sites

    • Technorati
    • Word Press

    Rocky Mountain Alliance 2.0

    • Reclaim the Blue
    • The Business Word
    • The Daily Blogster
    • View from a Height

    To Contact Me:
    bendegrow-at-gmail.com

    Copyright © 2023 RSS Feed · WordPress · Log in