I thought it'd be more appropriate to post this here rather than in General Skepticism.
How to lie with statistics.
Father Rosica mentions the following:
(In 1984, in the Netherlands, euthanasia was declared legal when certain conditions were met.
Even though about 2,400 cases of euthanasia and assisted suicide are reported each year, the Dutch government conducted a study in 1991 that found that there were up to 12,000 cases that year. )
That's still better reporting than countries such as Australia have (essentially nil) because of the necessarily illicit and clandestine practice that is necessitated by laws against compassionate end-of-life choices.
(Of these, about half the patients did not request or consent to being killed. One of the doctors explained that it would have been "rude" to discuss the matter with the patients, as they all "knew that their conditions were incurable.")
At least this is out in the open in the Netherlands and Belgium. Who knows how many patients are murdered every day in the US and Australia through "terminal sedation"? It could well be much higher.
(Belgium legalized euthanasia in 2002. That year, 204 people were reported to have been killed. In 2006, 444 people were reported to have been killed. In 2005, the Belgian government acknowledged that approximately half of all euthanasia deaths are not reported.)
Lying by omission yet again. There is NO reporting, scrutiny or accountability in Australia or the US states that do not permit assisted dying. Rosica expects us to believe that this is somehow BETTER!?
(In Oregon, physician-assisted suicide was legalized in 1997. In 1998, there were 16 reported assisted suicide deaths. In 2005, there were 36.)
More lies by omission. The slippery slope is not demonstrated here. There would be a cause for concern IF AND ONLY IF the proportion of terminally ill patients choosing to use the DWD act was increasing at an alarming rate. He also ignores the majority of patients who receive the dose but never take it. Having the means to exit life peacefully is an enormous comfort and extends lives.
Also omitted from the interview (and DVD documentary) is the astronomical rates of suicide among the elderly, primarily by hanging.
http://www.catholic.org/featured/headline.php?ID=4344&page=1
http://www.catholic.org/featured/headline.php?ID=4344&page=2
http://public.health.oregon.gov/ProviderPartnerResources/EvaluationResearch/DeathwithDignityAct/Pages/ar-index.aspx
How to lie with statistics.
Father Rosica mentions the following:
(In 1984, in the Netherlands, euthanasia was declared legal when certain conditions were met.
Even though about 2,400 cases of euthanasia and assisted suicide are reported each year, the Dutch government conducted a study in 1991 that found that there were up to 12,000 cases that year. )
That's still better reporting than countries such as Australia have (essentially nil) because of the necessarily illicit and clandestine practice that is necessitated by laws against compassionate end-of-life choices.
(Of these, about half the patients did not request or consent to being killed. One of the doctors explained that it would have been "rude" to discuss the matter with the patients, as they all "knew that their conditions were incurable.")
At least this is out in the open in the Netherlands and Belgium. Who knows how many patients are murdered every day in the US and Australia through "terminal sedation"? It could well be much higher.
(Belgium legalized euthanasia in 2002. That year, 204 people were reported to have been killed. In 2006, 444 people were reported to have been killed. In 2005, the Belgian government acknowledged that approximately half of all euthanasia deaths are not reported.)
Lying by omission yet again. There is NO reporting, scrutiny or accountability in Australia or the US states that do not permit assisted dying. Rosica expects us to believe that this is somehow BETTER!?
(In Oregon, physician-assisted suicide was legalized in 1997. In 1998, there were 16 reported assisted suicide deaths. In 2005, there were 36.)
More lies by omission. The slippery slope is not demonstrated here. There would be a cause for concern IF AND ONLY IF the proportion of terminally ill patients choosing to use the DWD act was increasing at an alarming rate. He also ignores the majority of patients who receive the dose but never take it. Having the means to exit life peacefully is an enormous comfort and extends lives.
Also omitted from the interview (and DVD documentary) is the astronomical rates of suicide among the elderly, primarily by hanging.
http://www.catholic.org/featured/headline.php?ID=4344&page=1
http://www.catholic.org/featured/headline.php?ID=4344&page=2
http://public.health.oregon.gov/ProviderPartnerResources/EvaluationResearch/DeathwithDignityAct/Pages/ar-index.aspx